Parent Brain

I think I already know what I’m going to miss most about our pre-baby life.

Sleeping. Without a doubt. Sleeping.

This weekend was pretty low-key for us. We were in bed before midnight each night and didn’t get out of bed until after 9:30 each morning. On Sunday I even made the effort of fixing bacon and pancakes with coffee before heading out to watch one of my very best friends try on wedding dresses. (side note: I LOVE wedding dress shopping, so long as I’m not the person trying them on.) The good news is, we found the perfect dress for her. It even has pockets!! The bad news is, now all the attention will be focused on the issue of choosing bridesmaid dresses. Typically, I would be thrilled with this activity too (I haven’t been in many weddings, so I get excited about them easily), but there’s this itty-bitty problem with being 5 1/2 months pregnant that makes the whole dress-choosing process a little less than enjoyable. I don’t know yet how big I’m going to get, nor do I know how big I’ll be by the time this September wedding rolls around. Talking about and planning for a wedding that’s 8 months away is one thing. Talking about and planning for a wedding that’s 8 months away, and realizing I’ll have a 3 1/2 month old baby by then is sort of mind-boggling.

I have grand plans for losing the baby weight already (with the help of Weight Watchers) but losing weight has never been easy for me, not even on my most well-rested days. Throw in the constant needs of a newborn, some sleep deprivation, and a completely out of shape body, and well…let’s just say I’m a realist and I know this shit is gonna be hard.

And even if I do manage to meet my post-baby weight loss expectations, a bridesmaid dress isn’t typically something you can just buy off the rack the weekend before. Oh no. So what I’ll most likely end up doing is buying the same dress in a few different sizes, and hope that the return policy is friendly toward new mothers that don’t know just how jiggly their body parts will be.

Oh and did I mention I get to plan the bachelorette party? I’m super excited for it! I got a small taste of surprise party planning a couple of weeks ago when I threw the couple an engagement party (with tons of help from the groom’s SIL), but now I get to plan a party for just us girls and my mind is overflowing with the endless possibilities. But just when I start fantasizing about a bunch of girls, away for a weekend, jumping on hotel-room beds with champagne spilling and the lights of Vegas glowing in the background, that’s when I remember: Four of the five bridesmaids have or will have small children. A weekend in Vegas isn’t always something everyone can do. Or even something that everyone would enjoy.

It’s so strange, this whole parent-brain thing. I’m still used to the days when all you had to care about was making sure you didn’t overdraft your checking account. Now there are responsibilities, like tiny little people that depend on you, and husbands that aren’t exactly thrilled with the idea of being the lone parent for a couple of days. Not to mention the issue of breast-feeding and the complications that issue alone may cause. (Being a food source doesn’t exactly allow for complete freedom, after all.)

Sigh. So maybe Vegas is out.

I’m now taking recommendations on mom-friendly bachelorette party ideas. Bonus points if going to bed before 10pm is one of the main activities.

P.S. Belly pics are coming soon! I’ve had dozens two requests for them now and I only aim to please, so be on the lookout for those in a future post. That is, once I find something that simulates the feeling of drunkenness without all those pesky “not safe for pregnant women” warnings.