Let me state this up front: Colorado Gal is not becoming a mommy blog. Promise.
But I did want to take a minute to thank everyone for the well wishes! Between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and various emails, we received more messages of support and love than I ever expected. Y’all know how to make a gal feel pretty darn great!
I did get a lot of questions about the details: the when, the who, the what, etc. So lets chat details!
When Are You Due?
Early October. My due date is bouncing around currently since Peanut has measured at a few different sizes. Our 20-week appointment is in a few days so we’ll have a better idea after that point, but it’s still in the early October range.
Boy or Girl?
No idea! Will and I both want to keep it a surprise until that kid pops out so we’re going through the next five months flying blind…in so many ways! As our neighbor pointed out, it’s a surprise no matter when you find out, but I’d prefer to save life’s greatest surprise for after I do all of the hard work.
When Did You Know?
I’ll be honest: we’ve known for a hot minute! Here is a fun fact: you remember that ski trip to Jackson Hole back in February? If you re-read that post, you’ll remember that I felt like hell while touring up to the top of Snow King. I was abnormally cold and my endurance and physical prowess were practically non-existent. I chalked it up to a bad day on skis and thought nothing of it.
Remember this gem of a photo!?
Once we got back to Denver, I realized I was late and took a pregnancy test on a whim. When it came back positive, I was pretty darn shocked. To verify, I took two more at-home tests. When all three came back positive, I figured it was time to tell Will. He claims he was suspicious after my performance at Snow King so he was a bit less shocked than I felt. After I told him, I took two more tests before even considering calling my doc.
So yes, I took five tests before I’d even consider believing it. Trusting that pink line is tricky!
How About CrossFit?
Still trucking along! Fortunately, I had an incredibly easy first trimester with zero nausea or morning sickness. Other than catching quite a few cat naps, I felt pretty normal. Now that I’m well into my second trimester, things are thankfully even easier. Other than this big ol’ belly bulge, I don’t feel any different than pre-pregnancy.
All that is to say that I’ve been fortunate enough to get an easy pregnancy so far which has made staying active pretty easy. My doc is very cool and understanding of our lifestyle and we’ve have some realistic conversations about what I can and cannot do. We talked about CrossFit and since it is something I’ve been doing for five years, she said there was no reason for me to quit now.
Of course, I am modifying the workouts based on my needs. My intensity is much lower and I cut out sit-ups awhile back. Pull-ups became uncomfortable so those are out too. Now that I’m at 20 weeks, I’m not bench pressing either. I’ve cut back on the weight {no one rep maxes this year!} but I’m still able to do the majority of lifts. I did some power snatches at the gym yesterday and simply lightened the load {I only lifted 45#}. As my belly gets bigger, I’ll likely switch to dumbbells instead of a barbell so that I don’t have to worry about my belly.
As for running? My cardio endurance certainly isn’t what it was but running is still comfortable. I can slowly jog still which is pretty awesome. I’m still heading out for “runs” but they’re a mix of slow jogging and walking. In fact, I had originally partnered up with the Steamboat Springs Half Marathon to run the half this June, but I long ago backed out of that. Will and I are planning on jogging/walking the 10k instead!
How Does This Affect Outdoor Playtime?
Ah, the million dollar question! I’m learning as I go in this category and thus far, I’m pleasantly surprised. The one major change for me this year is altitude. Obviously, Denver is already located at a mile high but my doc and I had a good talk about even higher elevations. Most of our outdoor playtime takes place above tree line {12,000 feet in Colorado} and that is an altitude that doesn’t make my doc feel comfortable. She recommended I keep my endurance sports below 12k due to the lack of oxygen over a sustained period of time, and I agreed.
This means no high alpine environment for me this summer but it’s clearly a tradeoff that’s more than worth it! We backed out of a few hut trips this winter when we realized all of the fun was going to be closer to 13k. Since I’m an experienced skier who practically never falls, my doc had no problems with me continuing to ski. I eventually opted out of resort skiing since I was more concerned about out-of-control skiers smacking into me. Instead, Will and I spent the remainder of ski season in the backcountry. Touring was a great fit for me since I could go at my own pace and not worry about rogue skiers. Plus, I still got to be outside which is great for my sanity!
Otherwise, we still have some hiking and backpacking on the schedule. We’re headed to Utah in a few weeks for some light canyoneering and I’m really looking forward to getting outside. Of course, I don’t quite fit through slot canyons anymore so we’ll have to look for some larger areas!
Backpacking is the last big question for me, which is ironic since my book just came out. Will can manage to carry a lot of the weight for me, but I’ll still need to carry some myself. I have no idea how a waist belt is going to feel and/or how that will work as my belly expands, so we’ll simply play it by ear.
And Your Site?
As I mentioned, I don’t want to turn my site into a mommy blog. While I do enjoy reading pregnancy posts from other bloggers {Trust me; I’ve read a lot of those lately!}, I likely won’t chronicle my pregnancy here. This means that I won’t be doing weekly updates or bump photos. Again, I love reading those for other people but it’s just not my thing. I may occasionally check in regarding my pregnancy over the next few months but that’s likely the extent of it.
Will my adventures change this summer due to my pregnancy? Of course they will! For example, I recently completely my CrossFit L1 trainer certificate course and have plans to get that up soon. Since I was pregnant, I had to alter a few things in the course {which will be included in the recap} but the story will still be the same: a summary of my L1 experience.
Never fear, my friends. There are plenty of adventures coming your way!
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