The Nothing.

     "The Nothing" in The Neverending Story was a lack of imagination. At least, as far as I can figure. Now I'm starting to think it's possible "The Nothing" describes what pregnant women can do.
     It started when we first found out Catie was pregnant. We were so excited and wanted to go out and celebrate. So we went out and opened a bottle of champagne, only to realize she couldn't have any. Then we went to my parents house where she couldn't get in the hot tub. We wanted to go to the ocean and ride a beach cruiser down the boardwalk, but she couldn't. She was going to run with her cross-country kids, but she can't run anymore. Every drug commercial we hear on TV advises against their product "if you're pregnant or nursing". Even pain killers, like Advil or Aspirin are a no go. Tylenol is okay, but that's about it. She can't sleep through the night because she has to pee every thirty minutes. And if she's as luck as her mom was, she won't even be able to get out of bed for the last four months of her pregnancy. Not to mention crack cocaine, that's right out! Even caffeine is out. That means no soda, no coffee. For her, that meant withdrawal. No sugar? That meant no sweets. I'm still waiting on that one to happen. Not only is she supposed to stop the sweets and everything else listed above, she's supposed to start taking things we'd never heard of.
     Folic Acid, iron, and calcium are the key elements in prenatal vitamins. Calcium is there because the baby will take from the mother's bones, hair, and nails. By the way, they'll probably never be the same. What was once lustrous, shiny, gorgeous, curly, bouncy hair can become flat, dull, limp, lifeless strands of frustration. But trust me on this one, her hair will always look beautiful. One of my friends told me how frustrated she had become at being able to do nothing. She was around 8 months pregnant and hadn't seen her feet, much less been able to tie her shoes, four about three months. She felt fat, nothing fit, and she was down to a handful of maternity outfits she'd worn a thousand times. She finally had an opportunity to go out for an evening and was taking time making the only thing she could reach look good: her hair. That was when her husband made a near deadly mistake. He asked her what was taking so long.
     It's the only thing she can reach. Let her work on her hair as long as she wants. It's the only thing she has control over. She can take all the time she wants.