Baby Makes Three: 8lbs? Are you sure that wasn't 80?

Today was my 26wk OB appointment. I was excited to hear Jayden's heartbeat and report that everything was going smoothly. Aside from the normal aches and sleeping disturbances, I have been feeling wonderful! I really do love being pregnant. I can't believe how fast the last 6 months have gone. I expected almost 10 months of pregnancy to feel like an eternity. Granted, I still have the summer to endure the size of a whale, I am enjoying each day as it comes.

Today was encouraging on a different level, too. When my doctor told me that I had only gained 8lbs throughout the entire pregnancy I thought she was looking at the wrong chart. How can this belly my computer is currently resting on(haha) have only caused 8lbs of change?! I feel gigantic! She laughed and said she hears that all the time. She explained that I am one of the lucky body types that carry their babies all in front and not in back-lol. After we shared a few more laughs and stories she started to ask me about my concerns of body changes after pregnancy. Knowing that I had a severe hormonal reaction to my hormonal birth control and having had the chemical pregnancy so recently, she knows I felt out of place in my pre-pregnancy body. The way it was right before I got pregnant was not "normal" for me. Being almost 30lbs heavier than I was used to being and discovering I was pregnant was a lot to process. It's not about being 30lbs heavier, it's about feeling like I wasn't in my own body anymore. I understand changes come with babies-and babies will always be much more precious to me than my ideal body. I just want to have the energy and endurance to keep up with the precious babies in our future, and I want my future pregnancies to start in a happier, healthier body(me). She understands that I want to get back to my athletic/dancer body(or some form of it) and enjoy being much more active like I used to. I know hormones will be a tough opponent in the battle to regain "me" again after baby. For me there is not a goal number-there is a goal feeling. I don't care what a scale says-I never have. I care about how healthy I feel and how my body responds to the activities I love doing. I miss hour long intensive kickboxing classes that left me feeling like jelly and invincible at the same time, spin classes that make you sweat like you didn't know was possible for a human being, and the lengthening muscle burn from an amazing dance class. For now, I have been limited to walking, swimming and body resistance exercises. Knowing little Jayden can't handle anything else-these things are just fine with me. When he is safely here I will get back into the swing of more challenging and less boring activities :)

I look forward to the challenge when my body is ready, and am thankful for a supportive doctor and wonderful husband in the process.

Thanks for the prayers,

Lyd and Jayden

Something I really miss-hiking in Colorado. The altitude added to the challenge of taking on a big mountain; but I loved being surrounded by lush greenery, water and crisp, clean air. The view from the top always made me forget how hard the climb was.