Hi friends. I just wanted to take some time to update on how I'm feeling lately with this pregnancy thing.

Of course the strongest feeling I have is the feeling of being blessed. I am so thankful for this new life, and I just want to say that any complaints I may have take a backseat the positive feelings I have for this baby :)

Now, on to the rough stuff! Ha!

Changing my mindset about workouts is proving to be a giant challenge for me. Exercising on a regular basis (and with great exertion) is truly my lifestyle now. Five years ago I could not have said that, but thanks to SparkPeople, my love of running and yoga, and my desire to stay fit, I LOVE being active. That said, I have had to adjust some of my expectations now that I'm solely responsible for the health and safety of this little one. Saturday was an extreme example - I went to White Rock Lake in the morning to do a 5 Mile Race with the Dallas Running Club. I woke up and felt really off, but I got dressed and asked my husband for some encouragement to get out the door. I made it to the race site. I got my bib and tshirt, said hi to a few friends, had my bathroom break, and walked to the starting area. All of a sudden the off feelings I'd had all day got worse. I felt lightheaded, my heart was racing (125 while mostly standing still), my muscles felt weak, and I knew there was no way I'd make it more than 15 minutes in this race. Here's where the mindset change has to happen. In the past, I'd call it a mental block and PUSH THROUGH. These days I can't do that. I can't risk actually passing out, or getting stuck 30 minutes from my car with no strength. So I did something I've never done - I watched everyone else go past the starting line and I walked back to my car. Despite the fact that I knew I was doing the right thing in that moment, I felt so defeated. This just isn't something I'm used to, and it's hard to adjust.

The good news is that for every bad day I have like Saturday, I have many more good days. I take advantage of almost every good day and go for a walk or go to the gym. Today I got 2 new prenatal DVDs so I can do some prenatal yoga, and this summer I plan to spend some afternoons at the gym doing some gentle swimming.

I know this mental adjustment will continue until the end of this pregnancy, and then I'll have to adjust in new ways after I am a Mom (Oh my, that's scary to type!) I'm just happy that I've wholeheartedly adopted an active lifestyle over the past few years - this will always keep me going forward!