Fatty fatty two by four

I did something horrible and stupid the other day. But first, some quick background. In early July, we will be heading to the lovely mitten state to baptize Bean at DH's family church. He's going to meet his aunts and uncles and great-grandparents etc. for the first time, we all can't wait. Anyway, I was thinking about what to wear to the baptism. I have this Ann Taylor dress that I bought last spring to wear to some weddings, and it would be perfect. I remember it was a bit loose on me back then, so I actually believed there was a chance it might fit me now, even with the baby weight. You can see where this is going. Well, lo and behold, I couldn't even zip it up. SOB! I checked the tag: size four. How deep is my delusion that I actually thought this dress might fit me? Scary. I blame sleep deprivation. My days of being a size four are sadly gone forever, although it's worth it to be this little guy's mommy.

So now I am faced with a problem. My stomach apparently thinks I am still four months pregnant. Meanwhile, the weather is warming up, and since most of my maternity clothes are for fall and winter, I have absolutely NOTHING to wear. Really. Nothing. While in the past I might have dreamed of throwing out my wardrobe and replacing everything a la What Not To Wear, I didn't really mean it. I'm wondering, how long does it usually take to lose the preggo belly once the baby has made his exit? I realize I'll still have some extra pounds, but the muscles still have some tightening to do at 10 weeks postpartum, right? PLEASE? If you have had a baby and can remember how long before your stomach no longer looked like a deflated balloon, please respond in the comments. You don't need a google account to leave a remark. Or just email me if you like that way better. And be honest, I need to know before I hit the mall. In the meantime, Netflix is sending me Postnatal Power: the Tae Bo Workout. Not only will I be getting back in shape, but I'll be able to kick some ass too. Awesome.

In other news, we are going to try day care option #2 for Bean. His last day at his current center is June 6. Hooray, only 10 more drop offs and pick ups! Then we have found that precious person who loves kids enough to work for peanuts, and she'll be coming over to our house to stay with Bean while I work in the office. (No, my mom is not moving to Seattle, although we'd love that.) We are still running background checks and calling references, but it's looking promising. I've also reduced my hours slightly to three 7-hour days so I'm just above 20 hours a week. This new arrangement will potentially save our breastfeeding relationship, as Bean's been consuming a bit more in day care than poor old Bessie can pump during the day. Thank goodness for freezer stashes. The best part of all this, of course, is that I get to see this sweet little face any time I want to.

I considered staying home full time, but when it came down to pulling the trigger on that, it just didn't feel right for me for some reason. My mom told me to trust my gut, and my gut was telling me not to let go of my job. I work from home part-time providing assistance to families who relocate with corporate transfers. Can it get any more perfect for me right now than that? Having it all: take two.

Our house hunt has picked up considerably since switching real estate agents. He really is an expert in the area and was able to direct us to some neighborhoods that we hadn't even considered yet. I'm afraid that "firing" our last realtor must have given the impression that we are difficult clients, because he seems to be going out of his way to please us. (I mean, who could believe that our first realtor would be unresponsive to a buyer in a market like this?) I've tried to be as easygoing as possible, but since he's given us third-row seats to a Mariner's game, I'm thinking maybe it will pay off to play the fussy, hard-to-please wife after all. Fortunately, considering my email goof last week, he has a good sense of humor. He shared this web site with me, and I recommend you check it out when you need a laugh. Click on "photo galleries" and then the various numbers. The captions are priceless.

Last but not least, my grandma had surgery earlier this week, so please pray for a speedy recovery. She's doing great, but a few extra get-well-soons never hurt. I wanted to take a picture of Bean for her hospital room, and I will share the photo shoot below. Maybe you had to be there, but all those faces... he cracks me up.

And... we're done!