In response to your comments . . .

Dear Angie,

It has been two weeks since all of your great comments appeared. They are just want I needed to get me rolling. Thank you!

Here is what I have to say about what you had to say.

Angie wrote: It is really hard to get dressed every day. I feel like I am in this inbetween stage where the maternity clothes are too big, but my regular clothes are getting quite tight and not so attractive. People tell me my dress is cute and I blurt out, "I'm pregnant" just so they don't think I am just fat. What's up with that??

I say: Oh my gosh, that is the worst stage! But I am pretty sure no one would assume "fat" before "pregnant" looking at cute you. I also hate to tell you that you might be in "in-between land" for weeks or even months. I was more than six months pregnant, standing in a line, having able bodied sixty-year-old woman budging in front of me. (Uh...Jersey.) And when I told them, "Hey, you just budged in front of a tired pregnant woman!" (But in a quite, sweet Midwestern way...) they looked at me like I was crazy! So maybe you should get a bunch of tight t-shirts printed with phrases like "Coming soon," "baby-growing season," or the direct "it's a baby, not fat."

Angie wrote: I think it's time to embrace the bump, but what a weird feeling to get bigger when we spend so many years of our lives trying to stay in shape and maintain our weight. It is definitely different! I am going to go to my Zumba class tonight, but I'm afraid this may be one of my last classes for a while. I love it so much, but I think I push myself too hard and then I don't feel very good afterwards, so I need to find an alternative. I have been walking when I can and I love my prenatal yoga classes on Saturday mornings, but is that enough? I don't want to push it too hard, but I also want to maintain a certain level of fitness. My thought is that I need to start swimming, so hopefully I will get into that soon!

I say: I spent two pregnancies not giving a flying monkey about how in shape I was. That was a big mistake. It wasn't that I was particularly uncomfortable—I was young and have a remarkably long torso with lots of room for a baby. But afterward, I didn't feel like myself for a very long time. I can't help but think my physical health impacted my mental health. So with Isla, I was determined to stay in shape. I wanted to keep running because I read about countless women running throughout their pregnancy. I wanted to work my legs with the squats and lunges I was used to. But then I started spotting. Dumb, dumb, dumb. And even more dumb is that I continued to try and do squats and lunges a few more times, which always resulted in spotting. Finally, I got it. You have to listen to your body, even when the message is not what you want to hear.

Check out the Fit Pregnancy magazine web site. They have many circuit workouts that are designed to not only keep you in shape, but to prepare your muscles for childbirth, which is absolutely the most important and amazing workout of your life.

Swimming, water aerobics, and walking are perfect workouts. I know that a walk is no where near the intensity of a Zumba class, so trade in intensity for length.

Angie wrote: Another issue...sleep! I have had a very hard time adjusting to sleeping on my left side. I am a back sleeper and like eating sushi, that is a big no-no! I finally just paid $60 for this pillow called a Snoogle. Have you heard of it? Well, I will say that in the four nights I have had it, it has done wonders for my sleeping and I hope that continues!

I say: I hope your Snoogle is still working! Sleeping on your side is annoying. But I am pretty sure I have read multiple times that if you end up on your back, your body will wake itself up if need be. Good luck on getting lots of rest the second half of your pregnancy!

Angie wrote: On an exciting note, I am pretty sure that I felt the baby move for the first time today and what a wonderful feeling that was!! It was on the way to work and I also felt it a few more times throughout the day! If that isn't what it is, then I don't know what is going on!

I say: I am sure you are feeling the baby move all the time by now. It is a great feeling! Since you are so thin, you will get quite the show in another month or two. Some people think it is creepy to see the baby dancing away, but I think it is fascinating! A bit alien-like, yes, but fascinating.

On another note, isn't Miss Brooklyn beautiful? Boy, Bob and Krysta make some attractive children. Soon we will all be gushing over your little one!

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Julie