Part Three
Posted By jayna on July 25, 2011
As the pounds begin to really stick, the belly begins to really grow (and itch!) and the temperatures outside confine us to these tiny 1400 square feet, I have noticed a slight trend in my attitude. As in, it tends to rocket towards the side of gigantically huge bitch.
HUGE.
I’m not a good pregnant person, as I’ve loudly proclaimed before. I don’t deal well with the entire thing. In the beginning, the violent nausea gets me. In the middle, I mourn my waistline and scowl at the extra jiggles and wiggles that show up. By the final chapter, I am in constant pain (helloooo, old spot where I broke my back! hellooooo, you pesky sciatic nerve pain! helloooo, heartburn, you bastard!), constantly annoyed by tight clothing that fit just yesterday, and wanting nothing more than to curl up in a ball under the covers for the next 10-12 weeks. I fondly remember the very end of my pregnancy with E, where I did just that, thanks to the husband being deployed and having absolutely zero responsibilities besides clothing and feeding myself. Funny how adding two other kids to the mix seems to keep one so far away from a comfy bed, old pajamas and unlimited time on the laptop.
Shockingly, given my current disdain for anything a.) outdoors where it’s hot and b.) physically involved, I had the bright idea to load everyone up this weekend and drive the whole half hour up into Shenandoah National Park. (Seriously still in awe that we live that close to our own paradise). On the drive up, we watched the thermostat drop by twenty degrees. From 100 to 80. That alone was worth the drive.
Loading the backpack with water and snacks, we found a familiar trail head and set off, enjoying the great outdoors in the much, much cooler temperatures. Down, down, down the mountain we went, with E chattering happily the entire way and MJ enjoying her perch on the husband’s back. 2 miles in, we found the perfect little mountain pool and let the girls loose. Cooler temperatures and cold mountain water makes for a very happy family. Even me.
Eventually, with prune-y fingers and toes, it was time to haul ourselves back up the trail. All 2 miles of it. Stair step after stair step.
E ran up the trail for about a quarter mile, and then alternated between begging to sit on this rock – or that rock – or this one over here – and whining about how terrible we were for not letting her stop. (Even when we were stopped, she still preemptively whined about the next time).
The husband valiantly hauled MJ and all of our hiking essentials. And eventually E when we were worn down enough to just pick her up for a few minutes of silence.
And I? I rang in my third trimester by thoroughly enjoying a four mile hike up and down a mountain. Enjoying, people. As in, we reached the top and I marveled at how easy it had been. Gone is the laziness! Gone is the miserable sloth-like existence! Gone are the lamentations about my jiggly thighs! Happy, active, outdoorsy Jayna is baa-aaack!
Until the next day when I wondered when I missed being run over by a truck and barely wanted to move for twelve hours.
By-gones!
If you need to find us on the next 95-100 degree day, we’ll be up in the mountains, splashing in a cold pool and enjoying a lot more exercise.
~ all pictures taken with the husband’s phone . . . the hefty nikon did not make the cut when packing his pack!~
That looks absolutely wonderful! The only escape from heat around here is the air conditioned house, or air conditioned car. I fear any body of water may have alligators, and the closest mountain is, well, I don’t know where it is.
You look great, by the way. Good for you hiking up that mountain! I’m sweating just thinking about it :)
You look way too good for being so pregnant, my lady :)