I am very pregnant. My stomach is officially a basketball. I make noises when I get out of bed or have to roll over. When I sit at my desk, I am out of breath because this baby is all up in my ribs. And when I drop things on the ground, they no longer exist to me. I am not bending down to pick them up.
Don’t get me wrong, I feel great (Crohn’s aside, as always). But I feel pregnant! And this was the first week I really felt the literal weight of this baby!
Yesterday at Orangetheory, my friend Brad (if you follow me on Instagram Stories, you may remember Brad as my favorite person because he’s the one who accidentally threw a weight into the wall! I loved it so much!) was asking how I’m doing, and I was like, “Good, but definitely slowing down!” And he said, “Well yeah, because it’s like you’re wearing a 100-pound weight vest!” So, according to Orangetheory Brad, I have gained 100 pounds. I love Brad.
DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH ROOM IN THERE, BABY?BABY IS THE SIZE OF…
a cantaloupe, or a butternut squash. I swear this baby has been a squash for the majority of this pregnancy. We went from poppy seed to citrus (an orange, lemon, lime rotation) to squash, squash, squash.
There is no way this is accurate. That squash was huge.HOW I’M FEELING
Pretty good. Very Crohnsy. And tired. On Sunday, Ellie and I accidentally took a nap. I italicize that because this was no normal nap. This was like, I blinked too long for a second and woke up four hours later. I think. I am not really sure what time I fell asleep, but I know I was knocked out for a while.
I was trying to make the bed. I guess I needed a break. Thanks for this, Brian.Meanwhile, my belly feels big, and my belly button seems to be disappearing, from what I can see.
WHAT I’M EATING
Nothing too exciting, I am just so thirsty! I want very cold water all the time.
ON THE WORKOUT FRONT
Orangetheory all day every day. Or, more accurately, Orangetheory most days, for 50 minutes to an hour.
On Thursday, something happened at Orangetheory that made me so happy! There’s this girl, Megan, who sometimes takes the same classes I take. She’s super badass. Like fastest woman I’ve ever seen on the rowers, and so strong. I used to almost be able to keep up with her, and it would really motivate me. She was always faster, stronger, lifting a bit more, but I could come close, and she made me want to work harder. (No, we’ve never really had a conversation. I’m just a creep.) Anyway, she was in class with me Thursday, and on the treadmill next to me. And we didn’t talk or anything, but after class she came up to me and said, “You’re awesome!” And I was like, “NO YOU’RE AWESOME!” Such a little thing, but it made me so happy and made me feel so good and little comments like that go such a long way. Thanks, Megan!
WHAT I’M WEARING
A big Adidas sweatshirt, no bra, pajama shorts I got at the Gap senior year of college. Sexy sexy!
On Wednesday, I actually had to go into the city for a photo shoot (with Dance Spirit! throwback!) and had to really think about how to dress appropriately and how to look presentable in front of fellow humans. I ended up wearing my baby shower dress. With a sports bra.
When I started working at Dance Spirit and writing about “So You Think You Can Dance,” I was around the same age as the contestants. Now I am much older and they are all the same age…WHAT I’M READING
I finally finished Pregnancy, Childbirth, & the Newborn, which I highly recommend. It was informative without being scary or condescending or judgmental or anything negative. And then I watched The Business of Being Born. I had a lot of thoughts while I watched this (even though my viewing was interrupted by a four-hour nap…), some positive and some negative. There were some points I agreed with (mostly about the shitshow that is the American medical system, the insurance B.S., etc.), and some I thought seemed highly sensationalized (I mean, it is a documentary, so I know, I get it). But at the end, when the producer gave birth to her little three-pound baby and he was so cute and tiny… I was a mess. An inconsolable mess. I generally don’t get too emotional about birth stories, and a lot of the birth footage in the documentary was a little much for me to watch. But that little guy, in his little incubator. It got me.
HOW I’M SLEEPING
In one position, because flipping over is so much work!
…and Ellie likes sleeping in the nursery. Here she is on the crib mattress pad I was about to wash.WHAT I’M WONDERING
Do we need anything else? I kind of think we might be good to go, at least in terms of stuff.
It’s all coming together!This weekend was heavy on the baby-related to-do list tasks. Brian and I ventured out to get the last few things we needed on Saturday — we have a stroller! — and on Sunday I did a million loads of baby-related laundry. All your things are clean, baby girl! And after spending a lot of time organizing and cleaning, dare I say I think we’re in good shape? I feel like we have pretty much everything we need, at least for the earliest days. I started throwing things in the bag I’ll bring to the hospital, I finished writing and sending all my thank-you notes after last week’s wonderful baby shower, and the rocker for the nursery finally arrived. (It’s hot pink, and I’m obsessed.)
THIS IS MY FAVORITE THING (other than Ellie).I cannot believe I am now 35 weeks pregnant. I am due in five weeks, and in just two weeks I’ll be considered full term. I think I’ve said the phrase, “This is crazy” every hour for the past 31 weeks.
Oh, I’m also convinced the baby is going to be here early. And am convinced it’s actually a boy.
Some predictions about when baby will arrive. October 23 is the official due date.Coming up this week: a prenatal massage (can’t stop, won’t stop), a midwife/OB-GYN visit (after this one, I go every week), and recording the 100th episode of the Ali on the Run Show!
More Baby on the Run:
5 Responses
I need more info on Hulk Brad and his foray into shot put. I can’t find it on instagram and feel like I need this story in my life.
My requirement was fresh orange juice WITH BITS, none of that concentrated rubbish. I drank about 2 litres a day and then the baby came out ginger. Coincidence?
I remember the COLD water needs!!! Man I think I drank a bathub full amount everyday. Had to be with ice and if it got less than freezing temp it was a no go lol Mine did not end once baby was born either fyi! I love reading your updates and i am more excited for you, a total stranger, than is completely healthy hahaha! I crohnsed through my pregnancy too so I really relate to a lot of your posts! I also felt my son would come early and he did – right at 37 weeks! Not to scare you or anything lol you sound much more prepared than I was!! So exciting!!!
Ugh, so sorry you were flaring throughout pregnancy as well. When did you stop flaring? I’m hoping that once the baby comes out, the Crohn’s will magically leave my body, too! (That’s how science works, right?!)
I am fan girling hard that you replied!! Want to be best friends now?! Just kidding (but not really..
). Well for me, I flared for like 2 more years lol but do not let that depress you! I was also going through the most stressful time of my life with my now ex husband snd stress is my only trigger. So ya, I’m sure it will be different for you and I’ve heard that it often does happen like you said – foreign object making your body crazy out, crohns nasty done! So fingers crossed magic happens for you! The only good thing about flaring while pregnant was that I was already so used to getting up multiple times a night, that part of having a newborn was a piece of cake lol!