One thing that I know for sure is giving me some anxiety (and some heartburn) is the imminent occurence of holiday eating. Don’t get me wrong…I love indulging in the tastes of the season. In fact, my family makes a list of all the delectable (i.e. unhealthy) foods we MUST have during the holidays and we make sure we eat them ALL. My real problem with indulging this year is that I am really trying hard not to gain too much weight with this pregnancy. With my last pregnancy I gained enough weight for two expectant mothers. I gained it everywhere – not just where the baby was. I vowed that I would NOT do that again this time. I know how easy it is to pack on the holiday pounds when I’m not pregnant; but it will be even more difficult to get rid of come New Year’s resolution time because I have to worry about the health of the baby. It also doesn’t help that I have to step on the scale at the doctor’s office a lot more often than I am used to. At my last doctor’s visit I was told that my weight gain was right on target. That, of course, was before Christmas. Since then I have been asked several times by well-meaning souls whether or not I was carrying twins. That makes a woman pregnant with one child feel great, let me tell ya.
I can’t believe these holiday blahs could all be related to irresistible food and it's resulting weight gain though. For about a week now I’ve been snapping at my kids (and husband), I’ve been complaining about anything and everything to anyone who will listen, and I’ve even avoided talking to people just in case I couldn’t bring myself to be civil for five minutes. You'll have to trust me, despite what you might have heard, that’s really not like me. And as much as I don’t like the excuse, I think I have to blame at least some of the lack of holiday cheer on those hormones. The little things are more powerful than I ever imagined.
Thankfully, I see some peace on the horizon. Today was the kids’ last day of school before the holiday break. School is actually a big stressor for me. There are so many things to do and to remember and I put a lot of pressure on myself to get it right. So I get two full weeks off from all of that. Today is also my husband’s last day of work until January 2. Life is just so much better when we are both home together. No matter how hormonal I get, he can help balance me out, or at least apologize to the kids for me when I bite their heads off for not picking up their dirty socks. I already feel that Christmas spirit drawing near.
In case I don’t get a chance to write again before the big day, I want to wish you all a very happy, hormone-free holiday. I also want to share a photo and a video with you. These are a couple of things that can really get me into a good, Christmas-y mood. The photo is the one we included with our Christmas cards this year. It shows the kids laughing and having a ball in front of our Christmas tree. How can that not bring a smile to my face? The video makes me laugh and dance and sing. I hope you enjoy it too.
2 comments:
LOVE that photo of your kiddos. So very, very sweet!
And yes, holiday eating while pregnant is HARD. (I gained more than 60 pounds when I was pregnant years ago.... So I feel your pain on that sort of thing.)
Merry Christmas!
I hear you on the holiday eating while pregnant. Although given that I could go into labor any day now, my capacity for food is much diminished and because of that, I didn't eat near as much as I normally do. I was a little bummed because I didn't have any pie, passed up some of the cookies that I usually love, and had to forego even a spoonful of seconds on a dish called Orgasmic Potatoes (and yes, they are that good). I just couldn't fit any more in my belly, and I was already feeling full to bursting about halfway through my first helping. The result was that I lost a pound over the holiday week. Color me surprised!
I'm sure your conscientiousness of what you've been eating and how much will translate to less weight gain. I know every pregnant woman gains differently, but I know too, that the "eating for two" reason comes into play a lot for many women who then end up having gained quite a bit. An extra 300 calories a day for the baby really isn't a lot. It's like, two extra sodas or maybe an extra scoop of pasta at dinner.
Though I must say the dessert cravings are really hard to resist.
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