13 Days Until Due Date: What I'll Miss

Time is winding down and I'm getting a little nostalgic.  My first baby is almost here and I cannot wait to meet him!  And since I'm getting more and more uncomfortable in my own body and more and more cranky with my lack of sleep, I thought it'd be a good time to reflect on all that I'm going to miss about this nine month journey instead of focusing on the things that I'm ready to let go of (I'm looking at you, sore hips).

- Naps.  I may not be sleeping well at night but I can nap like a champ!  And there is no guilt about taking the time to catch up on zzz's.  Sleep is going to take on a whole new meaning once Baby arrives so right now I'm luxuriating in the naivete of my "tiredness" and "lack of sleep."  My recliner/rocker is one of my favorite places and is where you can usually find me.

- Friendliness.  The world is a kinder place when you're pregnant.  People smile at you as you walk by. They offer their seats to you.  They spontaneously yell out, "Congratulations!" like they can't help themselves.  Conversations are started more easily and the world seems to be rooting for you.  It's quite lovely and I'm going to try to remember that when people are sending me death-ray stares as my baby is crying in public.

- Newness.  I'll only be pregnant for the first time, one time.  And it has been so fun sharing this experience with my family, friends and now you guys - my blog readers.  We had fun and personalized ways to share the news with each of our family and friends and made some pretty great memories as they found out.  Their screams of surprise and excitement were all captured and we edited together the highlights into some of my favorite videos.  And while I hope to have more children in the future, the reception of that announcement will be different.  Surely as special but, no doubt, different.

- Down-Time.  I'm the first to admit that my relatively easy pregnancy has to be attributed in large part to my relatively easy schedule.  Being an actor, employment is not steady.  Which is a hard thing to deal with most of the time...until you're pregnant.  Sure, I've gone on auditions, taken classes and stayed active career-wise during this pregnancy but I haven't had a steady job.  I've had residuals from commercials coming in and I've had an incredibly supportive husband which means I've been lucky enough to make my own schedule.  I've been able to take the time to exercise, prepare healthy meals, and rest when I need to.  I've made my health and well-being a priority during these past nine months and as a result, have felt pretty great.  Once Baby arrives, that "down-time" is going to be a thing of the past.  And there is no way the next pregnancy is going to be as smooth as this one when I'm running after a toddler!

- Movement.  I've talked enough on here about how active my little guy is in my belly.  Always kicking, stretching, moving around.  And in the past few weeks, that movement has become a little painful - I'm not going to lie.  But I'll miss it.  It's something that only he and I will ever share.  And while I know actually holding him is going to be so much more rewarding and special, at this moment in time it's something that I'll miss.

And the top five things I can't wait to get back once the baby is born?

1. Over-Easy Eggs
2. Medium-Rare beef
3. Deli Meat
4. Cabernet
5. Eating fish without checking the "approved" list 

Ok, fine, maybe those are the top five food things I can't wait to get back.  What can I say?  I'm hungry ALL THE TIME.