Summer

Well it's official now. Summer is here. If the weather would stay the way it has been for the past few days (sunny and warm without being hot and humid and then cool in the evenings) it would be perfect. Not having air conditioning we really feel the heat. (Michelle gets hot easily because she's so active. Even when the weather isn't warm sometimes her forehead is wet.)

Auntie May and cousin Reggie came for a visit the other day. May helped me tackle the garden (aka the JUNGLE! Gardening was one of my hobbies back when I didn't plan to have children. I used to have several hours to devote to it. These days there is little to no time at all and the weeds were really taking over.) and the kids played on a towel on the sand on my mini-beach. Michelle loves her cousin Reggie. She was chasing him around the house inside and she sat and played nicely with him for a surprisingly long time outside. We made sure that they were in the shade, protected from the sun (I got some sunscreen for Michelle but I'm saving it for when we go to a real beach to go swimming. I just try to keep her out of the sun most of the time. She's a redhead like her Mama so I know she has very sensitive skin.)

One of the reasons Michelle stayed playing on the towel rather than venturing elsewhere was because she's afraid of the sand. I've tried standing her on it before and she freaks out. She's not a fan of grass either. She cries when I try to put her on it. Hopefully she gets used to it eventually. She's OK with walking on indoor surfaces -- hardwood, ceramic tile, carpet -- but outside she's not too impressed. I'm not sure if it's the temperature, texture or unevenness of the ground (or all three) that bothers her.


I'm hoping we can all make a trip to a real beach and go swimming sometime soon. I'm not sure how Michelle will react to the water. She loves baths but they're always warm. I'm not sure how a cold lake is going to go over. You just never know with her. I know that the sand isn't her favourite. I have a little beach tent we can hang out in to stay in the shade and off the sand anyway. I hope she'll be OK.

Before having Michelle I was at the beach every chance I got starting in early May (Port Dover was always my favourite. I also went to Grand Bend, Wasaga, Sauble Beach, Burlington Beach etc. I even went to Daytona Beach in Florida once. The road trip of my dreams. Sigh. Just two years but it seems a lifetime ago now. Anyway, I'm getting off topic!) Now we're almost through June and the only beach we've been to is the one in my yard (and sadly there's no water here!) I've been reluctant to go on a long trip with Michelle. We've also had some strange weather (cold spells and a lot of rain through May and early June). Now the weather has been so beautiful it has me thinking it's about time to go for it. I won't be wearing my bikinis this year though. Even though I've lost weight -- I'm just 10 lbs over what I was before I was pregnant unfortunately most of it is in my tummy. Not sure how I'll lose the mommy pooch. I haven't really been exercising aside from carrying Michelle around while I try to do everything. I think I'll go with tankinis to hide the tummy and the stretch marks for that matter.

Sometimes I look back wistfully at the tummy that used to be. My doctor said I would likely never get it back. Looking at my tummy now a year later I'm inclined to agree. Mind you it's not like I've been doing 100 situps a day (or ANY for that matter.) And hey if I want to make myself feel better I can just look back at the pregnancy photos from last summer and realize how far I have come. I've lost 55 lbs of the 65 I had gained. That's not bad at all.

 



Michelle was worth every sacrifice (physically, financially and otherwise) I've had to make. My life now bears no resemblance to what it was but that's OK. She is my life now. The things I used to think were so important can't hold a candle to her. She is everything to me. Although I did have some wonderful summers in the past, I will always remember this summer as my favourite -- the most exciting and rewarding -- because I got to share it with my little girl, watching her take her first steps. I wouldn't trade that for all the beaches and all the bikinis in the world.