A Chicken Nugget Pregnancy

I've officially reached the "chicken nuggets" point of pregnancy. 

Long before I was pregnant with this third child, I would occasionally make homemade chicken nuggets. A crowd-pleaser, chicken nuggets are delicious and--when you make a huge batch and freeze some in advance--an easy meal. Yes, there's lots of dishes and some work and mess involved when you make them from scratch, but still...worth it, right? 

At least, this is what at least one "wellness writer" out there has touted. 

Now, don't get me wrong: I make a lot of homemade food, and I believe that making simple meals--with healthy ingredients that I can pronounce--is awesome. BUT. There comes in a time in pregnancy when I have to say "enough is enough."

I still have several weeks to go before this baby makes an appearance, and I've reached the "chicken nuggets" level of living. This is not the "healthy and homemade" chicken nuggets. It's not even the "organic" store bought chicken nuggets. It's the "WOW, a four pound bag is really cheap and think of all the easy meals and snacks this would provide for us with no mess and barely any dirty dishes" chicken nuggets. 

You know what? The best $7 of our weekly grocery bill, lately, has been spent on that four pound bag of preservative-laden, mass-produced, non-organic chicken nuggets.

With each child that grows and kicks in my belly before moving into the big world outside, I'm coming to see--more and more--the need for simplicity. The need to slow down and to not complicate life by overthinking every last little decision. The need to joyfully accept the gift of something that may not be ideal; like being grateful for the gift of mediocre frozen chicken nuggets that are feeding my family on a budget and providing me with much-needed protein. 

However, the honest and bleak truth is that it's also been hard for me to accept some things that are less than my ideal. It's been challenging to see how my exercise (and overall agility...and weight) has suffered this pregnancy when I was much more fit in my last pregnancy. It's been tough to see different projects slip by the wayside as I struggle to find the mental energy and motivation. I've been finding it hard to joyfully accept the gifts that God is giving me each day when I see all the things that I think I could be doing better. 

So, I try--and try again--to fall into God's arms as I ask Him to guide me, and to help me in this joyful acceptance of His will each day. I am grateful for the sufferings and the lighthearted moments, for the trials and the easy days. It seems like God has really been at work breaking and molding me in the past few weeks, and I am grateful for that. I recently reached out to a counselor that specializes in prenatal and postpartum anxiety and depression, and I am extremely thankful that I'll be able to participate in counseling sessions for the next several weeks.  

My little sister introduced me to what is now my 
favorite way to eat sweet potatoes: As chocolate pudding! 

Looking at summertime stretching before me--weeks that are dotted with prenatal appointments and therapy, outdoor play and library books, health checkups and freezer meal prep, I am grateful for all the gifts that come my way each day. I have no idea what the next couple months will hold (other than, God-willing, a healthy baby to care for), but that's okay. God has everything under control. So, I'll just hang out over here, trying to place all my trust in Him as I feel my baby kick and as I open yet another bag of frozen chicken nuggets.