*brrr*
OK, it is fucking FREEZING outside. And of COURSE I couldn’t find parking in my lot when I arrived home 10 minutes ago. Bah.
Busy day. Kidnapped Shan from her evil mother-in-law long enough to go sign up for the National Body Challenge down at the Discovery store in Old Town. The MIL kept us waiting for hours, so I did some light shopping and picked up some ridiculously cute outfits for Alex while I wandered Landmark Mall.
I did get to visit with Alex — it’s so funny, but as soon as she hears my voice, she turns to me and is all smiles and giggles (she just turned five months old yesterday). I held her and fed her and we sat and chatted for the longest time. She’s quite the talkative one — she’s always got something to say when she isn’t eating her fist. 🙂
She’s a strong one — she loves to stand up on your thighs. Even though, of course, we’re holding her up, she’s really doing her part to ensure that she is standing up. She’s probably going to start walking before she crawls (apparently Shan walked first, too). I can’t get over how much I love that kid. Shan of course yelled at me for buying clothes for her (she gets mad when I spend money), but I couldn’t resist this ridiculously cute fuschia polar fleece sleeper (to match this adorable fleece hat her sister made for Alex), and of course a lovely blue sleeper from Carter’s (my mom bought her four sleepers and a bib last weekend, and we were bummed that her store didn’t have the blue sleeper in her size, so I grabbed it. Mom was pleased). Then I found this awesome black onesie with a lettuce-edged turtleneck and lettuce-edged sleeves (for $2.99 at Old Navy), and I had to have it. Shan loved it all — Alex has officially outgrown almost everything (13 pounds and counting!) she has, and Shan loves anything that has bold colors. I took a risk on the black, but she flipped and told me how much she has wanted to find black baby clothes for Alex (to wear under her cute, colorful polar fleece vests), so she was happy.
It is hysterical how easily Alex took to me (of course, she was hiding under the table every time Shan and I went out while she was baking). Shan always says that I saved Alex’s life — I practically dragged her to the hospital myself the week before she was born. As it happened, Shan went to the hospital (after my begging) and never left because they did a sonogram and saw the umbilical cord was wrapped around Alex’s neck. I would never in a million years take credit for saving Alex, but it was sweet to hear nonetheless. 🙂
What was REALLY hysterical was when the MIL arrived (hours late and with a friend who was not invited to Shan’s place). The friend snatched Alex out of my arms, and Alex began to really fuss and whimper. She kept looking at Shan and at me like, “Save me!” And the woman refused to give her back to me. Instead, she gave her to the MIL, and Alex (I’m not kidding) looked at her like, “You are SUCH an asshole!” And she fussed and whimpered again. It broke our hearts to leave Alex with her, even for the short period we were gone.
We were glad (although scared) to sign up for the Body Challenge. I certainly don’t want my story to be broadcast on the Discovery Channel, but there was something serious about having to get weighed in public and to now have my moves tracked by their fitness experts. There will be another weigh-in on March 31, but I’ll be out of state. We didn’t have to see what we weighed (it was written down), but I did look and I said, “Holy shit! Damn holiday feasts — all 18 years of them!” Everyone was laughing at that. I told Shan, “Damn, I’ve never seen quite that combination of numbers before — maybe we should play the lottery?” We both walked out, kind of disgusted with ourselves (we’ve both hit an all-time high weightwise). But this was the kick in the ass we need to start dieting. Tomorow, of course. 🙂
After the weigh-in, I was stuffed senseless by Carlos and Todd at a lovely dinner party, along with Shawn, Bryan, Paul and the adorable Mickey who is in from Canada. And of course we drank enough alcohol to irrigate the Sahara. And of COURSE I got my drink on the second I walked into my apartment. 🙂
I suppose that, tomorrow, I should get rid of all the cookies, licorice and other bad stuff that I always have in the house. *sigh* It’s going to be a riot to start to undo the three decades of rotten eating habits that I’ve perfected. Weep for me.