Big Announcement to Make + 7 Frequently Asked Questions

Big News: I’m Pregnant!

If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram you probably know that last week I announced my pregnancy on social media. And now it’s time to announce here on Fit & Awesome. This post has been a long time coming and I’m excited to be able to share our happy news with all of you. We are excited for our new baby to join our family this holiday season!

The baby is due on December 27th and at this point I’m a little over the halfway point of my pregnancy. I’ve been getting tons of questions from people about how it’s going, what I’ve been eating, and how I’ve been working out so I will attempt to answer it all here!

1) How Are You Feeling? I feel pretty good. I am thankful to say that I did not suffer from any morning sickness. The only side effect I am really having is that I am extremely tired all the time. I normally have good energy throughout the day and in the first trimester all I wanted to do was nap. I have never really been much of a napper in recent years so this was a huge change for me. When I used to nap, it would be 30 minute power naps. Pregnancy naps last me anywhere from 1-3 hours. They’re insane! Thankfully this eased up after the first trimester was over. Now I am dealing with a bout of pregnancy insomnia which I am currently trying to figure out how to fix.

2) What Have You Been Craving? Everyone talks about craving weird things like pickles and ice cream. I will say that I have been craving weird foods. During the first trimester all I wanted was carbs. I ended up going to the grocery store and buying gluten-free bread. I had never bought it before. I would make two slices in the morning with butter. We don’t own a toaster, so I put it in the oven to heat it up. I even made a couple grilled cheeses. That was the weirdest craving for me. It’s since gone away. I would say now I crave sugary and comfort foods more that normal, which is weird but then again I guess it’s because I’m pregnant.

3) Have You Been Working Out? This is an area that has been very hard for me. My doctor has me keeping my heart rate below 110 while working out, which as you may know is very low impact. I was able to surf for the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy and that was really nice although I was very cautious and only went out on very small days. In fact, the morning I found out I was pregnancy I went for a surf to celebrate and soak it all in and I ended up catching one of my best waves of the year.  I stopped surfing about 3 months ago and it’s been a hard adjustment, but I know it’s for the best. I have been stand up paddleboarding and swimming and my doctor says I can continue those activities even when I am full term so that is what I plan to do. When I go paddleboarding I have to have my husband carry my board for me and I have to admit I like the luxury treatment 🙂 I did buy a pair of dumbbells and have been doing modified / low impact at-home workouts. I have also been trying to walk Kona and use her exercise as my own exercise as well.

4) Has Your Diet Changed? A lot. I wish I could say that I am following the paleo diet to a tee, but I have completely fallen off the wagon. Most days I don’t have the energy to cook which makes it hard to keep eating clean. We’ve been ordering take out a lot which is not as healthy.  I also went through a phase where I did not want to eat vegetables at all. I had to sneak them in my morning smoothies to get my daily intake. My appetite is also insane. I used to be able to eat a salad with chicken or some other lean protein at lunch and be completely satisfied. Now, I need a salad and a smoothie to satiate me. I have been considering renaming my blog to “Fat & Awesome” for the remainder of my pregnancy. My husband has been really great about helping cook and clean the kitchen when I don’t have the energy to get off the couch. I’m so thankful for him being so amazing and supportive.

5) Are You Going to Turn Fit & Awesome into a Mom Blog? I created Fit & Awesome as a way to share my health and fitness journey and discoveries with others. That has included product reviews, recipes, experiences, and partnerships with brands. I don’t plan on changing any of that. I still see this as a site where I document all of these things. However, I do think that the “mom” and “pregnancy” side of me will naturally work its way into some of my content. I would like to be able to discover parenting and maternity products that have a tie with health and fitness and I would like to be able to share those with you, my readers. I will probably create a category of the site called “Fit Pregnancy” but I still plan on continuing all the same types of content I currently have on the site.

6) Is Kona Excited to Be a Big Sister? Honestly, I have no idea. But I sense that she knows something is going on. When we lay on the couch she often lays her head on my belly. Maybe she sees it as a pillow. Or maybe she senses that something is going on in there. Either way, I think it’s very sweet. We are going to try and get her to spend more time around babies over the next few months so she is a bit more comfortable around them when our baby arrives.

7) What Advice Do You Have For Other Bloggers Who Are Pregnant? Be good to yourself and take care of yourself. If you have to blog a little bit less due to your life change, than so be it. Get people to guest post if it really becomes an issue but your health and your baby’s health is most important.

Okay, I think that covers it. Honestly I am just relieved to be able to talk about it now and share my journey with all of you!