Interview with Julie

If you’ve been keeping up with us lately, then you know that the arrival of our first baby is getting closer by the minute. Julie’s due date is December 28th but I’m willing to bet that Graham is born before then. As I’ve reflected on this time and taken in my last “pre-parenthood” moments, I thought it would be really neat to get Julie’s thoughts and post them on the blog so that we can look back one day and remember these frantic last days before our lives really changed.

I managed to get Julie to sit still long enough between periods of ongoing nesting and arranging Christmas decorations to answer some questions. Here’s what she had to say:

Can you describe what it’s like to be pregnant to someone that’s never been pregnant before?

“I really can’t. It’s a wonderful feeling. It’s a combination of anticipation and other crazy emotions. It’s hard to describe how it feels to bond to someone that you’ve never met but absolutely love.”

What’s been the most difficult adjustment to being pregnant?
“The daily bodily changes – from the growing stomach to the swelling ankles – have been difficult adjustments. Compensating for my belly in my daily movements has been a challenge too. I’ve managed to sleep well until recently. I can’t seem to get comfortable lately.”

What’s something that you’ve always heard about pregnancy that didn’t happen for you?
“I haven’t had many food cravings other than a short period early in my pregnancy in which I could not go without chili from Wendy’s. I haven’t really been sick (nauseous) at all. I have felt like my normal self up until my belly really expanded.”

What have you done to educate yourself throughout your pregnancy?
“I haven’t read many books other than an Academy of Pediatrics book and The Baby Whisperer. But I do have a pregnancy app on my iPhone that gives me daily and weekly updates about the baby. I’ve also asked my mother and my friends a lot of questions.”

Have you experienced any weird changes to your body during your pregnancy?
“I basically have a beard now. [It’s just some fuzz, folks – Nick] I 'crack' my neck a lot and my hips also crack when I stand up after sitting for a long time. My belly button protrudes and feels like it is being stretched to the max. The vitamins I am taking make my fingernails grow faster, and I think that my feet have gotten bigger – both longer and wider.”

Tell us about your baby’s name.
“I’ve liked the name ‘Graham’ for a very long time. It’s not a weird name but it’s not too common either. We wanted a family connection for his middle name so we decided to honor my mother-in-law by using her maiden name – McIntyre.

Tell us about Graham’s current schedule and movements.
“He is active in the morning from 9:30 until 10:30. He settles down until about 2:30 in the afternoon. He becomes very active around 9:30 pm and he moves throughout the night. His favorite move is to bury his right foot into my ribs as far as he can.”

Based on his schedule and his movements, do you think Graham will be more like you or more like your husband?
“He’ll definitely be more like you. I think he will be very tall and a night owl.”

What do you anticipate Graham’s arrival being like?
“It will be emotional. I don’t think there will be any complications with the actually delivery, but I know I will come completely undone when he is born. If there’s one thing in my life that I’ve always been sure of, it’s that I know I’ve always wanted to be a mom.”

What do you anticipate Graham’s first few days and weeks will be like?
“Stressful. Our time will probably be spent adjusting and figuring it all out. We’ll have to get him on a schedule. I know I’ll be worried about every little noise he makes and I’ll rush to his room every time I see him move on our video monitor.”

I’d like to thank Julie for taking the time to chat with me. And I thank Julie for being the best wife – I am so very fortunate. God has truly blessed me, and I cannot wait to be a parent with Julie. I love you Julie!