Determined to be happy

Most people tell me I look well and are even surprised that I appear bubbly and happy. I wonder why they seem surprised. Is it because it's more common to see pregnant mums who look tired waddling around with their huge bumps, spotty skin and greasy hair? 

I remember I used to have an ex-colleague just like that. She was SO grumpy when she was pregnant and I would feel so apologetic whenever I had to ask her to do something. She would get out of her chair with such annoyance and effort and waddle slowly to do the task. She never did her job with a smile. I used to be so overcome with guilt that I would buy her bars of chocolate afterwards to thank her for helping me, even though she was actually just doing her job. 

This happened a few years back but the image of this grumpy mother-to-be is still vividly ingrained in my brain. So when I got pregnant, I decided that a)I am going to make sure I look bloody good and b)I am not going to be grumpy and "immobile". 

Personally,  I think it's important to look good, because chances are you'd probably be feeling a little low about your self-image when you are pregnant. You know, putting on weight, skin may be oilier, boobs out of shape, waddling like a duck etc. And I've always found that if I make an effort to look nice, I often feel a lot better about myself. So even though I have only got a few maternity dresses to play around with, I try my very best to come up with different looks everyday, even if it means just putting on a different coloured cardigan. 

As far as possible, I make sure I am happy everyday. It was difficult initially because my mother-in-law was very ill and then we hit a rough patch when she passed away, but I really tried to free my mind from negative thoughts and energies and focus on being happy and carefree. 

It helps to have a supportive husband and being in a relatively stressless workplace with a great boss and nice colleagues. Although it feels special to have people fussing over me (like my colleagues won't even let me get up from my chair to get the doorbell!), I think contrary to the belief that one should "take things easy", pregnant women can and should still do quite a lot of things as per normal. 

Like, I can still move and carry things, as long as they are not too heavy and I do it slowly. Hell if I had children before this pregnancy I expect I would be carrying them around now. Like, I can still walk and take public transport, in fact walking is beneficial for the pregnancy, as long as you don't overdo it. Like, I can still crawl under my desk to look for that darn bottle cap I dropped when unscrewing my water. 

The only thing I won't and can't do now is to run for the bus or train, simply because I would look ridiculous and if I fell I may cause damage not only to myself but also to Bean. 

I just think that it's important to maintain a relaxed mood because your baby can experience your emotions through chemicals in your blood. And really the last thing I want is a grumpy baby who is hard to please. Of course I won't know if there is any truth to my theory until Bean arrives but I just feel it's a blessing to be able to have children and I want to be able to look back at my pregnancy and remember how much I have enjoyed it.