Disney is going to kill me

It's no secret that I have had good pregnancies.

No morning sickness, no horrible back pain, not even really all that much discomfort toward the end. I'm tall, so that helps. I remember going in to see Dr. Brody when I was about 38 weeks pregnant with Benjamin. He asked me how I was feeling, and I told him I felt great! That if I stayed exactly how I was, I could easily go another month.

Sure, I get tired. I get heartburn. I have the dreaded vericose veins. My skin itches so badly sometimes I think I'm going to draw blood when I scratch it. Toward the end I have trouble tying my shoes, going up the stairs quickly, and being on my feet for long periods of time.

But overall, my last two pregnancies were fairly easy. I was able to pretty much do my normal stuff until toward the end, when I had to kind of take it easy a little bit.

So when we planned a trip for Matthew, Andrew, and I to go to Disney World for a week at the beginning of January, when I'll be six months pregnant, I thought it would be completely fine.

We'll most likely take it easy anyway since you can only do so much with a not-quite-four-year-old. And since we'll be there for a week, we won't have to zoom through the parks.

Things were going great with this pregnancy, and I was feeling fine. I got through the "I'm-so-tired-I-really-and-truly-might-fall-asleep-driving" first trimester and got some energy back for a couple of months.

Then I hit 20 weeks. Only halfway there.

And suddenly my body thinks that it is either 40 weeks along or 40 years older. I can't decide.

Either way, I am exhausted.

My feet hurt when I stand for a while. I get winded walking down the (flat and short) driveway to get the mail. When I squat down on the ground to get something from the bottom shelf at the grocery store, I almost need help standing back up.

I think a lot of the reason for this is that I need to take it easy. I keep thinking that I can go up our 16 stairs at the same pace that I did pre-pregnancy. I have always been a fast walker, and now, when I walk up my mom's back hill at the same pace as before, I have to stop and catch my breath before I go into the house.

And so now I am terrified that I am going to spend the entire week at Disney on a bench or in the hotel room.

Or complaining.

All of which are really bad options for a first-time visitor to experience the most magical place on earth.

Or whatever it's called.

We are going b/c Matthew is running the Disney 5K and the Disney Marathon. Andrew has never been. I have never been. Benjamin is really too young (mentally) to enjoy it, so we are leaving him back at home with the cats family. It's really a great time to go b/c once we have another baby and can all make it back down to Orlando (about an eight-hour drive), Andrew will be too old. You know, to still experience that special magic that can only be there when you're young enough to think Mickey Mouse truly is real.

I thought the worst part was going to be missing out on all the rollercoasters and fast rides that I can't ride b/c I'm pregnant. I'm a bit of a ride junkie--even more so than Matthew.

But I'm beginning to think that the worst part is going to be the fact that I will be too physically exhausted to enjoy it.

Matthew thinks that if I start exercising regularly (walking around the neighborhood) now, that by the time we go (in seven weeks), I will be more prepared. And while in theory this might work, I really think you just can't fight the natural downhill slope of pregnancy.

I only hope Mickey will understand when I have to hug him from my seat because my legs are too tired to allow me to stand. Heck, with me seated, we'll probably be the same height anyway.