What you don't expect when expecting

This week marks the 24^th in my pregnancy. For those of you who don’t compute your time in weeks that’s 6 months. Officially this is the last week in my second trimester and there are approximately 113 more days to go. As I was telling my friend and future doula Casey today I am in a state of contentment. I have accepted the pregnancy although most days I don’t “feel” pregnant and at the same time I’m in no hurry to get it over with. I am relishing sleeping in, time with my friends and husband, working out and all the things in my life that come easy now before I have this baby on the outside. I am in a place where I am enjoying the journey.

This is my 23 not 24 week photo - those to come

This past weekend we had our 4^th annual ugly sweater Christmas party. This is always a hit and has grown in the past few years from just a few of our close friends to friends of friends to taking over nearly an entire bar. To kick off the day my friends and I ran an ugly sweater 5k at City Park. As Kate says, to find people you like to drink with is one circle, to find people to work out with is another, to find people who like to do both – well that’s an even smaller circle yet. Hence the small group of us running together:

After the run the day was spent in preparation for the party that night. We pre-partied at a friends house and I must say I have taken to drinking non-alcoholic beer at these occasions. I find what I miss is not necessarily the drinking and the hangover (definitely not the hangover) but just the togetherness that drinking tends to bring. Also I really enjoy holding something in my hand. I don’t know maybe that’s why I never took to running but I have to have my hands doing something or I’m lost.

awkward family photo

Magee's like to party all the time

getting ready to release the kraken

egg nog advertisement

I bet this was a good hangover

The party ended up being a great success and I was happy at the turn out. Next year I hope we can make it even bigger and better (and certainly I apologize for the weird creepy DJ's) There were people there that I didn’t even expect to come and then there were those I expected to see that didn’t attend. I feel like with this pregnancy my group of friends is shifting. 

hula hooping was a great success

If you didn't make the group photo you probably left too early

Which brings me to what prompted me to write this blog to begin with – What I didn’t expect when expecting.

Having a baby is kind of like getting married. It brings you closer to some people and alienates you from others. I did not expect to get the cold shoulder from some people that I know. I am sure people who decide to stop drinking feel the same way. The truth is when you can’t drink (or chose not too) some people will start to leave you out and quit inviting you places. This sadness me because honestly if anyone had an excuse to not be there Saturday let alone host the party – it was me. If anyone had an excuse it would be me. And yet I was there. And ask anyone who was there I was smiling the whole time. I was dancing, and hula hooping and making a fool out of myself with the best of them. I talked from person to person and still didn’t feel like I got to talk to everyone enough. In short I had one of the best nights ever. I wasn’t angry I had to drive drunk people around I was happy to do it. I was happy to see everyone having such a great time. Best of all I remember everything I said, I remembered to take tons of photos and I didn’t feel like ass to teach spin the next morning. Was I sad that I couldn’t be drunk? Maybe a little but that didn’t mean I couldn’t be with my friends.

So to everyone who has continued to invite me to Happy Hours and parties – I freaking love you. I am pregnant not dead. Anyone who knows me knows I’d rather die than sit on my couch doing nothing. I am blessed to have had such an easy pregnancy and the ability to be out and about. This is the time when I need my friends. When I need to treasure these uninterrupted moments with them. When I need to get out and have fun and dance and talk and just enjoy being alive. I can honestly say I’m disappointed in some people in my life right now. But life changes really show you who those people who matter the most are. The ones who stick by your side and buy you non-alcoholic beer and sparkling wine and fruity cocktails and bring you cupcakes and work out with you and make you feel like a human being not someone who doesn’t deserve company. Those that run a race with you and keep up with YOU the whole way just because. You know who you are and thank you. It’s you who has made this pregnancy enjoyable because I know that when the day comes that I can be back in full form you’ll be there with me baby by my side (or driving MY drunk ass home).

6 months down. Where has the time gone….