to ask, or not to ask: pregnancy questions

There are two kinds of conversations I usually have with people about being pregnant. With friends and family we often chat for a while about how preparations are going, or how I've been lately, and if we're really close I'll rant about my birth plans. For everyone else I come in contact with, they want to feel like they're involved or seem like they are interested so they often ask me the same typical questions. Some questions come up so often I start to find them amusing! Please enjoy the answers to all such questions below. If you really want to get to know me and my pregnancy more, other suggested questions are also listed after that. 

1. What gender are you hoping for?
• A human child? But seriously, how does hoping for one gender help anything. Even if secretly hoping for one or the other I would feel so bad if I had announced I wanted one gender only to find out the other. Then I would only get sympathy over my "disappointment" when really we're just thrilled to be having a baby. 
2. What do you think you'll have?
• Mother's intuition may well indeed be a thing, but we certainly had no clear visions or dreams of our child being a boy or girl. And what if what I thought turned out to be wrong? We decided to skip that whole step and have patience till the anatomy ultrasound. Heck, some people wait till birth to find out gender, so really we didn't even wait that long! 
3. Do you have a name picked out?
• Nope. Not even close. Not something I constantly think or worry about either. This question was asked frequently immediately after we found out the gender. While some may narrow it down to a top boy and girl name before they find out gender, we simply wanted to know gender first so we had half the work to do! 
4. What names are you considering?
• If you are dying to know, there is nothing being seriously considered yet. What names do we like? We're not going to tell you. Sorry, but close friends, family, and even mothers probably won't get to know. I'm the kind of person who won't breathe a word until it's on the baby certificate because I don't want someone's opinion changing what I think about it - no exceptions. Harsh, I know, but isn't this a personal family matter anyway? 
5. How are you feeling? 
• To be fair, this is a valid question. Morning sickness is real and I certainly experienced that. Some even experience it through the entire pregnancy! Luckily, by the time I told the world at 14 weeks, my share was over. It would been more helpful if I'd been asked this question when I was feeling awful, but hey - most people didn't know. There are also plenty of other side effects and ailments that can accompany pregnancy, but for the most part (at least for me) they are just that - side effects. The main event is the growing child, right?! So thanks for asking, but I'm not ill, I'm just pregnant and it feels wonderful. 
6. Can the baby come to kindergarten? 
• Most commonly asked by the 5 year olds I spend my days with, but it's still cute how every time they see me they ask if it's coming yet and if I'll bring it to school. Sorry kids, but baby will be born around the end of the school year and I'll be staying away from germ infested places for a while after that. 

Safe questions

• How far along are you? 
• What has been the most fun part about being pregnant? 
• What's it like to feel the baby inside you? 
• Is pregnancy what you were expecting? 
• What are you doing for the baby's room?
• How is [insert anything else about my life] going?

Questions I'm dying to be asked

• Tell me about the latest baby book you've been reading.
• Why are you looking forward to a natural birth? 
• How can I help you get ready?
• What advice are you looking for? 
• Can I bring you a meal or help clean your house after baby is born?

tender mercies and pregnancy tears

When I got home from work today I couldn't find my phone and panicked. It wasn't in my purse, my coat, the car, and I concluded I must have left it at the elementary school I work at. It was a few minutes before 4:00pm, the time the school closes, so I grabbed my keys and prayed that I could get back quickly and that someone would still be there (I live two miles away). 

I got to the school, a few cars were there and I could tell someone was still in the office, but the door was locked. I don't have a key. Trying not to lose all hope I started pounding on the door, but let's face it - that effort was pretty useless. Luckily another teacher (one of the few in the school who knows who I am) saw me and came to unlock the door for me (tender mercy #1). 

I ran into the office, grateful the secretaries were still there (tender mercy #2), and asked if they could help me get into the classroom. I had no idea if they would have been able to, but apparently they have keys (tender mercy #3). I was able to get into the classroom, grab the phone, and head back home crying happy tears (that I'm going to claim were pregnancy and hormone induced) all the way home. 

I'd like to think I'm not that attached to my phone, but the thought of a weekend without being able to contact anyone had me devastated. I'm so grateful I was able to get it back through a series of events that was too coincidental to be simply luck. Thank goodness for a God who cares and watches out for me, even when it comes to silly little things like getting my phone back.