The Creighton Family: Pregnancy isn't pretty.......but my kids are

I'm not one of those women that loves pregnancy...

First of all, I don't like limitations on what I can do physically. I'm not sure if it's because there are TWINS in here, because this pregnancy is so close to the last one, because I'm getting older, or the fact that I've done this twice before but-my hips are killing me. It has limited my exercise drastically....as in-suspended my gym membership drastic. My physician let me know he'd be cutting off my gym activities by twenty weeks anyway and I've been trying to take it easy-but I don't like it.

Second of all, I don't like feeling bloated every day. I'm not a person that obsesses about my weight. We don't even have a scale in our home. I was blessed with good metabolism-I can maintain a weight that pleases me without cardio or dieting (although I think we eat very healthy compared to most). I don't worry about gaining a few pounds here and there. But it's nice those days when you wake up and feel lean-pregnancy never provides those.

Then there's the wardrobe limitations.....which is what led me to Destination Maternity last Sunday. You would think I'd have a lot of maternity clothes having just been pregnant with Gracie but a lot of what I wore with her was borrowed. Plus she was born in the summer and most of my maternity was really just maxi and other dresses from Forever 21 that I wore so much they fell apart. The shopping trip was terrible. We had just come from Gage's soccer game and I was tired, hot, and sweaty from being out in the sun. Every pair of pants I tried on looked terrible on my backside and I could see the cellulite building up on the back of my thighs. I felt like crap. Pregnancy just doesn't make me feel pretty.

Matt and I have been discussing our upcoming anniversary. We have decided to follow the traditional gifts and this year is cotton. I have had a gift in mind for Matt for quite a while but he said he was struggling.....and that all he could think of was a nice comfy robe but he noticed that I had just bought myself a new one. A robe? That's not going to make me feel pretty-that's just going to make me feel more lazy.......and big and........pregnant.

Then I was gently reminded.....It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that make you beautiful. No, your beauty should come from within you-the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit that will never be destroyed and is very precious to God. (1 Peter 3:3-4)

I don't FEEL beautiful, but that doesn't mean I'm not......or that I can't be.....

Matt's gift idea should make me feel good. It shows that he thinks I'm beautiful always-even lying around lazily in a robe......in fact, it shows that right now he WANTS me to take it easy and lie around in a comfy robe. I should really take advantage and count the many blessings Matt brings to me.

Starting this weekend I can now feeling the twins move throughout every day. I had felt them sporadically before but now it's every day. It's joyful and comforting and reminder of the beauty and wonder of bringing life into the world.

Today we were supposed to have an ultrasound that we hoped would confirm the genders.....after waiting for ten minutes in the waiting room the power went out. PG&E estimated a 2-hour wait time so we were sent home and we'll have to reschedule-bummer. It was made worse by the fact that Matt had taken the morning off and I'd hired a babysitter to come watch Gage and Gracie while we went......and the fact that we woke up to ants-in our pantry. It hasn't been the best morning.

But there is much to look forward to and enjoy right now. We are headed home to the farm this weekend and again the next. This means a stop at Hobby Lobby-which is always joyful. Then, I'll get to see the place where my brother-in-law and soon to be sister-in-law will be getting married in November, we'll have a little time to relax, and Gage will get to go quail hunting.

Speaking of Gage, he lost his first tooth last weekend!

He was playing Connect Four and started to wiggle the tooth with his tongue, then it fell out into his mouth and he spit it out. He was VERY excited, but sad that he couldn't keep the tooth.

We have at least one thing to look forward to every weekend from now through the end of November.......even though sometimes that it burdensome-it's a blessing right now. Being busy will make the time pass by quickly.......before we know it the new year will be here and the babies will follow right behind.

Here's what we've been up to lately.....

Sewed a blanket for Baby Paxton......and another for Jaxon but I forgot to take a picture