Today is officially 31 weeks in my pregnancy.  Our little girl is quite active and has developed a personality already. Dan, my husband, heard her heartbeat this week just by leaning his ear up to my belly. It was a pretty amazing thing for him – he had the biggest smile on his face . I am still enjoying being kicked and punched – she’s not too big yet so it’s not painful at this point. I am certain I will miss this time when she arrives in October. I am making an effort to enjoy every day of this pregnancy because I know that all too soon, it will be over and we’ll be parents for life.

The weather has been beautiful this week, mid 20s (Celsius) and a light breeze every day. I have really been enjoying being outside in this comfortable, less humid weather. It’s pretty amazing how the weather can affect our moods and the enjoyment of the day.  I’d like to say that I am beyond letting the weather affect me – but seriously – when it’s over 40C with 98% humidity – who is comfortable (pregnant or not)? I am still on the search for a place to live that is around 20C all year round with less humidity. That is my dream place!

It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and to forget to enjoy the simple things everyday. Summer is when time just seems to fly by, with all of our holidays, vacations, BBQs, summer sports and activities, it seems like the summer doesn’t last very long. And being pregnant during this time can also be uncomfortable, many of us wishing the summer away for milder and less humid days. Yet this is such a special time and especially in our climate, truly a very short period of time in the year. I encourage you to enjoy the simple things of summer in these last few weeks before labour day and relish the beauty of our summer.

Some of the simple things to be thankful for:

• Waking up to the sunrise and beautiful morning light
• Summer sports – softball, baseball, beach volleyball, ultimate frisbee
• Long weekends! We still have one more to enjoy
• Natural source of vitamin D
• Spending more time outside
• Swimming in pools, lakes, oceans, ponds
• More time with friends and family
• Gelato! See previous post.
• Cool August nights, sleeping with the windows wide open
• Pedicures and sandals (yes, you too men – your toes need to be taken care of!)
• Wearing only 1 layer of clothing
• Summer nights … tell me more, tell me more
• Air conditioning on the very hot and humid days (one of the best modern inventions if you ask me)
• Fresh, local fruits and veggies – have you been to the Farmer’s Market this year?
• The sounds of summer – birds, insects, the wind in the trees

What else do you love about summer? Check in below, we’d love to hear all about your favorite summer things!

Woke up this morning to beautiful sunshine once again! I don’t know about you, but for me, waking up to sunshine makes a very big difference on how my day starts. There is something about the feeling of warmth and light streaming through the windows that makes me wake up with a smile.  This is the best time of year for morning sunshine, at least in our part of the world.

How many of you find it hard to wake up early in the morning in the dead of winter, when you know the sun won’t be rising for several more hours? I remember when I had to train through the winter for Ironman Arizona in 2007-2008 – I would wake up to train before 6 am during the week and complete one workout before the sun came up.  Then I would often go for a run outside just as the sun was rising about 2 hours later. It was tough to get up and train when it felt like the middle of the night.  I’m sure some of you might not even see the light of day during the winter, depending on the hours you work.

I used to think that S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) was just a myth, but what I realized is that supplementing with vitamin D (year round) actually made a difference for me in how I felt during the winter months. We really do need that daily dose of vitamin D! Does anyone else know what I mean?

As I start today with a smile, I am reminded that spring is just around the corner and that the winter that was not to be (at least in Southwestern Ontario) might have actually passed us by. I am eager to head outside for a walk in the sunshine and get my daily dose of vitamin D.

What is your favorite activity to do in the spring? Let us know in the comments! Have a wonderful day everyone and I hope your day started out with sunshine and smile too.