Running again (34 weeks pregnant)!

So I'm not quite running 12 miles a day again, but I am running without pain. Yesterday I ran between 3 and 4 miles. Sadly it was on a treadmill. It is below zero with the windchill here. Last year it was a small thrill for me to run 10 miles in subzero temperatures. I just need to get acclimatized and find my heavy winter running gear. But then there is the fear of falling on ice that may keep me from running outside at all. My plan is to do some running outside this weekend and see how it goes.

There are pros and cons to running this late in pregnancy.

Pros:
1. feels great

2. good way to stay in shape

3. great training for spring races

4. can be done outside in the winter

Cons:
1. higher potential for injury than other exercises (possibly jeopardizing spring races)

2. doesn't get my heart rate as high as spinning (I get up to 200 at times during spinning class! That may seem high, but as I explained to one of my spinning friends, "my heart rate gets that high so the baby's doesn't have to.")

3. run with strange posture because of belly (further increasing the risk of injury)



I think if I run moderately (perhaps a few miles every other day), that will be a good compromise.



----BABY SHOWER----



I was overwhelmed by the many and wonderful gifts we got from friends and family. Including a brown corduroy hat and green leather shoes. It forced us to come home and set up a closet for the little guy with all of his things neatly arranged. He may not have a room, but he at least has a closet (he will be sleeping in the bed with us and in a co-sleeper next to our bed). It was so much fun for SR and I to picture him in the little clothes and imagine what he would be like. I have to admit that I do find it strange how SR often acts like this is a first baby for him, too. I'm not sure if that's just for my sake or if he really wasn't as involved in the planning for the other two kids. Either way, there is no way anyone could say he is not a great dad to his two kids now.



The above picture is from after the shower with my best friend, B. She actually has two kids (girl and boy same ages as SR's kids) and recently got a divorce, so she and SR had a lot to talk about.



----NEW YEAR'S----



Okay, so the highlight of the week for me was laying in bed after we watched the midnight fireworks. We were staring at each other and smiling, thinking about how different this New Year's was from last.

"I'm so glad you're here." said SR

"I'm so glad to be here with you." I said, still incredulous that he could feel the same way about me as I do about him. Coyly I said, "But I could be any girl and you'd be glad I was here."

And he started to get tears in his eyes. "But you're my dream girl. You're the one thing in my life that makes me believe in divine intervention. Some force bigger than us must have brought us together."

I could feel the tears in my eyes, too. He is right.