Back in 2008, I was a young, carefree newlywed of about five months. I was sitting at my desk at work one day and I found myself on the verge of tears. For no real reason.
I can remember telling my coworker that I just felt “off” and that I thought I might burst into tears but I had no idea why. I decided to go home at lunch and take the rest of the day off work. On my way home, a thought crossed my mind. I was late. You know, “late” late. But there was just no way I could possibly be pregnant.
But then again, I knew I felt “off” and strangely emotional. So I ran to the drugstore on the way home and bought a few pregnancy tests. I had never even bought a pregnancy test before. I rushed home, took the test, and about twenty seconds later, the word “pregnant” showed up. (I get those digital tests so I can’t be at all confused.)
And I sank to the floor in the bathroom and cried. I laughed a little, too, while I cried. But there were a lot of tears. I was happy, scared, shocked, and nervous to tell Todd and our families.
Over the next few months, I’d cry at the drop of a hat. I cried if I was tired and I cried if I was mad. I cried if someone looked at me the wrong way or if I even so much as imagined what my baby’s face might look like. The only way I knew how to express emotion (any emotion) during my pregnancy was through tears.
After Hudson was born, I found that this expression of emotion was even worse. I hear stories told in Sunday school by some friends and start crying before they can finish two sentences. I watch coffee commercials or grocery store commercials about family members coming home for the holidays and just weep.
Motherhood changed me. I was an emotional person before (I cried during the Westminster Kennel Club dog show as a child because I thought the basset hound “looked sad” and it made me sad) but something about the overwhelming love for another little person–or two little people–has just softened my heart and made it so hard for me to go five seconds without thinking about them. Every little thing reminds me of how much I love them.
Fortunately, the really intense emotions started during pregnancy, so I wasn’t completely shocked when Hudson was born. I would sing to him while I rocked him to sleep, and after about four lines of “You Are My Sunshine,” I was weeping and having to wipe my tears off of my baby’s head. Cuckoo? Definitely. Overwhelmed by love? Without a doubt.
What kind of emotions did you experience during pregnancy and during that precious newborn time?
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E, I could have written this post. The other day I cried at the coffee commercial where the mom brings the dad a cup of coffee to the backyard where he was “camping” out with the kids. Then, I cried again describing the commercial to Charles. I just couldn’t help it. It was so sweet, and I was imagining Charles camping in the backyard with our own kids one day. (I’m actually choked up just writing that in an email. Ha!) #TeamWaterworks
That’s actually how I realized I’m pregnant with #2 (just found out and haven’t officially announced). I started crying so hard reading a blog the other night. I couldn’t stop. My husband was like “what in the world is wrong?” I wasn’t this emotional with the first!
I am so much more sensitive to the news now that I’m a mother- stories of children who are in accidents or child abuse make me so upset now. Obviously, I would think that things were sad before, but now I am just despondent when I read sad stories about children. It makes me avoid the news, honestly.
I cried over the silliest movies and such during happy moments and every time I saw cute baby/mother commercials I would lose it.
I think, though, the worst was when I was about 8 months, I went to Barnes & NOble with my sister and I sat in the children’s book section and read “I Will Love You Forever” and I straight up busted out in tears while sitting in that dept. A little boy asked his mom- Momma, is that lady ok? And the lady smiled at me and then told the little boy- “she’s just so happy she cried because she’s going to have a little baby!”
I was so embarassed. Of course, hearing her say that made me cry even more. LOL
Andie, I am a nana and I am typing this through tears because my daughter read that book a million times to my little granddaughter. I can tell you, for me at least, it only gets worse once YOUR baby has a baby…;) I find myself tearing up at a memory of not only when my daughter was a little girl but now seeing her with her little girl. There really is a sisterhood in being a mother….no matter our ages.
I’m 20 weeks pregnant with my first kiddo and I have NEVER been an emotional person—I didn’t cry at all at my wedding. However, my stone-cold exterior has started to break down a bit since I found out I was expecting. I got teary eyed at the first ultrasound AND at the one where we found it it was a little girl. I know that doesn’t seem like a lot but it’s a HUGE change for me!
Oh, and I teared up at an episode of Teen Mom. It was just super sad to me.
I wasn’t terribly emotional while I was pregnant, but holy heck did it all come out postpartum. The meltdowns. I couldn’t prevent them, and once they started I couldn’t stop them. And just when I thought the hormone tide had receded, I heard that song You’re gonna miss this and cried all afternoon. Ah, motherhood 🙂
I used to wonder why my mom seemed to cry about anything. I now completely understand because I do it too. Nearly anything will set off the water works.
Oh my gosh I was super emotional after Owen was born! The emotions were so intense that I was just even more exhausted!
