It’s happened. Baby Rebel has decided to start dropping, and tugging my belly down along with him, so I had to do it. I had to buy a maternity band. It helps. Some. It doesn’t provide full relief, especially on my round ligaments, but it is better than nothing.

The count down is on, he’s coming and coming soon.

So I’m done working out, right? Wrong.

My dog had an injury at the start of the year, and now that he’s done with the meds and on the mend, we have to do some rehab walking to build up the muscle in his hind end and back legs. Granted, it’s not far, but it’s probably the first time we hit the road to walk in quite awhile (my extreme fatigue issues with my legs have kept us from our regular walks). After getting the new band, I wanted to test it out on a walk. So we walked.

Then I came home and did a light weight and band workout on legs. I hit shoulders yesterday, and did a little yoga after a walk the day before. The working out, even if it’s only for 20-minutes, has been immensely helpful in dealing with the changes in my body, any pain, and of course, my spinal disease (I’ve been fortunate enough to have had less than a handful of flares during almost 9 months of pregnancy).

While I was working out tonight, I got thinking about my post-baby goals. For most of my pregnancy, it has been to, of course, get back to where I was at strength wise, and continue chipping away at and chiseling my physique. Get that bulky, muscled athlete look back. That still holds, but something else has surfaced in my goals. Be a better yogi.

I love yoga and have been doing it for just about a decade now. It has helped with my back, keep me somewhat flexible (I’ve concluded I’ll never gain full flexibility), keep me stretched and just in general it’s made my body happy. BUT, that’s just your basic yoga. When it comes to those challenging moves where almost your complete body becomes levitated off of the ground? Nope. I’ve never been able to accomplish that. Seriously.

Me who has a leg press of over 600-pounds. Me who hit deadlifts over 300-pounds. The same girl who could back squat her weight, plus some extra plates. Or the same girl who hit a bench press of 10-pounds shy of her 128-pounds.

Super strong me has never been able to do those beautiful flows that move the body around and lift it into the air.

My balance has always been kind of crappy, and while yoga helped me gain some balance, I just never had enough to make those fluid moves. And that’s where my goal now lies. Building my balance, building my strength in the right ways and places to do those moves.

I can blame this new-found, driving desire on the amazing yogis I have found on Instagram. And the stunning Laura Sykora (if you’re not following her on IG, find her and do so, you won’t be let down!).

This, this right here, I will get here. I can do it.