Saving the Best for Last

I'm having some major round ligament pains today. My back and side have been so sore. It kind of comes and goes but it is driving me crazy. Luckily my wonderful husband gave me a nice massage to help ease the pain. He keeps telling me to take Tylenol, which I know is supposed to be safe during pregnancy and I've taken it before in the first trimester, but I really don't want to take it if I don't have to.

What would you suggest for dealing with round ligament pain and a sore back? Is there really anything you can do? Should I just suck it up and take a Tylenol?

Little girl has been kicking so much today. She loved the grapefruit I had for lunch (sprinkled with sugar). We can definitely see her kicks now. Especially her hard ones. I woke up the other day and freaked out for a second when I looked at my bare stomach and saw a weird lump. Then it was gone. Apparently she was stretching out or something but it freaked me out when I first saw it. It's so fun getting to feel her move around. I imagined the feeling so differently. It seemed to me like it would hurt but it just feels kind of like someone is flicking or poking you from the inside.

From early March. Back when I wasn't having such bad soreness.

Dalin and I get more and more excited every day for her to arrive. I can't wait to be at home with her, taking care of her, and attempting to teach her Spanish (which is something that has always been really important to me even though I'm not fluent myself). Obviously everyone worries a little about how they'll be as a parent, but I am mostly worried about how I will handle her crying. On TV the other day, we heard a newborn crying and my stress level instantly went up by a lot. I could feel my body tense up. Crying makes me nervous. I know it usually just means the baby is hungry or tired or needs to be changed but I worry that she won't stop. I used to think babies didn't like me--I didn't know how to hold them in a way they liked and I didn't have the instincts to distract them when they were crying. Getting called into Primary with young children was scary at first, but they are very different than new babies.

Anyway, I'm just hoping my motherly instincts will kick in and that our baby will like me. I am trying not to let these thoughts stress me out, but I do think about it occasionally. I really love babies and little kids, I just need to learn how to manage them. Somehow, I have a feeling I'll figure it out.

What worries did you have about taking care of a new baby? Was it easier than you thought? How easy was it to make a connection after your baby was born?

In other news, I just have one indoor cycling class left! This is bittersweet because it kind of gives my Tuesday and Thursday mornings a good start and the exercise is supposed to be preparing me for an easier labor and recovery. So now I'll have to find an alternative workout to do during the week. Or...take another class. Also, Dalin bought me some great maternity pants on Amazon! They are XS and I love them. They are dark blue and they fit perfectly. They are awesome and I am so happy that Dalin got them for me! Also (again), we got an Easter package yesterday from Mom and Dad Gunnell. It was such a nice surprise for both of us! Besides lots and lots of awesome Easter candy, there was a really cool sweatshirt for Dalin, some precious outfits with frogs and turtles (my favorite) for baby girl, and three adorable maternity shirts for me! I've worn two of them already. They are the best and it made our day to get a nice package from them. 

More news: I can't wait until the weekend! I'm hosting a BBQ/pool party for King Henry residents on Saturday so we have that and then a ward potluck on Sunday to look forward to (I just found out about the potluck today but I was asked to bring chili so I have that to prepare for). 

And the best news of all...

Random picture from our fishing trip/picnic in March

Dalin got a new job!!!!! He applied for a job at a residential treatment center for teenage boys suffering from anxiety, depression, or recovering from addictions, and after a successful interview, he got asked to come back for a second interview--this time for a better position than the one he applied for! It's the perfect job for his psychology major--particularly because he is interested in studying neuro-psychology (which focuses primarily on those with depression and anxiety)--so it will provide him with great experience for a future career. It's full time so it's going to make finishing school just a little harder, but I know we can get through it. I will be praying for him a lot. I hope he loves this job. I am so grateful for him and for the sacrifice he is making to support our family. I will definitely be trying my best to do my part in building our family and making our home a place of peace.