Reward Systems

I am a big believer in reward systems.  Take my primary kids for example.  I hype those kids up on so much sugar when they behave well in my class that I am sure their mothers hate me.  But hey, it gets them to listen (because of the treat) and I don’t have to worry about controlling the kids for two hours straight. 

Maybe I am a big believer in reward systems because I know how well they work for me.  I have trained and ran a few half-marathons in my time and there was only one thing that motivated me to go running.  If I trained, I could go get a frozen hot chocolate from Dairy Queen.  And those frozen hot chocolates pulled me through so many agonizing hours of training.  I feel like most people get to a point while running that they begin to like it.  I never did.  I hated running the first day I ran and I still hate it.  That is where my rewards system came in.

So why am I writing about this?  Well, today I did something brave.  Because I did something brave, I got to eat the entire last row of brownies from the pan.  What brave thing did I do?  I posted a picture of my baby bump. 

Honestly, I don’t have a good reason for why I haven’t posted one sooner.  Maybe it was because I didn’t want to seem cliché, or maybe I was trying to be “different”.  I am sure a lot of it had to deal with the fact that I have just recently had the realization that I am pregnant and will be having a baby in two months.   And going along with not realizing I am pregnant, I also have been having some body-image issues.  Yes, I know I am psycho for feeling that way, but when you mentally can’t wrap your mind around the idea that you are growing a baby and your body is changing, you start to feel self-conscious about the way you look.

But no more of that.  I am turning a new leaf and from now on I will proud of my body and baby bump.  Especially since I only have 72 more days until this baby bump is gone!  Well, let’s hope it is gone.  I am sure that I will still have to work hard to get it gone all the way.

But when I think about holding this sweet, little girl in my arms I know that all of my body issues/insecurities will melt away.  I can already start to feel them leaving.  I am proud that I will be a mother.  Not in the way that I want to flaunt it or brag about it, but more in the way that I want my baby girl to know that I am so blessed to be her mom.  I already know that she is such a choice spirit of Heavenly Father.  I know His love for her and am so excited that I get to share in that love. 

So from now on I am going to get over my fears and remember that my baby is bigger than my issues.  Here is to posting baby bump pictures, decorating a nursery, reading parenting books, studying birthing techniques, and sharing my love with everyone I meet!