The Energizer Bunny at BlogHerI can't think of too many times in my life when I had a rough time getting energized. Oh sure, there was the time I had mono and was hospitalized. There was another time when, while in college, I twisted BOTH ankles at the same time. That's right. Both ankles. Walking around WMU in cruthches wasn't a pretty site. If I only I had my FLIP cam then.

The biggest change I've noticed with this pregnancy is my energy level. I had the dumb luck (woohoo!) of zero morning sickness. The first trimester did, however, knock me on my butt at 530 pm everyday. As soon as I would get home from work, I found myself on the couch and talking myself out of moving only if i really needed to. I finally gained some of my energy back, but it's not the same. I'll admit it, it's the one thing that causes occasional bouts of 'woe is me' syndrome. When that happens, watch out.

Ya gotta remember something. I've been a runner, avid gym patron and fake MC Hammer backup dance since I was 12. I've been known to clean the house and do dance steps from the kitchen to the living room. I also have a tendency to put on some traditional Macedonian/Serbian folk music and perform a quick step folk dance for Michael - just to stay in practice. Pre-pregnancy, I'd walk to work at a fast clip - ensuring I squeezed my butt every few blocks or so.

Fast forward to my current state. I can still manage a solid belly laugh and have the energy that the first trimester took - but it's not the same. My work and overall life schedule permits me from hitting the gym at 6 am (I'm currently writing this post at 12:50 am).  I can see how this is affecting my body. The muscle mass in my arms is slowly fading. My lower back is beginning to get weak (I know a portion of this is because of the bambino) and pushups are harder to do.

Ok, Ok, I know. I'm prego. Sure, I get it and I love it! I've always been a person who is self-aware of their body and this pregnancy's made me even more observant. I walked up a flight of steps to the El train the other day, got to the top and was short of breath. Before I knew it, I started to tear up. I was actually mad at myself for being out of breath.

I'm slowly accepting this new state of tuckered-ness, but I also know that I can change it. Finding the balance of full time job, running a community site, planning a conference and keeping this blog updated  is a tricky thing. I have an amazing marriage and can go on and on about how Papa Bear keeps me on track.  And, heck no, I don't want to be Superwoman.

What I know I need is a vacation, which isn't possible any time soon. I also know that I live next to a big body of water called Lake Michigan. Making a larger effort to get away from these computers and sit in the grass is a must.  For crying out loud, it's August 1 and I am yet to go on a walk around the Lake. Unacceptable.