I guess it's obvious that I'm well into my pregnancy now because I genuinely forgot what week I was on, and also thought I just did an update last week. Thank goodness I have the blog to consult or I'd just be very confused. Also, my picture taking has been terrible. I swear I have not yet forgot the baby is there. Not that he would let me- crazy kicker, swimmer that he is!
Week 23
Week 23 began with my last swim at Walden Pond of the season. It's crazy to think that the next time I will swim in my favorite spot, I'll have a baby, probably an almost 3 month old. Yikes. Our last swim was a little chilly, as expected, but not as bad as you might think. The timing worked out well because it required BOTH of my friends to zip my wetsuit. Hopefully when I put it back on in May, it will not be all stretched out!
I am definitely going to miss my happy place this winter but I'm very thankful I was able to enjoy swimming there for as long as I did this spring, summer and fall! It's crazy to believe it was the same year when Caroline and I were doing our early morning wetsuit swims back in May. I certainly did not know I would have trouble fitting into my wetsuit come October!
I've returned to the pool for swimming and continued with prenatal yoga. Some days it's hard to know if my body needs rest or a workout but it seems like the old saying of "you never regret a workout" continues to apply as long as I listen to my body and stick to things it likes to do.
Week 24
Overall, I'm still feeling the second trimester bliss… and by bliss, I mean just feeling normal. I don't feel hormonal, nauseous, really anything that I experienced at the beginning of pregnancy anymore. But, my bump is definitely growing and there are many times during the day that I deal with the small consequences of this. I'll try to squeeze into a spot I no longer fit, or I'll try to use what used to be my abs to stand up and it will take more effort than I thought it would. I have some days at work when my hips just hurt from holding this baby up. Don't even get me started on tying children's shoes. BUY YOUR KIDS VELCRO UNTIL THEY CAN TIE. At this point, it's nothing a little swimming and yoga cannot fix and I'm grateful for that, but I know I still have a long way to go as far as weight goes, so I just hope I continue to feel relatively comfortable and able to work at the end.
The kindness of strangers continues to be a trend that is both enjoyable and also fascinating. When I was in early pregnancy everyone told me "but people are so NICE to you when you are pregnant" and I just didn't see it. I wasn't visibly pregnant so no one was really nice to me, and yet I really needed as much niceness as possible because I was so very miserable. Now, I'm happy and functioning normally and yet everyone is lifting things (okay, I unfortunately do really need this), opening doors and someone even WELCOMED me into their swim lane over the weekend. Usually I'm lucky if I get a kind "sure" when I ask to join a lane, but a woman basically called me into her lane on Saturday. I didn't realize why until I saw her in the locker room after and she asked me when I was due and proceeded to tell me how much she loved swimming while pregnant, how fast the time with kids goes, etc. I completely understand why people do it, as it is universally recognized as a happy, but often challenging time. I also think moms in particular either remember pregnancy with fondness, or not, and want to support "new moms" accordingly. I just can't help but think if we can be this nice, why not extend it beyond pregnant women? How do we know someone is not desperately trying to be pregnant, or in the first few quiet non-visible weeks? Or how we know someone isn't just having a bad day and needs someone to welcome them into their swim lane? Just a thought. I know, I know, just accept the niceness and shut up Kelly.
When I'm back with my next update I'll be close (or possibly in… can we just agree on something in pregnancy?) to my third trimester. I am so not ready, so hopefully I will be by then!
Posts
You look so wonderful! I am glad you are feeling so much better! Here's hoping that is the case for the remainder of your pregnancy. I am glad you have been on the receiving end of kindness from strangers, but agree that it would be nice if that was extended more broadly. But that said, I am still glad people are being extra helpful!
ReplyDeleteaw I love you : ) Your last paragraph is SO right. I wish everyone would be nice to everyone else, what a world it would be!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I NEED TO SEE YOU. LIKE NOW. What are you doing this weekend haha
Is it common pool etiquette where you are to ask to join a lane?? When I used to swim laps I used to just join a lane if the pool was full. I think it goes without saying that if all the lanes are full the person with a lane to themselves will just need to share! haha.
ReplyDeleteI love your little bump in the wetsuit and I'm SO GLAD the second trimester is going so much better for you in terms of how well you're feeling. Obviously feeling sick all the time would suck so I'm sure that's made a big difference in your quality of life!
You're looking fantastic, Kelly! I very clearly remember people on Chicago buses and trains being very, how shall I put it, distant when I was visibly pregnant. People would look right at me, see my big belly, see there were no seats available, and proceed to look the other way. (Let it be noted, I didn't NEED the seat, but this comment goes towards whether people are nice to pregnant ladies or not). The week before I gave birth, I was in NYC and people offered their seats on the train pretty much every time I got on the train. (I'm here to debunk they myth that New Yorkers are a$$holes and Midwesterners are the nicest people on earth - don't believe it!) Even in Milan, when Gavin was clearly comfortable in a stroller and I am clearly NOT pregnant, someone offered me their seat on the train. People can be uber generous - but, I agree, why not extend that generosity all the time?!
ReplyDelete