Better

I'm doing much better this week. I think part of the reason I've been so burned out is that I had gone into a kind of self-imposed isolation. I hadn't seen my friends in ages, and had only been leaving the house for errands and to be the only person in the history of Weight Watchers to gain weight while following the plan exactly. Let me tell you, spending a week obsessing over every bite of food only to be told you're actually getting fatter does nothing for a girl's ego.

So this past week, I started to make an effort to be social again. I took the baby to the playground and reveled in the sunny, clear day while she climbed up onto the big kids' play structure all by herself. I made plans to see a friend, and though those fell through, we did spend a few hours on the phone, just chatting. And we went to a baby shower for another friend, and got to see everyone in my playgroup. It was nice, though the hostess failed to warn us that her kid was sick, and two days later, so was the Cheeto. And now I'm all sniffly.

But I digress. After a few days of making efforts to rejoin society, I'm feeling much better. Plus, there's a light at the end of the bar-exam tunnel, which makes me very happy, despite the fact that I am in panic-study mode and am firmly convinced I will probably fail.

And in addition to that, the Cheeto seems to have sensed that I was close to selling her, because she's been amping up the charm all week. She learned a few new words (nurse, dance and yuck) and now knows at least five animal sounds. She'll respond with the appropriate sound if you ask her what sound a particular animal makes, and her little, tiny "meow" may be the cutest thing I have ever heard. She's also perfected her stair-climbing and decending skills, and it's very funny to watch her sliding down the stairs on her tummy. The boy has also taught her to wheelbarrow walk (walk on her hands while he holds her legs up). I swear, the kid has a future in the circus.

So all in all, a better week.