They must be down there somewhere.

You know the ending scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's? Where Audrey Hepburn realizes she actually loves that cat and she wants so desperately to find it again? So she jumps out of the cab and searches the alleyway frantically? "Cat! Cat! Where are you, cat!"

That's how I woke up feeling about my toes this morning. 

Feeling ready!

Oh little girl! How oh how are we supposed to wait an entire five more weeks to meet you in person?? You already have so much personality. You tease Daddy when he wants to play, but you also know exactly when to stop and reassure him. You know what tunes you like [Justin Timberlake, to be exact - you are SO our child]. You dance with Mommy. You've found your favorite positions to sleep in and you know for a fact that you don't. like. oatmeal. 

How is it possible that 8 months ago we didn't even know you existed and now here we are and we can't imagine life without you?

I like to pretend he's cuddling with me, but you see his hand on my stomach? He's just here for his littlest girl.

Mommy is so okay with that.
 

Unexpected emotions.

It's funny, when you look up "Things No One Tells You About Pregnancy" a long list pops up of all the things that EVERYONE tells you about pregnancy. You'll find that:

1. You'll leak. Everywhere. All the time. (It doesn't matter whether or not you do a million kegel's a day.)

2. You'll put on weight even before BABY actually makes an appearance.

3. You'll want to ring your partner and anyone else's neck who crosses your path for little to no reason at all. 

And other unpleasant "side effects" that come along with growing a human. So here we are, the first-timers, feeling all prepared because we think we're one step ahead. When other women give us that all-knowing-slightly-foreboding smile when we say we're excited and ready for our pregnancy to progress, we smile back because in our heads we think, "No no no, you don't understand. We Googled it. We know exactly what we're getting in to. We even know about the snail trails!"

News flash. We don't know. We can't know. Pregnancy is interesting. Everyone thinks they "get it" because there are movies depicting the hard parts of it and there's endless online resources telling you how to "Wow Your Midwife" and we all know someone who's been pregnant and so we "understand," obviously. I'll be honest with you, I was one of the worst. I was so sure I was going to rock this human-growing business. I was completely blind-sided. 

I want to go back to the very beginning and sit down with that me. The me staring that plus sign in the face feeling momentarily empowered and confident. I want to swallow her up in a big hug and tell her to hold on to that feeling. I want to tell her that over the next eight months, even the tiniest of her insecurities are going to be magnified. I want to remind her that she's always had a hard time accepting help, and that she's entering a phase of life where everyone just wants to help, and that it's not going to be any easier just because there's a baby involved now. It will still be hard, and it will cause break down after break down of feeling like people are thinking of her as incapable. I'll remind her that chances are likely they really truly just want to help because they love her, not because they think she "needs" it. Then I'll remind her unnecessarily of how valuable her independence has always been to her. I'll gently tell her that that same kind of independence is no longer an option. "In growing this little girl," I'll tell me, "you are surrendering that independence. You, are now two. She's going to be there all the time, for a long time. Not starting after she's born, starting now. That is so fun. But it's also terrifying and intimidating, and a little like finding a body part you never knew you had. You'll be a little scared of it, and it will take a long time to adjust to." I want to tell her how she's always been a little vain, and that that's going to make things difficult now. It'll be especially hard to know where to channel that insecurity, because when you try to talk about it, people will look down on you. People are going to roll their eyes at you and tell you "Please, you're TINY!" and no one will be able to understand why you're complaining. I'll tell her that it's okay to feel a sense of loss as her body makes the necessary shifts in order to bring life in to the world. I'll tell her to remember to focus on what is important, and what she can control and to not tear herself apart with guilt over the emotions she feels - it doesn't mean she loves her baby any less. I'll tell her to focus on that.

I have this image of me in the hospital, with little girl on my chest, and Levi draped around my shoulders leaning his head against mine just watching our baby girl breathe air for the very first time. Every moment I feel the panic creeping in and the frustration trying to take over, that is what pulls me out of the darkness. Isn't it interesting, that something so beautiful and awe-inspiring can cause so much anxiety? Maybe I shouldn't admit it out loud, but that's real. That's life. That's just me - the new mom. Trying desperately to figure this out as I go. Wish me luck?

