On Pregnancy and Priorities

I've heard it said that people think they accomplish way more in a given time than they really do. I believe this about myself. I tend to make really long to do lists, grab a cup of caffeinated something and truck away at this list until it is done. This could take all night, all weekend, a sick day... it has always been my M.O. My first all nighter was in the eighth grade. My most recent one was last spring during an online course development project. This is what I do and have done for 10+ years.

Well, when you're limited to 200 mg of caffeine a day, and you max that out before lunch time, that doesn't leave a whole lot of room for late night productivity. Bottles of water and Naked Green Machine juices only keep you awake for so long (and usually that's only because you're over-hydrated and pregnant, and therefore visiting The Lou every 10 minutes).

Being our first pregnancy, I did not really have a lot of expectations other than getting fat and craving food. I did not anticipate what I would learn about myself when it comes to priorities. Right now, I am pretty overcommitted. This has also been my M.O. since well before eighth grade. I like to dabble in a little bit of everything.  I am discovering, that without my caffeine friend, I am much, much, much less productive than I used to be. Even when I work constantly and don't save things for the last minute. This has been a harsh reality for me. After a few months of being so sad and having a hard time adjusting to the "new me" (which, let's be real, Mom Kellie on little sleep and still minimal caffeine since I plan to breastfeed, will be just as productive as Pregnant Kellie, and with a cute baby to distract her) I am overwhelmingly grateful that I am getting a chance to adjust to this new energy level to get an idea of what I'll really be able to handle once Baby Boy gets here this winter. God has such a neat way of preparing us for things, I did not anticipate having this sort of reality check in this season and I am so grateful for that. A 'She Reads Truth' lock screen email sent months ago has just hung with me and I continue to see how it applies in so many different areas of my life, all at once:

photo source

More than anything, as a wife, as a mom (to doggies & Baby Boy), as a teacher, as a friend, as a sister, as a daughter, as a co-worker, as a small group member, as whatever God has me being right now I want to do it well. Which leads to priorities and figuring out what really matters most in this season of our life. Now, I am super glad I have another 3 months to really dig deep and figure out where these lie. What major life changes spurred a change in priorities for you?