Firmage Family Fun: May 2012

Check these out:

They're mine.

And they're what I've been stomping around in for a while now because they just so happen to be the most comfortable shoes ever.

The only hard part about owning them, is looking at them each and every time I put them on.

They're ugly as sin.

In fact these pictures don't even do their ugliness justice.

But I could never throw them away because they are real leather and one little date with tan shoe polish would do the trick right?

RIGHT!

Just look at my shiny little favs now!

All I had to do was go on a wild goose chase for tan shoe polish which forced me to order the stuff off amazon.com, watch a youtube video on how to shine your shoes since I'd never done it before, and then do it!

Oh and you have to buff them out with a horsehair shoe brush to get them all shiny.

I loved seeing these puppies transform.

In fact I got a little a carried away with the fun of using the horsehair shoe brush, I polished and "brushed" a total of three times.

The only problem I have now is watching where I'm going. ;)

Rachel and I went on a little plane ride when she was 26 days old.

And I was about as nervous as she looks in this picture.

I didn't know how she would do on the plane with "ear pressure", crying, and anything else that could make for a long trip with a baby.

I was also scared about the fact that I would be doing this alone because when it comes to navigating, I'm a "follower". So the thought of getting dropped off at the curb of the the Delta terminal and relying on nobody else but me to get to all of the places I needed to go in the big huge Boston airport was a bit scary.

But, it turned out easy peasy.

And when I got to my gate, I sat next to a super friendly couple with a seven month old baby. They were so nice and complimentary of the baby, it was almost like I knew them, they were just so warm and easy to talk to.

In fact, once I boarded the plane and was watching the other people board, I was amazed at just how friendly everybody was. And not just to me, but to each other. I was surrounded by some of the most charismatic, kind and outgoing personalities I've ever seen, and in such a confined space!

Then I quickly learned that I was on a plane full of Boston Marathon runners and their family and friend cheerleaders. They were heading home after the big (and hot) run.

I've never seen so much under armor in my life.

Yup, even that nice young couple with the baby.

So two things were seemingly confirmed to me:

1. Westerners really are more open and friendly than us New Englanders. (Sad, but we do have a reputation of being "closed" and reclusive people.)

2. Endorphins really do make you happy. Seriously, this was an unusually happy/friendly bunch. So the whole exercise-produces-endorphins fact was totally validated as far as I'm concerned.

I think I would have felt a little intimidated by all these power house athletes, but the fact that just three and half weeks earlier I pushed an entire human being out of my body made me feel comfortably among them.

But regardless, I was so grateful to be flying a mile off the ground with so many great personalities from all different walks (or runs) of life ;)

And to boot, I sat next to a mom and her 20 year old daughter, who were cheerleaders for their husband and dad marathon runner. Could this possibly be more ideal? They had no problem with me nursing right next to them, or holding the baby so I could get up when I needed to, and I was so thankful for that!

So why was I flying with such a young baby 3.5 weeks postpartum?

Well, not to sound cliche or anything, but it was all because two people fell in love :)