Just reading your post has brought me to tears. There is nothing like the emotions of pure love for your child(ren). I remember having my ultrasounds and each time, I would shake with emotion that completely overwhelmed me. You aren’t alone that motherhood has change you emotionally, Motherhood is a pretty amazing thing.
When I was pregnant I was moody and crabby lol. I got weepy and super emotional after Landon was born. Part of it was postpartum hormones, but I still cry a lot easier now than I did before I had a baby. When L was first born I cried at EVERYTHING: The Pampers commercial with all of the babies, how tired I was, the fact that I thought my son was cute and I loved him lol, etc. I wasn’t prepared for that at all. Whenever I heard stories about people losing their children or really sick/abused/neglected kids I always felt sad, but now I cry and get really upset when I hear stories like that. Now that I’m a mother I just cannot imagine those things and it really hits home now.
As I was reading this I thought for sure you were about to tell us you were pregnant again!
I’m totally the emotional teary one too – this blog post made me tear up lol. Right now I still cry over the P&G Olympic Mom commercials. My husband looks at me like I’m crazy on a regular basis lol.
I’m right there with you on the overly emotional side of things. I get teary-eyed at a random birth or pregnancy announcement, a slightly cute commercial, or pretty much anything else. This occurred post-pregnancy for me, though, and is just a little embellished from my pre-baby self. During pregnancy I was weirdly level-headed and extraordinarily organized/ efficient. Sadly that went away about the same time I gave birth. Now I’m back to me, just with more kleenex in tow.
I too was a crier. I cried when I found out I was pregnant too. We’d been trying for a year. I cried because I was scared, and happy, and nervous, and what did I just do?! I cried at commercials. I cried while talking on the phone. I cried on the bus for no freaking reason. I just cried. ALL. THE. TIME.
When my son was born I went a little crazy. That sleep deprivation is a doozy! Not my proudest moments, but the emotional roller coaster that is pregnancy and child birth is so crazy!!!
i have always been emotional too, but i’ve gone off the deep end with pregnancy. i’ll tear up at anything remotely sweet, shed tears over anything related to babies/children/family, and totally LOSE it when those p&g proud sponsor of moms olympics commercials come on. geez! but i’ll take being a crier over not getting emotional any day – though it’s sometimes embarrassing, it actually makes me feel kinda good!
Glad to hear I’m not the only one who is a total basket case after having kids. I can’t get through two pages of the book “Love You Forever” without sobbing!! 🙂
Oh my word…I was an emotional wreck when I was pregnant. I hardly went through a day without crying. My poor poor husband. He was always at his wits end with me! I am still more emotional post baby but not as much so as during the pregnancy.
My little man is 5 months old now and I still cry a ton! I wasn’t terribly emotional during pregnancy unless it dealt with Mason or other babies. But after he was born—oh my word! Talk about a nutcase. 😉
Even the cute diaper commercials can cause some tears. I just love my little guy so much and thinking about how blessed I am makes me emotional. God is good. =)
By the way–I usually read on my iPhone on a reader app so I haven’t seen the updated header until now (not sure how long it’s been updated) but I LOVE it! Adorable
I’m the same way! I thought my emotions would return to normal when I stopped nursing but they didn’t! I especially cry when I hear about bad things happening to kids bc I am overwhelmed with love for sawyer and I wish every baby experienced this love!
I definitely cried easier when I was pregnant, but since each of my girls have been born, I’m SO much more emotional. Like you, I can barely make it 2-3 pages into certain books or certain songs before my voice starts quivering. My husband was so surprised at my emotions after my 1st was born…she was a few weeks old and I would start crying imagining her wedding – lol. He thought it was so strange to see me (used to be a non-cryer) and tease me by describing how my daughter’s first day of school might be…to this day if he says “puts her little backpack on” I cry and laugh at the same time!
Well considering I’m tearing up after reading this, I don’t think I need to tell you I’m emotional!!!! I found out I was pregnant with baby #2 after getting my hair highlighted. While in the salon someone came in who had just been smoking…and I started to feel nauseous and the smell REALLY bothered me. That’s when a light bulb went off in my head and I started thinking I may be pregnant. HUGE surprise, and sure enough after taking a test that evening I was right!
And now we are just waiting to meet our second surprise blessing 🙂
I am pregnant now and from the second I found out I was an emotional wreck. The second trimester was a bit better, but now that I’m in the third, I’m a wreck all over again! I know I’ll be more emotional after the baby is born. 🙂
Me too! I get teary eyed whenever I hear stories of kids, especially babies, that get hurt in the news & the water works start. Being a mom has made me so senistive to all children
I think having a book that shows them how they can build something while listening to a story will definitely increase interest in the book. It’s perfect for that age where you hear a lot of “me do it”