You Look Good...

For all of those "you look good" people out there I will first briefly say "thank you." But for you, however, I would like to quickly share this "out of the mouths of babes" story before I forget. Over the weekend my youngest niece, Taylor, was sitting on my lap when we had a conversation that went a little like this:

Taylor: Aunt Cassie, are you going to have more than one baby?

Me: Probably.

Taylor: *deep in thought* *pokes my belly* Why do you still have a big belly?

Me: Well sometimes it takes a little while to get rid of that belly once you've had a baby. Not everyone is as lucky as your mommy and has a flat tummy right after she has a baby.

Taylor: So only you got a big belly?

Me: No, only your mommy didn't get a big belly.

It is hilarious and devastating all at the same time. I remember thinking to myself that morning that I was finally starting to look presentable. In fact, I had just started squeezing myself into some non-maternity pants for the first time in, like, nine months. To say that I look good is only a partial truth. I'm looking good relative to my pregnant self and my immediate postpartum self. I'm not really looking that good relative to my pre-baby self. So in light of this recent incident I feel inspired enough to dig out my old running shoes and hit the pavement.

Last night was my first jog in what has been almost 1.5 years. The first block I was feeling awesome. Like, yes, I can do this. Then about two seconds later I felt the true weight of my legs and ugh... I'm out of shape. I made it over two miles only stopping once to catch my breath and fight back some vomit after one particularly long hill. When it was over I was panting worse than Griffin on a 100 degree day, but in a strange way I felt great. Here's hoping my inspiration lasts - that I can keep that sweet little voice in my head, so honest and innocent, "Why do you still have a big belly?"