22 Weeks

Hello out there, world. It is nice to finally be open to you again. Lately, I have been holding everything close. I'm sure that a lot of that has to do with pregnancy. It is such an intensely personal experience. Filled with so many different kinds of emotions. I've been riding a cycle of fear, massive joy, excitement, anxiety, and more fear. And now, hopefully, some peace of mind and faith that I will be strong and balanced in the face of so many changes. I'm overjoyed about the baby, but I've been increasingly terrified about losing myself (my career, my body, my creativity) to the process of motherhood.

Overall, pregnancy itself is treating me well. I'm now in my 23rd week of this grand adventure. The nausea that plagued me for four months is becoming a distant memory. I have more energy. I've gotten used to sleeping on my side (I was a tummy sleeper). My emotions, as I alluded to above, however, have been making frequent stops at Crazy Town. (I think that I burst into tears no fewer than a dozen times this week. Yikes.) I'm praying that there is some sort of hormonal reason for all of this drama. Luckily, I have a patient husband, good friends, and two sweet pups to bring me back to reality.

Here is a peek at my halfway (20-week) belly. It has actually popped out quite a bit since this photo was taken, so we'll have to take another photo this weekend. I'm trying my best to adjust to the changes in my body. After a 4-month hiatus, I've decided to rejoin my gym. I've been going for frequent walks and to prenatal yoga classes, but I think that I've lost a lot of muscle tone since September. Exercising was such a big part of my life prior to pregnancy, so I'm hoping that my time at the gym will help to rebalance my emotions and remind me of my capacity for strength and health.

I'm also planning to regain some of my creative footing this weekend. I'm just finishing up a knitting project that I started over Christmas, so I'll share that with you soon. Almost all of my creative energy has been going into the nursery these days, but it's been a fun process (and it's almost finished).

Sending love and wishes for a beautiful weekend. xoxo