16 Weeks

Today, I am 16 weeks pregnant. And I am happy. It's unreal to me, still, that Mike and I are well on our way to becoming parents. I am so grateful that pregnancy is a process that takes nine months. Yes, my little one growing needs that time to develop and be healthy, but I feel that I do, too. The first two months were surreal and it took a little bit for me to come to the reality that, yes, I am having a baby. Then came some of the physical changes - the exhaustion, the "I swear I'm not just getting chubby, I'm pregnant" stage, the emotions that always seem to be on the surface. I am just now coming to terms with these changes and beginning to actually enjoy them. I love my naps. I love that I have the excuse right now to nap and sleep as much as my little heart desires. I realize that this luxury will be a distant memory when the baby gets here, so I will love my life right now. My changing body is becoming less of a stress and more of an affirmation to me that my baby is growing and things are going as it should. And the emotions? Well, they have brought a whole new set of challenge to Mike and I, and it has made me even more grateful for my amazing husband.

There have been moments in the past 16 weeks where we were scared that maybe having a baby wasn't part of Heavenly Father's plan for us right now. Facing that fear and coming to the realization that our family and our future is in the Lord's hands, has strengthened my testimony. There is nothing to fear. Heavenly Father's plan for us is one of happiness, and that happiness will come through experience. We pray every night for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby - but we also know that should something happen, and things don't work out according to our plan, we will be taken care of and in the end our joy and our happiness will be real and full.