Park Days = Exhaustion!

Took a little trip into Manhattan today...which involved some subway riding on the way there (with some terrible people who use the elevator and push in front of the strollers insetad of using the escalator - so freaking LAZY!!), some running around time at Borders (to kill some time), a delicious lunch at Alice's Tea Cup (buttermilk scone = heaven!), Central Park, and subway ride home (with some super nice people who helped us carry the strollers up the stairs). 

This may sound like a lovely, laid back day, but I am unbelievably EXHAUSTED!!! When did having lunch and hanging out at the park become exhausting activities?!!? Oh right...about 13+ months ago when I had a baby. 

Lunch was great, but not only am I feeding myself but I'm also feeding a ridiculously hungry toddler (if you saw her eat, you'd think I hadn't fed her in days - but it's more like minutes!).  And J can pretty much go from 'I'm so happy eating my lunch and smiling at everyone' to 'Get me out of this high chair NOW...I said NOW...Mommy NOW' in about 30 seconds.  At which point, it's "check please!' and out the door.  Sometimes I feel like I'm that rat on the wheely thing - always moving, always in a rush. 

And the park...I can't imagine why I'm tired after running around after her in a big grassy field (I can understand why people fence in their backyards and send their kids outside). 
But seriously, an amazing day - the weather was perfect, the company was awesome (I love the new friends I've made this past year), and J was such a good little girl...just one with a whole lotta energy!!

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You know it's a good weekend...

When you wake up on Sunday morning and think it's Monday!! Awesome Feeling!

I think part of it was that I had two back to back ladies nights last week - that's right two in a row! Thursday and Friday I got some much needed ladies time with my friends...which included dinner, wine & cocktails (wine on thursday, cocktail on friday!), laughter, tears, and good times.

I have made some great girlfriends over the past year.  I never thought that I would meet new friends in my 30's but moving to this neighborhood and having Jenna opened up a whole new world to me.  We're such an eclectic mix - some are stay at home moms like me, others are back at work full time, some are part time, some have nannies, some have kids in daycare.  Some are from near here, some from far...some are planning to stay in the area, others are planning to move away - you get my drift.  But they've all been amazing friends to me and I am lucky to have them in my life!

Anyway so back to the weekend...Saturday we did something we don't usually do in the morning and when Jenna woke up (around 6 am), we brought her into bed with us.  We were both still tired (I got home kinda late) and we put on some Nick Jr. and we hung out in bed (which meant Mike and I closed our eyes and I think Jenna watched some TV).  It was nice to just get a lazy start to the day, unlike our usual get-up-and-go routine.  We had a great day with grandparents - grabbing brunch, playing at the park, getting ice cream, and napping (for Jenna) outside.  It was a rainy Sunday so it was the perfect day for chores (grocery shopping and new cell phones) and watching a bad movie (Bride Wars).

Being a Mother is Just Like High School

It's the first real beautiful day and I'm definitely starting to get stir crazy sitting in the house with my newborn daughter. I mean don't get me wrong, she's beautiful and I can sit and watch her sleep - but there's only so much "talking" I can do with noon talking back. It makes you start to question your sanity.
So I decide to venture to the local park. Now I know that since my daughter is going to sit in her stroller -it's more of an outing for me. I walk over there with very hig expectations. (My husband is always telling me to manage my expectations) - I'm thinking "this is going to be great, I'll meet some new moms....I'll get some sun..."
I get to the park - as I'm walking in I can feel the other moms staring at me (maybe it was my imagination - but it really felt like that). I start thinking - Is my daughter dressed cute enough? Is my stroller nice enough? Do I still look 6 months pregnant? I start looking around and it seems like everyone knows each other...
There's a section of nannies all talking and laughing together, a section of mommies by the swings - all talking, a section of mommies on the monkey bars - all talking. And me...I don't know a single person there...so I park myself on a bench with my stroller and my book, put on my sunglasses, and do what anyone else in this situation would do...I called my husband and CRIED.
It felt like the first day of high school - but not the first day where you know kids from Junior High - the first day being a transfer student...the cliques were already formed and you have to find where you belong and how to get into a group you like...