The Glory of Stretch Marks

As you may already know, I am currently pregnant with Mr Boy's little sister! We've been busy with selling a home, moving states, buying a new house, etc... so this poor lil baby has not recieved much attention. (And she won't get much attention in this post either becuase it's mostly about ME. :) ) I was struck today by the fact that I am already in my 28th week! Mr Boy was born at 29 weeks, just one measly week into my 3rd trimester, so I can't believe I am only 1 week away from the same gestation. It's unreal. Thankfully the doctors are taking extra precautions to keep this precious life inside me as long as possible, with cervical ultrasounds every 2 weeks and weekly progesterone shots, which David has the priviledge of administering via my rump. I am determined to take this baby to the finish line.

As I reflect on Mr Boy's birth, I remember how early and traumatic it was. I remember the chaos and speed with which he was whisked away before I even had a chance to see him. I remember how small he looked. I also remember funny things like the smell of the hand soap we had to scrub our hands and arms with for 3 minutes every time we entered the NICU. But the weirdest thing I remember is that I didn't have any stretch marks. I didn't get to experience the inside-out belly button phenomenon some women get in the last few months of gestation. When women reminisce about their pregnancies or commiserate about the last trimester... when they couldn't eat without refluxing, or peed every 5 minutes, I can't relate. And when mothers talk about how many months and sometimes years it took to lose the post-pregnancy tummy, I have to admit that I was back to my old weight and form within one month (with the help of lots of stress and anxiety). *I would not recommend this as a fitness plan.

I must confess that I am feircely jealous of mommies who carry their babies full-term.  I'm envious of stretchmarks and post-pregnancy pooch. When you have your baby prematurely, it feels like someone is stripping part of your motherhood away. Somehow you didn't do it right. Part of my pregnancy and motherhood experience was robbed from me... 1/3rd of it to be exact. And I am eagerly looking forward to the next 3 months with this pregnancy, when I can earn those badges of honor, fulfilling my pre-birth duities as a mother. I couldn't be more excited!

It's true... stretch marks can be unsightly and undesirable. But they are also a sign of motherhood. You worked hard for those marks. Battle scars. Like a soldier's insignia. Your skin went to it's limits and beyond, to carry that life. It's actually pretty incredible if you think about it.