Where have I been? Um… Pregnant. And then having a baby. And now very very tired but living with this amazing experience.

Pregnancy was … easy. Am I allowed to say that? I never had any side effects to speak of, really. A little bit of swelling very very late. Round ligament pain throughout, since I had tight abs to begin with and they fought expanding every step of the way. Some abdominal cramping up front, which is part of what clued me in that I was pregnant in the first place. Exhaustion throughout. But that was *it*. I never got uncomfortable, never had morning sickness, never resembled a balloon. I didn’t gain eighty pounds or have lower back issues or pubic symphisis or any of the host of other discomforts so many ladies experience.

My doctor and midwife were quick to point out that I *made* it an easy pregnancy. I worked out the whole way through, ate decently, stayed hydrated, all that. Honestly, if I could give one bit of advice to pregnant ladies anywhere, it would be to stay active. It kept my mood light and made a world of difference in how I felt. I noticed that any time I went a week without a visit to the gym, I could almost feel myself getting lethargic, feeling stiff, growing roots into the couch. Not for me. Exercise kept me sane.

Labor (insanely short), postpartum experiences… well, those are hefty subjects that I can maybe tackle another time. I’m working on writing up the birth story, because I think it’s important. Already details are getting a little bit hazy. I feel I need to formally record them and process both the events and how they felt and affected me. It’s a big moment in life, probably the most absorbing, intense physical experience I’ll ever have.

And now, there’s Avery. She’s amazing. And luckily, she’s a very good baby. She was born June 7. So Stv and I are still in that new-baby twilight, where time has very little meaning. You live life in three hour cycles, essentially. We’re working on stretching out the nighttime cycles to be a little longer, but it is a slow process.

I’ve decided to blog Avery minutae on her own site, so you’ll be spared it here. She’s an integral part of my life, but there’s something that feels psychologically healthy about having a separation, still having a place where I can blog my perspective and the rest of my life in a context outside of my daughter.

So to follow Avery, check out AveryEWhite.com. There are photos and updates and such.

And hopefully, I’ll be back here soon. I miss journaling.