Anyway, future me: right now your back hurts VERY BAD. Very bad almost all the time! Remember the back. Also, you only have a 3 bedroom house and you have to stop paying for daycare before Landon goes to college.
But back to the back- you see, my belly is a 100 lb. torpedo just jutting out from my poor unsuspecting mid-region and the pressure in my back from supporting it grows and grows until I can barely move by the end day. The only thing that prevents it is slow, constant walking in supportive shoes. Do you know how much of my average weekday involves slow, constant walking in supportive shoes? Just about none of it. I've been trying to take breaks and walk around the office, but (1) I'm busy and all the work I need to do involves the sitting position in front of my computer, and (2) I'm hugely pregnant and I really just want to sit and eat cookies. So after a nice active weekend of errands and botanic garden exploring, the pain begins on Monday. Just a dull ache, but a constant one, that increases daily until I can barely move and moan in my sleep every time I change positions by Friday. It's fantastic.
From the front I look almost normal, and then I turn to the side and BAM, torpedo belly
On the upside, my ankles still look good and I don't have any stretch marks.
ridiculous
On the downside, I'm concerned I might have started to waddle. I've tried to get confirmation from friends and colleagues, but they're too nice to be honest. Oh, and heartburn, I have that now.
In other exciting news, I have decided to let myself buy a pair of boots for Fall! I love boots and last fall we were on a full budgetary lock-down with JP's job news, so I just looked and didn't touch. This year, I can't buy any of the beautiful fall clothes I see in stores because I'm huge and pregnant and get all freaked out that I don't know what I'll look like post-baby (despite doing this twice before and going back to looking pretty much exactly like me), plus we're still on a budget (a pre-maternity-leave/impending SEC shutdown budget) so I've decided one pair of boots is allowed. That's me trying on one of the pairs in the top set of pictures. They're dark brown and dressy and beautiful and I'm trying to decide if I need those more than the other three pairs I bought on sale online.
We have a nice black bootie with a low enough heel to wear on weekend errands v. the dressy 3" heel dark brown boot that are more pretty than practical but would be great for work v. 4" cognac fancy casual boots that will look great over jeans but may be too high to wear as casually as their finish implies v. black riding boots that are one of the most practical and are the rare riding boot that isn't too wide for my super narrow calves and even narrower, but very long size 10 foot. For the next few days there will be much agonizing and wearing in front of the mirror until I finally pick the lucky winner that gets to live in my closet forever.
Even more exciting than boots? The box they came in! These boxes are from my online shoe order, secret Christmas purchases, and a few of JP's swim school gear purchases.
The kids are building quite a collection and I think they're having as much fun with the boxes as I'm having with my private episode of Shoe Survivor (and that's a LOT of fun).
This is pretty much what we did on Saturday- they played with boxes, I sat on the couch, complained about my back (this was before I realized walking was the answer) and secretly snapped photos of them being cute. Big day.
4 more weeks and 4 days until she's here! And then my back will be cured, there will be a lovely new pair of boots in my closet, and an even lovelier, even newer baby will be in my arms. I can't wait, and I'm reading all the books and eating all the cookies until we get there.
Ohhh that's tough but I vote for the cognac. I just love that color! :)
ReplyDeleteYou look ADORABLE!!! Have you checked Ross for boots? I have gotten 3 pairs this year from there and didn't spend more than $55 on any of them. They had gorgeous Calvin Klein, Nine West, Frye, Jessica Simpson and more!! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy! We are all excited for you!!
ReplyDeleteCan you bring a yoga/balance ball to sit on at work, instead of your chair? I was studying for the bar for most of my pregnancy, and had horrific hip pain, which was only alleviated by sitting on that damn ball. Sitting on a chair for hours at a time just puts your whole body out of whack. Good luck! You're in the home stretch!
ReplyDeleteSigh, I love boots! Every year this time I start thinking about taking the plunge and then put it off until spring. Maybe one day! Although mostly what I wear to work is cuffed jeans and tshirts, so I'm not sure if those would go together well?
ReplyDeleteYou look fantastic. Back pain is the WORST. Four weeks, though! Exciting.
Delurking to ask where the black riding boots are from since I am also size 10 of foot and narrow of calf.
ReplyDeleteThe back pain sounds rough but books and cookies is a good plan in the meantime.
All the shoes are from DSW online and the black riding boots are the Bandalino Calliope riding boots. I've given myself until next weekend to decide which ones are going back. They're all so beautiful!
DeleteThanks for the info. You'll have to let us know which ones you keep!
DeleteYes, thank you!!
DeleteI just spent way too much time looking for this post (It doesn't have the "shoe" label.) It is still extremely relevant a year later. I recently discovered on my boot shopping adventure that I also have a narrow calf and a huge 10.5W foot. I must have tried on every size 11 boot at my local DSW and came home empty handed.
DeleteHello Brooke! I have also been empty handed this year. I live dsw, but none of their boots are working for be this season. Let me know if you find something good!
DeleteDelurking like Tessa because I have a tiny calf and 9.5s! I've been hunting for two months for boots--any boots!--that will fit my narrow calves and it's not been going well. I am still up 0 pairs of boots. Please help :)
ReplyDeletePS you look amazing! My SIL just had her baby three weeks early last weekend. She's 25, has always been fit, and you still look way better than she did in her 30-something weeks (just sayin', since she's the closest woman I know to your due date). Sorry your back hurts, but you do look great!
For the back pain, I can't recommend a good chiropractor enough! I had horrid, awful, debilitating back/hip pain with my last pregnancy--so bad that I was willing to try anything, including overcoming my skepticism of chiropractors. After one visit, I could walk normally again and I kept going for the rest of my pregnancy to keep things aligned. Ask your OB if they can recommend someone experienced with pregnancy and give it a shot.
ReplyDeleteYou look great, and I love the boots!
back hurt - check; waddling - check. At least you don't have lower belly/inner thigh pain. I got a maternity cradle that goes under belly, between boobs, over shoulders. Ugly as hell but it's really helped! Hope your last few weeks go smoothly!
ReplyDeleteOh pregnancy. If the results weren't so darn cute...! So excited!!
ReplyDeleteYou literally look like you just stuck a large ball under your dress. You have gained no weight anywhere except you belly! And HOW have your hips not grown an inch? My "baby" is 5, and I am still carrying around the hips from pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of the Andrea Wood judicial confirmation?
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't know anything about her outside of her wikipedia entry, but in general, I'm always happy to see a University of Chicago law grad and fellow SEC Enforcement attorney do well!
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