Oh my aching car!

I was talking to Cricket this morning and we were both agonizing about how much our bodies hurt. Our shoulders were tight, our lower backs were stiff and we didn't have a good night sleep. I realized I had not done any kind of real physical activity in a week other than picking up and putting down Jameson.

I decided when I put her down for her nap, I would take 30 minutes and do a yoga tape. Five minutes into it, I can feel myself breathing deeply. It hurt to breath and it hurt to move. Ten minutes later, my body becomes limber and my shoulders are loosening up. Fifteen minutes into the tape, I am contorting my body in different directions and starting to push myself. Twenty minutes, I am in the zone really feeling good about working out and how I need to do this more often.

As the class is winding down and I am supposed to be resting my mind(impossible), I realize that my body is like a car. (By the way, I would like to be a a sleek and slender looking jaguar). If we don't get a tune-up or maintenance once in while, we are going to breakdown. We need to replace parts, rotate things and keep things clean and in good condition. Men have no problem maintaining their cars. They take them fishing, hunting, golfing, to a sports events, to the gym or to a guys night. They don't think twice about it. They just do it. (Before checking with us first of course). So why is it that women have such a hard time taking care of their cars. If your car isn't working properly, you never know when it will strand you on the side of the road.

So basically maintenance is key.
If you need a workout, go!
If you need to get your hair colored, do it!
If you have a toothache and you have been putting off the dentist. Don't!
If you stopped taking your prenatals because your not pregnant anymore. Don't!
If you need to lock yourself in a room and take 10 deep breaths, do it!
If you need to go back to bed after you put your child down, do it!

Remember no one is going to take care of your car except you.

It's Sale Time!

With everyone watching their wallets right now, it's always nice to get a good deal on spring clothes. More retailers are putting merchandise on sale early this year because of our fluctuating economy. Here are a few places to shop for spring styles on sale.

Nordstrom started their Half Yearly Sale 2 weeks early this year. They are taking 40% off merchandise women and children's clothing and will probably mark down to 60% off in 2 weeks or so.

Neiman Marcus is having a Men's Sale already with 25% off. Wait a week or two and you will probably find more off for a father's day gift.

Bloomingdales is having their Big Brown Sale taking 40% off already reduced merchandise.

Saks is having a Women and Men's Sale with 30-40% off.

Summer merchandise will probably go on sale at the end of June early July to start making room for the fall clothes.

Happy Shopping!

Are you allowed to be happy?

I am cooking dinner, having a glass of wine and realizing what a long day it's been. Jameson barely slept today with 45 minutes here and 45 minutes there. She wasn't fussy though. She is was happy almost every time she got up. But it's been a long day.

Then I look at the monitor and realize how much I miss her. It's 8:35pm and I've been up since 5:45am and I actually miss her. At that moment, I realized I am the happiest I have been in a long time. I have always been so career driven, trying to get promoted, working too many hours, missing holidays and putting family and friends aside. Having a baby puts your marriage, your life and your purpose in perspective. I did take motherhood for granted during the first 3 months she was alive due to exhaustion. But now that I am seeing her develop as a person, it's pretty amazing.

So I thought about what my husband said to me on Sunday. We had Jameson baptized. She was so great in the church. You know talking up a storm being the loudest baby. Then photographs, relatives and the heat. She handled it all so well. At the end of the day, he leaned over to me and said, "are we allowed to be this happy?". I thought about the day I got our negative IVF results back. I remembered how we sat on the patio with two Coronas and cried about how unfair it was. To see your husband cry, it can literally break your heart. So I looked at him and said "Yes, we are allowed to be happy."