A different kind of change.

Today ended began a major chapter in my life.

After today things are going to be different. 

That's okay. I like different. I really do.

In fact, for a lot of my life, change was an escape. I ran when I got scared or hurt or lonely or mad. I'd find a way to make some "major change" and it would distract me from all the emotions I didn't like to feel. 

This change, is nothing like that. 

This time it's different.

This change I'm not forcing. I'm not running from anything. This time I'm running toward something. This time I'm not trying to slam the door shut behind me. I'm not changing my phone number and filing change of address forms and cutting people out. Instead, I'm opening doors. In fact, I'm even leaving them wide open behind me because I'm no longer scared of what's back there. I rarely glance over my shoulder but when I do, I smile because of what I see. I see well-spent time and lessons-learned and genuine happiness.

Mostly though, I'm facing forward. Beside me I have Levi, the father of my child, the one embarking on this journey with me, the one who I know I can lean on when I come up short, and the one who constantly fills my bucket with love and intuitive support. I have my parents who find a way to be there every time I need them. I have my sister and extended family, and Levi's family lifting me daily and giving me endless examples of people I can't wait for our little girl to want to emulate. I have friends and familiar faces checking in regularly and making me feel capable and important. I am so blessed. 

So yes, everything is changing. I'll be home a lot more. My bank account will stop growing for a time. My focus will shift and now I'll be busy with my Love preparing with him to welcome our little girl. But no, I'm not scared. My heart is at peace and my mind is clear. Or at least, as clear as it can be. 

I am 29 weeks pregnant, after all!

A New Chapter

Crazy how fast life changes, isn't it? Five months ago Levi and I took this picture:



It was his birthday and we long-boarded around the neighborhood all night, made-out and enjoyed being [mostly] young and careless!

One month later, I peed on a stick and our lives changed forever.

It's not a simple change, by the way. It's not like... Oh my gosh I moved the kitchen soap to the right side of the sink instead of the left and now every time I go to wash my hands it takes me 3 seconds longer because I can't find the soap for a second and that's soooo annoying. It's like... Every second of every day your thoughts are different than they were before.

So, it's time to start recording this new journey. There's too much I don't want to forget.
Welcome to Love, Amalie Maren:  Baby edition.

Reminiscing.

I'm not crazy about most of my pre-raw photo days, but I will always love this shot. He's just my favorite subject, let's be honest.

Since I've started school [and correspondingly gotten every second of free time stripped from me quicker than I even half expected], this man has all but taken over kitchen-clean-up-duty, talked through math problems with me, gotten excited over every good grade, been my own personal picker-upper, patiently listened to my complaints of exhaustion and has been willing and ready to work around my schedule to make things easier on me. It's something special to be so connected with someone that when one of you needs help the other can step in without even being asked. He gets me completely inside and out and good GRIEF am I thankful he does.

I literally don't know what I would do without him at this point. I love him to the moon and back.

A breath of fresh air.

Sometimes in this life, things get way busier than you expected. Sometimes you spend an entire week just going and by the time Saturday rolls around you don't even know what just happened. Sometimes you feel like you literally don't even have a single second to yourself for peace or quiet. Sometimes you start to really miss those days before work, and school of sleeping in every morning with the boy and lounging the day away with him. Sometimes even sleep starts to feel like work.

You know how people say to take time to stop and smell the roses? Well, I've decided that pictures like this one, are my roses. After a week like I just had, I pull up a shot like this, and I suddenly feel refreshed. I feel like I can handle it all, because sometimes in the midst of all the exhaustion, certain shots just work out. You pull them up and the colors are bright and the subject is centered and you realize it's going to be okay. It's going to be okay because this shot, came out exactly like you pictured it in your head. Hey, maybe life isn't quite as hard as you're making it out to be.

What's your breath of fresh air?