Okay, okay. You asked. So here it is. My 18 week baby bump!

Now in case you don?t know this, a baby at 18 weeks is ONLY 5 1/2 inches long and the size of a small bell pepper?weighing in at less than 7 oz. Also, I should note that Chris and I aren?t very big, therefore we will never have big babies. So?if you?re feeling like my bump isn?t big yet, well it?s not?but TRUST me, it gets BIG!!!!! You?ll have to wait and see this miracle of growth happen (both the baby and my belly!)

I should also note ? that is a shirt wrapped around my waist. Yes?I had Chris take the first few pics and couldn?t believe my once-muscular butt was kind of dimply and droopy!!!!!! As my upper thighs and boobs grow to sizes they have never been before, my butt is sagging lower than ever before too!! It?s amazing?and scary at the same time.

This is pregnancy number 4 for me, and it will never be an easy or a normal process. While there is no time I love MORE than being pregnant (I mean, come on?I?m growing a HUMAN INSIDE OF ME!!!), it never fails to be an incredibly hard process for my eyes and my brain to accept. Here?s why ? I work so darn hard, in the kitchen and in the gym, getting my body into the shape that I feel the happiest and healthiest at?then in a matter of weeks, it seems to all disappear.

And I?m not just talking about my physical form (trust me, it?s all relative. Anytime you gain 10% of your body weight in 4 months, it?s a tough thing to face, no matter your current weight), but also my physical fitness levels. They have gone from my fittest ever (50 burpees in 2 minutes and 15 seconds) to not as fit as I feel I work to be (today, 50 burpees in 3 minutes and 35 seconds). EVERYTHING seems harder: push ups (once from my toes so easily is now from my knees after 20), running (OMG ? the bladder pressure is insane already), to even just walking with Cash in my arms! I find myself breathing so heavily that I can?t believe it!

But there is hope! To all you moms out there going through this (or hoping to at some point) ? DON?T WORRY! This is a reminder I often have to give to myself as well. Sometimes, being pregnant can feel the same as when you are sick. You know, as you are puking with your head in the the toilet you feel like you will never ever be the same again? You almost forget what it is like to be healthy?to be normal. Well, pregnant ladies, I feel your pain on this. It is SO easy to forget what it feels like to be ?normal?. But coming from a mom that has done this three times, I?m here to assure you that we will ALL be normal again. In fact, I KNOW (although there are days I forget and don?t believe it)  it is possible for ALL of us pregos to be fitter, happier, and healthier post-babies?no matter how many we have had!

So for now, let?s enjoy this miracle we are creating. Because this process truly is a miracle. And for some of us (probably me) this might be our last time experiencing it.

Prego Tip for Today: Be active! (But only if you were active pre-baby, and check with your doc) I, like many of you, have days were I wallow in my sorrows and feel bad for myself and my recent lack of energy. These days, I want nothing more than to sit inside and work away. I will come up with every single excuse for WHY I don?t need to work out. Let?s get real, has there EVER been a time where we?ve forced ourselves to be active and we?ve regretted it? Most likely, not. In fact, as soon as we get up and start moving, we feel SO much better! And remember, this is good for baby too. Studies have show that women that are active during pregnancy are more likely to carry full term.

I make moving easy by committing to just 5 minutes. That?s it! If I do my 5 and am feeling good, I?ll do more! But I feel great knowing that, regardless, I got my 5 minutes in. Don?t kid yourself, 5 minutes can be tough. Here was my workout yesterday ? it kicked my butt.

Set the clock for 5 minutes:

Perform as many burpees as you can in that time.

• You can modify these to accommodate the growing belly by just going to hands and knees, then standing up.

Set the clock for another 5 minutes (because I was feeling AWESOME after that):

Perform as many pull ups as you can in that time.

• If you can?t perform body weight pull ups, use bands for assistance or the lat pull down machine in your local gym.

Week 19, here I come!