I took a walk down to main beach yesterday. It was the first time I’d done “cardiac hill” since I was eight months pregnant. Guess what? I’m completely out of shape. I was huffing and puffing like a couch potato. I had to stop half way up and “take in the view” which is code for “catch my stinkin’ breath”. This is silly since I pretty much take a walk every day.

My usual walk is about an hour long and has a stop along the way at Starbucks. My “cardiac hill” walk is only about 30 minutes and does not include Starbucks. Guess which day I lost a pound doing which walk? Cardiac Hill of course. So is it because I huffed and puffed or is it because a decaf grande latte with three packages of sugar in the raw has a zillion calories?

Don’t worry, I’m not really “dieting”. I know I need some of this blubber to be able to keep nursing properly. But I’m just a little anxious to get rid of the last fifteen pounds. I lost the first fifteen pretty quickly, I think that spoiled me. It was super fun to get on the scale every day and watch them just fall off. It was like I was on a magic diet. Look I can eat oreos and still lose weight! Rock on!

I’m just worried the last fifteen won’t come off and I’ll be like my mom, blaming my weight troubles on having kids for the rest of my life. My poor mom. I’m always trying so hard not to be her when actually she is the most beautiful mother you could ever want. If I end up being half as good of a mom as she is I should be happy. Of course I want to be healthy and being overweight is not healthy but I have to stay grounded and realize that I just live in Orange County where image is everything. It can turn your brain to mush after a while. Moderation is everything.

Anyway, my walk was beautiful. It was a gloriously sunny day with just enough of a crisp breeze to keep you from sweating. I love it when it’s like that. There were all kinds of people out sun bathing and kids playing in the surf. There was even a really old lady in a bikini with skin that looked like brown leather. She looked like she was about ninety-two! I guess she wasn’t that worried about skin cancer.

Baby Bug and I stopped half way and plopped ourselves down in the sand for a few minutes. Since I only had her in the baby carrier and not in the stroller (that is stocked with the diaper bag that contains all), I completely forgot any kind of beach wear–like a big floppy hat and a towel. I tried to shade her with a receiving blanket but that was a sandy mess. I think some sand even got on her pacifier. I was waiting for her to make a funny face when she tasted the gritty salt, but she didn’t. I don’t even think she knew we were at the beach. She was too busy nuzzling around for the boob. Maybe in a few months she’ll get excited about the beach.

I just got a birthday beach party invitation for a little girl who’s turning five. Guess what the theme is? Mermaids. I’m already dreaming up the perfect mermaid costume for Baby Bug. An aquamarine quilted lame (“la-may”) tail sack with elastic at the top to keep it on and a onsie with felt sea shells sewed on for the bikini top… what do you think? Won’t that be fun? If only I had my own personal seamstress living with me.