week 37 day 5 part 2

So I went to work tonight (aka, a dinner and volleyball) and I got to tell people that we're only 15 days away from our due date! I've been thinking about it all day but it became so much more real to me when I actually said it aloud.

Mike and I threw the frisbee around for a little bit which set off some pretty intense contractions.

And I was thinking about it - I know of some women who would not have gone out 2 weeks before their due date to throw the frisbee around with their husbands. Not because they're not nice but just because pregnancy alone was too much for them. And it's true. Had I not napped right before work at Mike's work, I probably would not have gone out to play with him.

But here are a few things that I think have helped with getting to this point in pregnancy and still feeling a need to go out and play every now and then and being able to:

• My size. I've gained about 25 pounds so far which is a good, healthy amount for someone who was an okay weight to begin with. Not only that, but I've stayed rather small throughout my pregnancy. Although I feel huge, most people can't tell we're only a few days to a couple of weeks away from having this baby.
• Exercising. Going on walks, kicking the ball around in the backyard, and playing frisbee has helped me keep up some of my strength and has definitely kept me on the slimmer side. Without exercise, I'm pretty sure I could have easily gained more than 35 pounds which would definitely not have been healthy. Plus, exercising can increase contractions which I am all for.
• Rest and doing things for myself. Although the things I have been working on lately among other things have kept me really busy (like obsessing over Katie's room) but I've also been able to get rest in when I really need it. I probably don't ever get enough because it seems like I always have something to do or someone to visit with, but rest helps. After I'm well-rested, I make sure that if my contractions aren't too bad, I do things for myself, like get a glass of water, make a snack, do the laundry, dust, start Roomby, etc. It really seems to help me when I don't just let Mike wait on me ... although, every now and then I let him and it's absolutely wonderful.

So those are my tips and tricks. The first trimester was really quite awful and I definitely spent hours every day just lying on the couch, staring at the wall, but I took some good advice I received as I started second trimester to make sure I keep moving, and it has definitely helped!