What I did on my birthday

Today, 34 years ago, I was born. To celebrate this lovely occasion I decided to pamper myself at a Spa. You got that right, a SPA. I went to the Spa at Mohonk Mountain House and spent my birthday money on a massage and a pedicure, both of which I have not had since I was pregnant. (For those of you who don't know about Mohonk, it is an exclusive  - read: a getaway for the rich- mountain top resort on the beautiful Shawangunk Ridge.) The last pedicure I got actually was from my awesome mother-in-law while I was on bed rest. That was 2010. Before that I had gotten a pedicure right before our wedding. That was 2006. So it was high time I got another one. With the spa services, I also got access to the other amenities at the spa: outdoor mineral pool, sauna, and veranda with a view of the beautiful pitch pines. If it hadn't been raining, I would have gone for a hike around the lake, but when the weather forecasted to be rainy and cold, I decided to nix that and just enjoy my spa experience.  And I so did. 

First was the massage. That was amazing. Of course, it did not go without me worrying my head off about my boobs. Should I run home and pump after this? Should I go straight to pick Cole up so he can nurse? Why didn't I bring my pump in my car? Will I lose my supply? Am I bad a mother for wanting some time to myself on my birthday? The list of questions were endless. Finally, another voice inside my head tried to put an end to it all, "Would you shut the hell up? One day of a massage and a pedicure are not going to kill your supply. One day of pampering yourself does not make you a bad mother! Now enjoy the damn foot massage because it's not going to happen again for quite some time!" Although the doubters persisted, their voices were lower and I was able to unfurl my brow, unclench my jaw and actually appreciate what I was feeling right then and there.

After the massage, I sat on the veranda and read my new book Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner, while drinking some weird but yummy elderberry juice and eating green grapes until my pedicure person came to "pick me up" for my next appointment. The pedicure was awesome. I was so into my book though that I nearly missed my massage. Finally, I stopped, put the book down and again tried to enjoy the goodness that is a foot massage in front of a beautiful mountain lake.

After the pedicure I read a bit more and then finally ventured outside to the "mineral bath," which is a fancy way of saying an in-ground hot tub. It was awesome. Even more awesome was the steam coming off the water and the raindrops hitting my face as I laid my head back against the stone terrace.  After my "bath" I took a shower, dried my hair, got dressed and drove back down the mountain to pick up Cole.

I felt refreshed and was so eager to see my baby. When I got there he was on the floor with Stacia who was trying to cheer him up. Apparently he had woken up a few minutes before in tears after a very short nap. As soon as I picked him up he became serene and settled his head against my shoulder. Dear readers, I could have stayed like that all day. It was that precious. However, his poopy diaper was calling out to be changed and we needed to be on our way. I had big plans to go to Panera and then Barnes and Noble, but when we got home to grab the diaper bag, he still seemed like he was in a sad mood, so I decided we'd spend the afternoon at home. I ate chicken soup I'd made Monday night and then we played in the living room until I realized he needed to go down for a nap or I'd be doomed. I got him down around 2:45 and knew he'd only be good for a half hour. I was ready to go to sleep in an instant, and started blogging to pass the time. True to form, at around 3:15, he woke up. I took him into bed, nursed him and we slept and snuggled until almost 5. We were kept company by Clem and Kiwi, who slept on either side of us. Keith made his usual on-his-way-home-from-work phone call and we decided spontaneously to try to go out for sushi for dinner. I say "try" because Cole's bed time is 6:30 and we knew we'd just be sitting down to eat at that point. So we were totally taking a gamble. He could have had a major meltdown. However, I was banking on the fact that that two-hour plus nap he took would hold him over. 

And so, the verdict? It worked! It was an amazing dinner experience. The food was good, yes, but Cole really enjoyed himself. And that was what really mattered. The waitress took to Cole immediately. She was really sweet to him. And we made sure to include him in our dinner, so we fed him some of what we ate. We used chopsticks to feed him rice and chopped up Chicken Karaage). He loved the chicken (he loves his fried food just like mommy!) and he loved making friends with the people in the restaurant. I also had a nice time eating a cod dinner with a yummy Japanese beer and hanging with my wonderful hubby. 

All in all, it was a perfect birthday.

Cole trying to make friends with the
newest restaurant patrons

Cole saying hi to my phone

Keith feeding him chicken using the chopsticks