One Fine Day: THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

THINKING ABOUT: While we visited Austin this past week, we stayed at Hotel Ella — a historic mansion turned boutique hotel in the heart of the city. I'm still not entirely sure how we lucked into getting such a great deal on our room, but Flyboy and I definitely felt out of place when we arrived. Valet the VeeDub? Really? Most of the guests were either rich, hipsters, or both. Clearly we don't fit into any of those categories. Grrrrrrreat! When we finally realized we were one of the few (only??) guests with a child, we kind of freaked out and said a gazillion prayers our babe would be on his best behavior. Thankfully, the part-time angel came out to play and we didn't get kicked out. Phew! Plush amenities and elegant ambiance aside, we just really wanted to stay somewhere with a pool so Max could take his first official dip. Then, on Monday night, we waited patiently for all the hipsters to depart for dinner and we rushed downstairs to have the pool to ourselves. Flyboy and I weren't sure what to expect, but it was clear Max was smitten. He kicked with gusto and remained focused the entire time, occasionally taking a break to smile and slap his hands with excitement. I hadn't considered getting a pool pass this summer, but after seeing how happy he was in the water, I should probably rethink that.

FEELING: Well this is easy! The Fines are refreshed and recharged. Could we rewind to last Sunday and start over again? From the top.

THANKFUL FOR: The jaunt to Austin couldn't have come at a better time. Flyboy and I were eager to deviate from our norm and spend some quality time together. Traveling as a trio is still kind of a novelty to us, so it's important we make it a point to step outside our comfort zone every once in awhile. Most of the time we're traveling to visit family members in the Midwest or East Coast, which is a blast; however, I think we decided it's necessary to plan more of these short little adventures to keep our sanity in Swell Rio. Hooray!

EATING: Any time we get out of Dodge, the itinerary consists mostly of eating and more eating. Our twenty-pound whippersnapper must have caught on to this because every time we sat down to eat on our trip, a Maxwell meltdown was imminent. WTF!?! The first night we opted for Shake Shack. While it's not exactly an Austin original, neither of us had been to this magical burger joint and since we were in the area it only made sense. After taking turns to devour our meals, which was every bit heavenly as we imagined, we strolled out of the restaurant and chalked his behavior up to a long day. He was probably just really tired, right?? The next day we planned to treat ourselves to a late lunch/early dinner at one of our favorite spots, Perla's. We figured 3 pm would be just the right time to avoid any potential fussiness—chances are, he'd be snoozing. Wrong! We ordered our cocktails and an appetizer. While the babe wasn't quite asleep, he seemed fairly content. Then the calamari arrived and you could tell Max was slightly agitated and very awake. I got out my handy bag of tricks and alternated between his teether, bottle, and board book while attempting to simultaneously enjoy the lobster roll before me. Far from ideal, this juggling act seemed totally manageable, but that was probably just the gin talking. It seems parched parents deserve a nice buzz every now and then.

LISTENING TO: We returned home on Tuesday evening to find a copy of Jimmy Fallon's book, Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA waiting for Max on our doorstep. I can only assume my mom is responsible for this one. You see, when we visited my parents back in April, Max uttered "da" for the very first time. When you put "da-da" together, you essentially get the word dad. Ladies and gentlemen, Max said dad. Upon hearing the syllables strung together for the first time, my parents cheered and Flyboy beamed with pride. Can you really blame them? This was a big flipping deal! While I should have sounded my celebratory kazoo and cued the confetti cannons, I practically curled up in a fetal position and cried. Yes, I knew it was coming. I read about it in all the parenting books and learned about it in my college psychology class—but that didn't mean it didn't sting. A lot. Couldn't Max be one of those babies who defies nature and jump straight to mom instead?? Sigh. Two months later and I'd like to believe I'm over it, but you know deep down I'm still kinda (really) bitter. In the last week, I noticed Max has moved on from "da" and he's all about that "ba." I can't help but wonder when he'll ever get to "ma." Much to my dismay, his ornery disposition tells me it's going to be awhile...

WATCHING: I guess I didn't realize I missed out on an entire season (or more) of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee. How did I let this happen? Actually, I haven't watched an episode since SJP and Jerry ate donuts in the back of Parker's station wagon, which was totally precious BTW. It looks like it's time I catch up. First up, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Kevin Hart. Obvi.

READING: Kristen Howerton's article, Surviving as an Introverted Mother, resonated with me in so many ways. She perfectly described a few of the thoughts and feelings I've experienced these past eight months and some of the general worries I have about surviving motherhood. I love Max deeply, but there have been numerous occasions where I felt really bad about my desire to be alone. I definitely questioned if I was lacking some sort of motherly instinct. I'm well aware of my introverted ways, but I NEVER realized how it might affect my role as a mom. I guess I always assumed the way I'm wired related mostly to friendships and interacting with others. This ah-ha moment makes me think it's time to explore my introversion and read Susan Cain's book, Quiet.

LOVING: While browsing Anthropologie last Sunday, this Swirled Snail Skirt stopped me dead in my tracks. Simply put, it's perfection! I immediately grabbed my size to hit the dressing room, but ended up putting it back because I was afraid to keep Flyboy and Max waiting any longer. Aw, how considerate. Translation: I also knew that if I tried it on, I'd love it, and there was NO way I'd leave the city without it. Do I REALLY need another skirt? Days later I'm still thinking about it and feel foolish for leaving it behind. Yep, need it.

Enough about me. How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!