That’s right – baby #3 is on the way in the Blaser family! We are so excited about the newest addition to our family and to meet him or her in May of next year!
I look forward to walking this pregnancy with you and sharing what the Lord is teaching me through it all.
It is truly such a special and sacred season and I’m excited to fully enjoy the gift that God created pregnancy to be.
So part of that for me right now means slowing down. It means allowing myself to nap when my kids nap instead of work. (Hence, I haven’t been releasing a podcast every week like I had planned – but you can catch up on any you missed here – so many amazing birth stories that will build your faith and intimacy with God.)
And as I slow down and honor this season, I encourage you to also. Our culture isn’t always great at honoring the different seasons we go through as women and encouraging us to savor them and slow down, but I believe it’s so important.
Especially if we want to enjoy and celebrate the gifts of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood for the gifts that God created them to be.
In Bible times, women rested when they were on their period. They sat over a hole in the “red tent” with all the other women on their period and they basically had a girl week. They rested, chatted, talked about girl stuff, and had the week off work.
I LOVE that!
I’m a firm believer in treating ourselves to a week of rest as much as possible during our periods as well. We miss something of the gift and beauty of womanhood when we are expected to do life as usual and trudge through our regular work responsibilities. Tampons and pads are great, but in allowing us to “do life as normal,” they’ve stolen some of the gift and beauty of being a woman and getting a week to rest where we don’t do life as usual.
So if you’re not pregnant right now, I encourage you to think of a way to treat yourself and rest at least the first day of your period this month. Know that resting and honoring the beautiful gift of your cycle honors God. As you celebrate the gift of being a woman with a womb that can carry life, it honors your Creator and His perfect design.
And if you’re pregnant like me, let’s make sure to honor this sacred season as well. No need to push through and work like you’re not pregnant. Because you ARE pregnant! And your body is now putting all efforts, energies, and nutrients into forming that little life. In the first trimester, it’s actually using the same amount of energy you would need to run a marathon each day. Wow!
So take care of yourself, slow down, take naps, eat well, and remember that you and your baby are more important than trying to meet the expectations of those around you. Part of the gift of this season is that you get to slow down. So enjoy that gift!
When God blessed Eve in the garden with the gift of being fruitful and multiplying, He meant every part of the pregnancy, birth, and journey of motherhood to be a BLESSING. But sometimes we miss the blessing because we don’t slow down to honor and enjoy it.
If Eve had gotten pregnant before the fall, I think she would have fully enjoyed the pregnancy and felt no pressure to work hard through it. I think she would have rested, laughed, celebrated the life growing in her, and enjoyed the journey with God.
So that’s what I want to do. I want to experience God’s original intent for pregnancy. The fullness of this blessing. And part of that comes from partnering with His design to take time to rest and enjoy it instead of striving and laboring through it.
Bless you beautiful one! As I’m off to take a nap now, ask the Lord what He wants YOU to do to celebrate the season of pregnancy, mommy-hood, or womanhood that you’re in today. And then share it in the comments section – I’d love to hear what He shares with you. And make sure to do it this week!
Much Love,
Kierra