I used to think that a month was 4 weeks. And that 24 divided by 4 was six. But not in Pregnancy Town. In Pregnancy Town, 24 Weeks is somehow still about 5 1/2 months pregnant (or something). This all has to do with the way “They” count things from the last time you were definitely NOT pregnant. 

So here I am, 24 Weeks and still (apparently) holding strong at 5 1/2 months along. 

Had a doctor’s appointment this week and all looks good. Heartbeat is steady at 140 BPM which is normal. I’ll go for ultrasound in February since kiddo wasnt cooperating fully last time. My weight gain still holding strong at about 5lbs total. 

I’d like to give a shout out to my friend Nathan at the gym who is cheerfully working on a Weight Gain Challenge with me (since we started at the same weight back around Thanksgiving) because he’s been working really hard and is still holding strong at 5lbs ahead of me on this “Challenge.” The real story is that if he gains more than I do, we both win since I’m trying to keep it under control and he’s trying to get even more built. 

Doing Crossfit helped me continue to change my attitude about my body – roller derby taught me that you don’t have to be willowy to be attractive, and crossfit has taught me that no matter what your situation, you can probably find something you’re pretty damn good at through the gym. I’m happy to say I can bench press 130lbs and backsquat 190lbs – even if I can’t go for a 3 hour run comfortably. Today I lifted over 100lbs above my head on a push press and felt pretty good about it. I’ve let go of the idea that being strong isn’t feminine and that to be attractive you have to look slight and timid. 

The old me would’ve been embarrassed the day that I saw Nathan putting 175lbs on his bodyweight workout – because it was how much I weighed at the time. But the happier, stronger me decided instead to heckle him about being the same weight as me and ask when he was going to fill out. So when the impending weight gain was looming for me, I decided this would be far more fun than just dreading getting on the scale repeatedly. Now every Monday (or Tuesday), I excitedly march over to the scale at the gym with him to cheer on how much he’s gained and happily tell  EVERYONE that’s he’s winning.

I hope to raise a little girl who sees her body for what it can do, not for how it looks as an object or an accessory for someone else. 

Speaking of which, she’s apparently the size of an eggplant right now, but that’s not nearly as cute as this other size comparison:

Also, I’d like to congratulate my good friend and birth coach Katrina on her second son born at 3am yesterday – Davis came into this world like a whirlwind and I’m sure she’ll have so much fun with her two sons. She’s a wild animal and I’m so proud of her crazy second all natural birth story. Seeing her yesterday so calm and serene after having just had him made me seriously wonder how polar opposite I’ll be soon after my own Big Adventure. Calm and serene are not words I can imagine anyone ever using to describe me, but maybe if I get enough medicine, it’d be possible. Ha ha ha.