Starting Point

This year has been a whirlwind...a year unlike any other. Almost a year ago I got married to an incredible guy who I had known for almost 6 years; shortly after that I got pregnant, which was completely unexpected; and not long after that my older brother, who was easily one of the most important people in my life, passed away. So as you can imagine, my year has been filled with an astounding amount of joy but has also been, by far, one of the hardest years of my life. Talk about emotions pulling you in every imaginable direction. Due to the history of this past year I am absolutely at a place where I now understand, with more certainty than ever before, that your health, your state-of-being is something to treasure, nourish and care for on a daily basis and that's exactly what I plan to do. So as a point of reference, lets take a look at where I currently am.

Physical
As of right now, I am VERY pregnant. In a matter of weeks we will be welcoming our new baby into this world. I am definitely no longer able to touch my toes without feeling discomfort. I am slightly swollen in my hands and feet. My energy level is a 5-6 on a scale of a 1 to 10. My skin is relatively clear. My butt is huge and I am unfortunately experiencing cellulite like never before. My thighs touch...who am I kidding, they totally rub to the point that I'm sure a fire could start if I walked fast enough. My arms are bigger and much more flabby. My sleep is interrupted by numerous bathroom trips and continuous discomfort. Thus far I have gained 23 pregnancy pounds.

Exercise
On average, I exercise by doing light cardio or strength training 3-4 days a week for about 20-30 minutes.

Eating
My eating has been interesting. For example, yesterday I had a tall chai latte (and not the skinny version) and a cake donut for breakfast; a salad for lunch; an apple and yogurt for snack; a super rich and creamy chicken, green chile lasagna (accompanied with a white dinner roll with a nice slather of butter) for dinner; and a fudge bar and grapes for dessert. The days before were a blur but I know one day this week included me scarfing down 2 large pieces of cake (I strategically took the corners because they had the most of the delicious butter cream/cream cheese frosting on them) and a chocolate chip cookie with milk all within a 30 minute time frame. But on some days I'm drinking green smoothies and eating low-sugar greek yogurt, fruits and veggies and black bean burgers. So depending on the day, I'm either a hot mess or a relatively healthy senorita. There is really no rhyme or reason to my eating but overall I would say I eat poorly 50% of the time and semi-well the rest of the time.

Emotional
"Numb" would most likely be how I'd describe my current emotional start. Since my brother passed away the thought of truly engaging with what has happened (especially now that I'm pregnant) has been a bit too much for me and therefore has caused me to just be a little numb to emotions in general.

My Level of Gratitude
I am continuously refocusing on all that I am grateful for and therefore would consider my gratitude level relatively high.

My Overall State-of-Being
I would say I am very much going through the motions of life...nothing too intense, nothing too exciting, although the decision to take this year-long journey has definitely sparked an excitement in me, a passion I had long been missing.
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