Why Pregnancy is Like Backpacking, So Far

February 20, 2013 ~ Crystle ~ 13 Comments

Once upon a time, I used to love backpacking. Packing up my food and shelter and carrying it up a mountain in hopes of reaching a summit above the tree line was exhilirating. Slowly but surely, and a few days later, the mountain would run out of up and I’d be at my destination atop an archive of new memories. But the backpacking experience can also be very humbling. Weather and wildlife, the angry variables, will inevitably have their way with your trip, regardless of your expectations.

Pregnancy resembles backpacking in so many ways; if you’ve experienced one, you can gain some understanding into the level of difficulty involved with the other. For the sake of brevity in this analogy, I’ll skip straight to the moment you find yourself at the trailhead on the mountain, or starting point of your pregnancy.

At the foothills of the mountain, you may notice that the air is thinner. This is kind of like the first trimester of pregnancy. You just need to become acclimated to the new environment. It takes at least a day (for me, at least) to re-train your lungs to deal with the lesser amount of oxygen on the mountain.

Fortunately, by the time you get used to the fatigue and nausea associated with the first trimester of pregnancy, it’s over.

That’s when you hit your stride. It’s easier to take in the wonder of your changing world at this time.

The ascent up the mountain is relatively predictable, but there may be a thunder storm here and there, a mob of mosquitoes, or a patch unexpected snow. The second trimester of pregnancy is the same. Aches and pains become normal, there is a child growing inside of you, after all. The weird stuff happening in your body, like baby’s somersaults, and heartburn hasn’t become freaky yet.

Still, you’re taking it all in and dreaming of the spectacular view from the top.

Then the third trimester hits. Or, similarly, you reach and pass the tree line on the mountainside. Uh oh, you no longer have the tree canopy to shelter you from thunder storms.

In pregnancy, you realize you’re no longer coasting on borrowed parenthood time and that revelation leaves you feeling vulnerable. It’s time to get real about being a parent and make sure you’ve got the tools necessary to be a good one. No matter what, there remains a degree of apprehension around your parenting capabilities. It’s something that parents probably don’t ever get over… it may even be a stipulation to join their club.

On the mountain, now is a good time to get out your rain gear so you can truck straight through the inevitable downpour. In pregnancy, go ahead and wrap up your nesting phase. In both cases, you’ve got the gear and you tell yourself you’re ready for what’s around the corner.

But, guess what? If ever there was a time for things to go awry, it’s now. You could run into a bear on the mountain, or be knocked off a cliff by gusty winds. Lightning could strike you much more easily since you’re on top of a mountain.

Your water could break IN PUBLIC, you could not know you’re in labor and end up delivering in the car, or you could end up delivering an eleven pound baby, vaginally. Or, as in my experience (up to this point), the baby drops and sudden sciatica renders you immobile. I’ve been stuck on the couch all week, unable to cook or clean or have any fun, really. Fortunately my husband is at hand and ready to help in any way necessary. He’s my rain gear, you could say. Without him, I’m not sure hiking straight through the misery* would be tolerable. Anyways, the uncertainty is daunting.

So here I am, at the point of the backpacking trip where I’d rather turn tail down the mountain in hopes of getting to a hotel at a decent hour. At the same point in pregnancy, labor hasn’t even begun, but the fear is taking over. Right now it’s looking like Backpacking is easier than pregnancy, because now I have no choice but to head straight into the storm of labor and delivery, unsure of what’s on the other side. No turning back!

I’ll be sure to let you know when this baby comes, and whether or not there were any bears.

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*I refuse to indulge any of you in the freaky things that my body is doing right now, but if you’re a mother, you undoubtedly know the disgusting (and painful) things your body does when you’re edging closer to labor and delivery.

Holiday Hangover

January 4, 2013 ~ Crystle ~ 6 Comments

Anyone else feeling a little drained from the Holiday season? I am.

Our anniversary was December 23rd; we spent it in nearby Gig Harbor at a bed and breakfast on the water. Then we spent Christmas Eve with friends and had a mellow Christmas Day at home. I made a pot roast for Isaac and even gave some to the dogs because I happen to be an overindulging dog owner. It all seemed much more labor intensive at the time than in retrospect.

Now that the Holidays are behind us, we’re watching the days tick by until baby joins us. Margot is due in 9 weeks and I really can’t believe it. If any of you experienced mothers have any birthing or newborn advice, please share. I sure could use it! In the meantime, I’ll be sleeping as much as possible, while I still can.

Confronting (Grown Up) Uncertainty

October 24, 2012December 9, 2012 ~ Crystle ~ 18 Comments

Hello, Friends!

I know I haven’t been reading or writing much lately, and I really have no good excuse. For me, October has been marked by long naps, Netflix marathons, and mini-feasts of Halloween candy. Shameful, I know, but my mind is heavy with thoughts of the now and the future.

You guys know how prone to hyperbole I am, so let me tell you that bringing a child into the world is the most monumental feat I’ve faced in life. With parenthood comes a ton of responsibility, the mere prospect of which has ushered Isaac and I down the path to confront uncertainty. My lazy and laconic October aside, progress (months in the making) has been made.

Allow me to elaborate:

First and foremost, we found out we’re having a girl. This literally took no skill or effort, but it’s just nice to have that uncertainty behind us. I was reluctant to share the name until she arrived for fear of copycatting, nitpicking or naysaying. I got over that pretty quick. Critics, and copycats: in March of 2013, baby Margot Bryn will be joining us. We like the name, and hope she does too, and that’s all that truly matters.

Hopefully she settles into our new house near Olympia, Washington nicely. We’re in the process of moving now, which prompts frustration when something you need is already packed up. Where is my hot glue gun?!

Oh, I guess I forgot to mention we are now homeowners! Gone are the days of wasting money on rent, and upon us is a future of equity building. For months we’ve been searching high and low in a variety of neighborhoods and towns for the right home. Ultimately, we decided upon a two-story, new construction in the suburbs of Olympia.

I know what you’re thinking: the suburbs? Crystle, why are you eating all the words from your twenty-something lifestyle-manifesto? Do they even taste good? The answer is yes. They taste rich, like a European candy you need only try once, which is exactly how I now regard my idealist ‘me-against-the-world-Neon Bible‘ days. I’m trading that up for a more analytical and inquisitive ‘Helplessness Blues‘ era. For the sake of this post, I hope you’re familiar with those albums.

“Early Onset Parenthood” (as I refer to it) is bringing on a renewed perception of the world. It’s great.

So a final thought on the suburbs: I just wanted a crime-free neighborhood for our new addition, which was hard to come by in Tacoma Proper. We also need to be able to rent the place out when the Army whisks away to the next duty station. Moving from place to place in the US and around the world will be a certainty for us.

As evidence of our nomadic lifestyle, in a year’s time we’ll be residents of Fairbanks, Alaska! Be excited for us, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. Most people never even visit the Last Frontier, let alone live there for an extended period of time. Six months of bitter winter weather (think -60°F on a bad night) giving way to warm summer hikes in Denali and brilliant shows of Aurora Borealis is a dream for a Bakersfield girl like me. I cannot wait to experience the extreme weather and immense beauty in our nation’s largest state.

Color me happy.