Pea, Bean, and Noodle Soup

Excuse me while I let out a huge sigh of relief. Why?

All throughout this pregnancy, I’ve been watching my every move, trying to make sure that I do everything just right, and educating myself on all of the ins and outs of providing for our baby. From food to vitamins, from exercise to sleep, from cleaning products to lotions, you name it, I’ve researched it … and I continue to research just to make sure that I’m giving our baby the best start possible.

Even though I’ve been incredibly cautious about anything and everything, I began to notice that the whole pregnancy bit was barely sinking in … even with a growing baby bump. The fact that I have the ability to create a human being was beyond me. I simply couldn’t wrap my head around it. When I looked down at my growing bump and tried to make sense of it, I couldn’t help but feel nervous, overwhelmed, and excited.

Was it because the idea was so foreign to me? Was it because it took us so long to get to this point? Was it because I was subconsciously trying to protect my emotions?

Why the last question? Simply put, I was incredibly nervous about our big anatomic sonogram appointment last week. I knew that the appointment was the big one — the one that would allow us to take a deeper look at our baby.

And then it happened. I felt the baby kick a few days before the appointment. It was as if our baby was kicking me, trying to tell me that, “Everything is going to be alright, Mom.” As I was sitting there working on my computer during the middle of the day … bam. I stopped everything I was doing and immediately became overwhelmed with emotions. Feeling the baby kick for the first time, like tiny bubbles or butterflies, was a simple yet miraculous moment that I will always remember.

When appointment day finally arrived, I nervously got ready, hopped in the car with my husband, and headed to the doctor’s office. While sitting in the waiting room, my mind was flooded with all sorts of thoughts and hopes. When we got called back into a room, we were warmly greeted by our doctor.

As she got started, we quickly noticed that baby Nugget was incredibly active. What was supposed to be a 30-45 minute appointment, turned into an hour-long appointment … and we didn’t mind at all. I could have stared at that baby on the screen for days. Examining all of the organs, looking at the fingers, watching the baby wiggle all over, and listening to the doctor explain everything was an experience that I will always remember.

During the appointment, when the doctor was trying to look at baby Nugget’s lips and nose, Nugget kept moving and covering his/her face. The doctor’s assistant said, “I think your baby is shy.” To which the doctor responded by saying, “No, this baby isn’t shy. This baby is defiant.” What have we gotten ourselves into? Defiant Nugget … love it.

After the doctor finished, she brought in another doctor to look at everything which served as reassurance not only for them but also for us. At the end of the appointment, both of the doctors looked at us, smiled, and said that they were happy with how everything looked.

With those results and smiles, I let out a huge sigh of relief. It finally started to sink in … I am pregnant.

Pea, Bean, and Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 32-ounce container of Swanson Chicken Broth
• 1/2 box of Barilla Plus Rotini
• 1 can of Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
• 1 /2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste