Friday, March 16, 2012

Friday Wrap-Up - My Baby is My Best Accessory



My Baby is My Best Accessory

I have a baby sitter that comes to watch my daughter every Wednesday afternoon.  I fought this idea at first (my husband was on "Team Sitter" long before our daughter was ever born).  I thought if I was going to be a SAHM, I should treat it as a full time job and would give it nothing less than 100%.  No night nurses, no nannies, no baby sitters during the week, period.  Yes, my husband travels every week and when he is home he works really long hours but this stubborn Mommy was looking forward to the challenge.

It only took a few weeks, a few days without showering, with the desire to start working out again (or rather sick of hearing my thighs rub together any time I wore pants), and with even a simple trip to the grocery store felt like running a marathon; I finally caved and agreed to having a sitter once a week.  Little did I know how much those 4 hours each week would do for my energy level, giving me the break I so adamantly denied I needed.

But I digress...Wednesday afternoons are reserved for running errands, cooking a real dinner, getting my toes painted, working out or lunching with friends.  Four hours to myself, four hours to recharge my Mommy batteries.

This week I found (shockingly) my to-do list was short, my meal planning caught up and I decided to giving myself a break from the gym.  What was left to do?

Shopping, of course. 

Too bad I hate shopping....REALLY hate it. I do 99% of my shopping online. No crowds to avoid, no fitting room attendants to give me "that look" when I ask for a bigger size, no overwhelming sales racks to comb through. I swear the mall gives me an instant headache; I have a negative physical reaction to something most people enjoy.

My last few shopping trips I had my baby with me, making it hard to traverse the racks and even harder to squeeze into a dressing room with a stroller. BUT I have found I don't mind shopping with the nugget. She makes me streamline my shopping and most importantly.... she makes me feel skinny

What? Did she just say her baby makes her feel SKINNY? 

Yes, yes she did.

You see, when I am trying on clothes a size (or two) above my norm, I find it painful. BUT when am doing this with my nugget, I feel empowered, confident, even skinny. 

What? Please explain yourself crazy woman.

It's simple, really. When I tote my little one around with me, suddenly the same fitting room attendant that otherwise took pleasure in my request for a bigger size would tell me instead how FABULOUS I look. I stand taller, pushing the stroller through the abyss, I look forward to the compliments and the smiles.

I have a confession, though. 

My daughter is a peanut, a little sweet tiny nugget. She was only 5 lbs 12 oz when she was born and although she has caught up now and is in the 45% for weight and 75% for height in her age group, there were a few months where the average onlooker would guess she was a month or two younger than she really was. 

CONFESSION: I would agree with them when they guessed she was younger than she was....I would lie about her age to make myself feel better about how I looked (insert shameful head shaking and gasps).

Yep.  That's right.


Until she was about 7 months old, when asked how old she was (while out and about with her Mommy) I would proudly say, "She's four months." Sometimes maybe five.


I know, I know.  SHAMEFUL.


But I did it.  I wasn't holding onto much baby weight and I knew once I stopped nursing those last few pesky pounds would likely fall off (I was one of the lucky ones who RETAINED weight while nursing - my body was under the impression I still needed to keep an extra 10 pounds of food source handy just in case there was a famine in Georgia). But still, it made me feel better to say she was younger than she was and like clockwork, it elicited compliments galore. 

Shopping alone I feel self conscious, head down grabbing duplicate items in different sizes not knowing what may fit this post baby body of mine.  I mention the fact that I have a daughter to anyone who will listen and wait for the compliments, but they don't come. 

CERTIFIED CRAZY.


But come on, please tell me some of you have done the same? No? Never? 

REALLY?

I have decided I DO like shopping after all.....

.....just NOT on Wednesday afternoons....and just NOT without....

....my best accessory.




39 comments:

  1. Fun article Meg! I think once your daughter starts saying "mom, can you take me shopping", you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed our shopping trips! And, you do look amazing!

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    1. Thanks! And I think you're right....when the babe wants to shop Mommy will enjoy every minute!

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  2. I can relate so well to all of your posts! So honest & true....

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    1. Thanks Casey So glad I am not the only one living in the crazy town that is motherhood!

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  3. When I'm shopping with the girls I buy WAY more stuff than I do alone! One because I'm rushing and two because they are so happy they make me happy! Soon Babe may say no more girl shopping trips! Happy weekend to you!

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  4. Haha! I've never done that, but I think it's brilliant! I've never really enjoyed shopping either (and particularly in that post-partum period), maybe this is why. Next time, I'm bringing a baby with me!

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    1. I am glad I am not the only one with a distaste for shopping! Maybe someday our kids will be old enough to go shopping for us....now THAT sounds ideal! Thanks for stopping by Emily :)

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  5. Cute! Taking babies everywhere gets them ready for the world and it helps the world get ready for them.

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  6. You are too funny. I always tell new moms they look great because I always think they do; to me they're suspended in this intense, fleeting time and there's something lovely about it.

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    1. So sweet and I know they all appreciate it (I certainly always do!)...thanks for stopping by Louise!

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  7. I love the idea of a baby as an accessory! And I think it's pretty hilarious that you would lie about her age.

    By the way, I think it's great that you take that time for yourself. It's so important to refuel and just get that break. I think every mom should do it. Kudos to you!

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    2. Thanks Heidi! So true the mid-week break is a wonderful treat-thankful to have it!

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  8. "my body was under the impression I still needed to keep an extra 10 pounds of food source handy just in case there was a famine in Georgia"

    best line!! love it!!

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  9. Lol! Glad you like it - I am also glad the threat for a famine has passed :).

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  10. If my butterball wasn't so freakin huge I would lie about her age for as long as I could.
    I think I need to do this myself. In fact, I'm looking into it right after I'm done commenting. so....THANK YOU!! and maybe I can get my thighs to quit rubbing too.

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    1. Too funny - it is a good habit to practice :) Thanks for stopping by!

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  11. Hahhaa i bet you just gave a bunch of moms a good idea...

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    1. Tee her Gia! I bet you're right...as for me, my daughter will remain 5 months old until she goes to Kindergarten:)

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  12. I had way too much weight on me to ever pull that off, but seriously if I could have...

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    1. Oh the possibilities, right?!?! Thanks for visiting :).

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  13. I think you just opened my eyes to the best. diet. ever...now. If only my 4 year old could pass for 4 mos. she's small...I'm trying it.

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    1. In that case Tara, you're welcome! LOL. I will let you know if I figure out any 'skinny-me' tricks for older babes :). Thanks for stopping by!

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  14. If dogs can be date magnets, then babies can be accessories. I think everything in life is always just how you look at it. Looking at a tough situation in a positive light is the best way to conquer it. Nice, Erin

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  15. I'm not a huge fan of shopping myself, and unfortunately, I don't have an accessory/baby to take along with me. I'm with you shopping online is definitely preferred. Unless there's a nice kid around to make me feel better about myself :)

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    1. Yeah! I always rejoice when I find fellow non-shoppers ;). Thanks for visiting!

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  16. Hahaha!! Oh my gosh, this really cracked me up! I do like to shop online, and I think all of the shoppers appreciate that I don't bring all 4 of my kids along with ;)

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    1. Thanks Jen! For the comment and for not shopping with all four of your kids, lol!

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  17. I'm the same! I also love the way you call her "a nugget" - I called mine "morsels."

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    1. Little morsels, love that! We started calling her nugget after our first U/S-she looked like a tiny little nugget for sure! Thanks for stopping by :)

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  18. my sister and i agree that leaving the house without our babies (her third, my first) is like leaving without your purse (well, that's before 7 p.m. anyway). glad you're loving shopping with that nugget!!

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  19. Funny post! Reminds me of how I was asked twice if I was pregnant when I was definitely not pregnant - once when my youngest was 6 weeks and again when he was a year. First time, I broke down in hysterical tears. Next time, I laughed and stopped eating quite so many cookies.

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    1. Thanks Christie! People are the WORST about that - I always heard "You must be ready to have that baby any day!"....at 4 months along, 5 months, etc. I started just saying "Yep, any day now!" Lol.

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  20. That is GENIUS - telling people she was younger than she was! Can I get away with a three-year-old passing for a six-month old? "It was a really tough labor..."

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  21. Thanks Kristin! And ABSOLUTELY you can pass your three year old off as 6 months...a long labor may even get you to 5 months :)

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  22. I totally use my kids as accessories! Especially at the grocery store. I seem to get a lot of "oh, how cute!" and mean people seem to be less mean with my kids present.
    I love how you made her younger too!

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