Prenatal Advisory

I have a warning for all you out there who are pregnant or who may be hanging out with a prenant person. Please, for the sake of all involved, avoid the country music stations at all costs! Those country DJ's are quite gutsy in picking their playlists and you may be shocked by the lyrics they are playing on these stations - lyrics that will cause expectant moms to crumble in an instant. Not a good thing if that mom is the one driving! So beware cowboys and cowgirls.

On my way home from work today I heard a lethal combination of two songs: 'You're Gonna Miss This' by Trace Adkins and then 'My Front Porch Looking In' by Lonestar.

(Here are the lyrics if you're not familiar: http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/adkins-trace/youre-gonna-miss-this-23933.html ... http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/lonestar/my-front-porch-looking-in-2889.html).

Anyway, I was able to hold it together and still get home safely as long as I didn't try to sing along. For those of you Monona Oakies, Pastor played the first song in church on sunday and I'm sure I wasn't the only one there with a few tears flowing! What a great song - I had never heard it before! It points out the fact that we are always looking ahead to our next big plans, usually so focused on the excitement of the future that we forget to appreciate the excitement of today. At 35 weeks pregnant, and getting less sleep and more uncomfortable by the day, I've been thinking lately how great it would be if the baby came a little early. Not too early, maybe a week or two. But then I hear a song like that and think about it more and realize that being pregnant is amazing and exciting and something I will surely miss when it's over.

What will it be like when it's not just me and Kyle anymore? What will happen to poor Lu when she's not the center of all our attention? How strange it will be not to feel the little (or sometimes big and strong) kicks! How sad to be done with the unique excitement of expecting our first child. Will the second, third, and fourth pregnancies bring that same look to Kyle's face? A mix of sheer love, bliss, and incredulousness? This time is too precious, we must make a sincere, intentional effort to appreciate every day!

Alas, my post is getting too long and time consuming so I must be off. If you read the lyrics of the second song, you'll understand why it kept the emotions running high in the aftermath of the first song. The first reminded me to appreciate today, the second was a view of the future. And hopefully we will be living in the moment and counting our blessings now, a few years in the future, and for the rest of our lives. All we get are moments....let's make them count!