New Belly Picture

I went to the gym tonight to run and lift. There have been no classes this week or last due to routine maintenance, so I've been lifting more on my own which has been good. I saw a super nice guy there that I chat with now and then, as we seem to be on the same random schedule and see each other a lot. He asked how I was handling the no class situation, and I figured that was my opportunity to see if he had noticed how fat/pregnant I'd become. "Actually," I said, "it came at a good time. I'm almost 6 months pregnant, and I'm starting to slow down a little." His reaction was funny. "Who's pregnant? What? You're 6 months pregnant?" So even though to people who know I do in fact look pregnant now, I guess I don't look too different in baggy gym clothes to people who don't know. Even though, in those baggy clothes, I feel and look so different from how I used to, and how I still perceive myself. Tuesday when I was lifting, was one of the only times I remember that lifting did NOT make me feel really good about my body. I ignored it mostly, because what can I do?

After I showered I put on some yoga pants and a shirt...that now is way too short:


So this is 23 weeks, 4 days, but at the END of the day. Not that there's much difference at this point. I do feel more pregnant now though. Kind of like there's a water balloon inside me, which probably isn't entirely inaccurate. Ab work is getting a little harder. It will be interesting to see next Tuesday at the core class how I do with that. I may be starting to make some modifications soon! And Boot Camp...well, I want to keep doing that at least 2 more times, at which point I'll be 26 weeks and in the third trimester, and probably will be OK if I have to give that up. I also finally ordered the Gabrialla band figuring it won't be too long before I'll need it, as I already feel a little...different...while running. Not sure how to explain, except to go back to the water balloon analogy. Everything else still feels good though! And I've started to really gain weight...I tend to go up about 2 pounds one week, then stay about the same, then go up another 2, etc. Still hoping for 20-25, I'm up about 11 so far (9 last week, this is a 2-pound week already!) at almost 24 weeks. I figure there's no way much of that is fat though. Some must be, because when I was working my biceps Tuesday I noticed that the vein I used to be able to see (which thrilled me, I admit) isn't there anymore. Oh well...