Weeks 33-35: A House With Running Shoes

The third trimester is by far my favorite. There are so many fantastic movements going on in my belly! I play with the little feet and knees that poke out every so often, and stroke the little hard area that I think is the back. I don’t even mind the three point flip in the night, which usually coincides with a pee break – it helps when you have a great mattress and a sweet stack of pillows. I still have morning sickness (!!) but most days it’s manageable. Eating helps a lot. So do ice cream sandwiches and nibs.

The best part is, I’m still running! The past three weeks I’ve been able to get a 2-3 mile run in almost every other day. Interestingly enough, I feel even more inspired to run because of the physical challenges this house-like belly has created – thank the Lord for my ChiRunning focuses! The bigger I get the more motivated I am to get out there on the good days. Running actually helps keep the swelling to a minimum, and bonus – I don’t feel nauseated when I’m on the road. I am getting slower and slower, but on good days I can still run the whole way. On not-as-good days I’ll do intervals of walking and running. I have found people in the neighborhood have been supportive if they do say anything, which is good news for what I hope is the new accepted norm!

I definitely respect the “growth spurt” days, however. When I feel like an overfilled water balloon, the exhaustion hits, and my hormones get out of control I take the day off – usually end up napping on the couch right after dinner to ease the swelling, or waddling around complaining about how far away I have to stand from the sink to do the dishes. For the  most part my hips have held up. I do find now that my left side is finicky and on the verge of a jam, but as long as I’m very aware of my posture while I run, I get away with it. I am pretty sure the stiffness in my hips that I feel now is going to stick with me through to the end, whether I run or walk or sit on my butt all day. May as well get out there!

Now I hear things get even more interesting when the baby drops…someone said it’s like a coconut between your legs. My motto: cross that bridge when you come to it!