My Abridged Expectations of My Future Pregnancy

I will start with this simple statement: I. Love. Babies. Every time I see a little nugget running around I can't help but stare, and feel my lips curl into a grin or sometimes, a full on cheesy smile. Just the other day at the boy's basketball game I saw quite possibly one of the cutest babies I've ever seen (which I say pretty much every time I see a tiny human.) He was running around in his tiny Jordan's and he ran off with my heart. At one point when I was sitting down (adjacent to the baby) he saw my chapstick and was reaching out for it and it took everything in me to refrain from giving it to him. He deserved it! I'd be lying if I said I'd never cried at the sight of a baby before. I can't help it! They're just too cute. All of this to say I'm excited to have my own someday. In my head I've created a hard limit of two, because it's important to know your limits. I hope I have a pretty easy couple of pregnancies, like everyone I'm sure. One thing I don't want: twins. Twins are my NIGHTMARE (sorry to anyone who may be a twin.) Twins to me are just a double whammy of newborns, two at once??!!? I'm not down for it. I want to space my babies apart like my sister and I, about two years. It's a good age gap and my body will have time to recover. I also really really want a boy first, boy babies just seem so fun! They're goofs! A couple years ago I babysat for a little boy named Ethan and he's truly my favorite child I've ever met. Before I get to the cute squishing babies part of having children, I have to go through pregnancy which is only mildly terrifying. It amazes me how women's bodies can change so much, but it's part of what they're built to do (not implying women's only purpose is mothering children.) Part of me is nervous because, like Poehler mentioned in her "Laughing to Crying to Laughing" chapter, I'm small and I want to push babies out of me. It didn't really hit me until Poehler mentioned her height of 5'2" and I realized, I am also that height. I'm notorious for not realizing how small I am. Maybe I'm in denial but no one lets me forget how short I am. Thinking about how big I'll be when I'm pregnant is only mildly terrifying, but it'll be worth it. Also, I'm a stomach sleeper, so how am I going to go about that with a bowling ball attached to my stomach???
I think Poehler gives a very good view of a "real" pregnancy in this piece. I like how she intertwines aspects of her pregnancy with her real life. Real life stops for no one, even if you're pregnant. So often I get lost in imagining a pregnancy like ones I see on Instagram: cute maternity outfits, perfectly planned baby showers, and just chilling waiting for your baby to finish incubating. I know all of these things are realistic, but it's easy to forget that pregnancy is hard (I'm sure.) One time I asked my mom what contractions feel like and she described them as, "period cramps on steroids," super not excited for that feeling. My body will be working double time! I think in addition to my expectations of pregnancy, society has a lot of expectations for expectant mothers as well. It's easy to forget how hard your body works to grow an entire baby. Society expects women to have babies, as if it's as easy as getting a driver's license. My body will literally deteriorate to produce a child, but at least I'll have that pregnant glow.