Usually the change of seasons brings around just the opposite. I get anxious and sad. I love summer. I feel when it starts to get cold this panic that I didn't live up to the summer's fullest potential. Did I consume enough hot dogs and potato salad to last me until it gets warm again? Did I bask in the sun's warm rays-enough to not look like a pale ghost by the end of September? When I go for my next pedicure is the woman going to gasp in disbelief and horror at my leathery cracked heels from walking barefoot for the last few months? Did I find my summer song and play it so many times and so loudly that when I arrive anywhere my voice sounds a bit raspy and my lips are dry?
This summer was a horse of a different color for sure. I was in my last months of pregnancy. My feet were so swollen my toes refused to touch the floor. I was on modified bed rest. It was hot. Ridiculously hot. Like sweaty fat guy in a tank top drinking big gulps from 7-11 hot. Only I was the sweaty hot guy. And there wasn't a tank top big enough to cover my belly. And big gulps were a big no-no. So instead of lounging around the public pool and frequenting the local bar on my bicycle with friends like I have in years past, I lounged in bed watching bad Law and Order episodes from 1992. I drank gallons of water instead of beer. Mu mu-like gowns replaced the cute short summer dresses. And the lady who did my pedicure gasped in horror at the swelling mounds of flesh I presented as feet-and also predicted that my baby would be here in a few days, even though I had a month and a half to go.
Despite all the negatives,despite the ridiculous swelling of my feet and hands and face, I have never had a better summer. All of it ended up resulting in the birth of my first child. A daughter. Solea Rose Lucero. And everything that matters changed in a matter of seconds. My man and I have become the very people we used to comment on under our breath, and scorn for having nothing else to talk about but babies. I now have very little to offer in the ways of adult conversation, unless of course it has something related to breast feeding, or burping, or the best way to swaddle, or new ideas on how to get a shower in more than once every few days.
In the spirit of seasons changing and new wardrobes emerging, I have devised a few of my own fall fashion tips for the upcoming season: Red lipstick can make you feel dressy no matter how badly your arm pits smell, or how long its been since you last washed your hair. An outfit that works can be worn twice in a row. Showering can be done in less than a few minutes, contrary to what you used to think. Baby wipes can do wonders in a pinch. You only have to blow dry your bangs. Put earrings on even if you are going to spend your day in a bath robe. And no matter what, I should always brush my hair at least once a day. Avoiding looking like a cat who is so far gone down a road of no return, who is so sick and elderly, that she has given up grooming and is now full of mats and burrs is actually important.
cheers to avoiding that old sickly cat look this fall!
