The Attack

Note to self: Running 5 miles off-and-on during my whole first pregnancy isn't such a good idea. I've always been pretty active. My parents told me that when I was a little girl I used to "run" everywhere. I ran track in middle school. I was fast, but kind of bored, so I decided to chase a ball while running instead to spice it up a little bit and took up soccer. I played through High School and College and continued playing on an adult co-ed team until I got pregnant with Areyna. Josh and I fell in love while jogging the mountains in Tigerville, SC so that has always been a big part of our relationship too. Well, I read up on exercising while pregnant and EVERY source said that it was okay to do what I normally do. So, I ran...a lot. I also read that exercising can induce labor and by the time Areyna's due date had come and gone I was desperate, so I kept on running. Well, sometime between Areyna and Zeke I began getting bad knee pain and I can't get more than a mile or so before I have to stop and walk. My theory is that all this happened when my ligaments started to loosen up during pregnancy and this is just the effect it had on my body. I used to make fun of those "power" walkers, I mean, how could they possibly be getting ANY exercise. Just kidding, I am one of those people now and I know that it does a body good. Well, last night I was out for my daily, or tri-weekly, or whenever I can fit it in-weekly, walks and I was using my "free" time to catch up on some phone calls. I was talking to my mom as I turned the corner 1-mile into my walk. In the middle of my path stood a dog. (I know you are going to laugh when you see what kind of dog it was, but to me, at the time, he seemed 10 times bigger!) Some people see a dog and think, "oh, he is just so cute" while I'm thinking, "look at that monster with HUGE teeth". Now, this is no ordinary dog, it is our neighbor's dog, Coda, who never had a problem with me until last week when he bit my foot for no apparent reason. I've never had a dog and I don't know how to relate to them or tell when they are mad or playing, but when Coda started growling at me and going for my legs with his ferocious teeth I started screaming and running. My poor mom didn't have a clue what was going on. I decided to do another lap around my neighborhood to try to lose Coda. As I turned into another cul-de-sac I looked to see if I'd lost Coda. Thankfully he was gone. I shakily turned around to watch where I was going because it was dark by this time and as I looked down at the ground I realized that I was about to step on a snake!! Yes, another one of those creatures that I could probably go without coming into contact with again in my lifetime. By that time my mom had to talk me back to my senses and tell me to hang up and call Josh to come rescue me. Man, that was not the relaxing walk that I had in mind=)