Jake and I returned home yesterday from a relaxing weekend trip to Virginia beach. We left Friday morning, stopped for lunch at our favorite restaurant in Williamsburg and made it to our hotel in time to still enjoy some good daylight on the beach. The weather hovered in the mid-70's for the entire time we were there- absolutely beautiful. We knew we would splurge on a couple of nice meals, but packed some snacks, wine, chocolates and other indulgences "just in case." There was no agenda except total relaxation. This was our last trip as the two of us- to celebrate just that: the two of us will very soon be the three of us. It will never be *just* the two of us again, so why not take full advantage. If the term "babymoon" has popped into your head, bravo! That's what most people these days would call it. Jake, however, thinks the term sounds pretentious and almost refused to go if that's what I insisted on calling it. Whatever. You want a long weekend getaway to celebrate the impending birth of our child and the closing chapter of our life as a two-some? You got it. Just don't call it what it really is. Therefore, the only "B" word you will hear me refer to in this post is the beach. *wink wink*
And not only is the beach fun, but I also found it to be very educational. There were a few things I took away from it, besides unwanted sand in my bra and a little sunburn. Here are a couple of little nuggets:
1. Sand hurts.
Bad. Especially when it gets into crevices that, as an 8 month pregnant person, I can no longer see or reach. Despite the 70 degree weather and sun, the wind gusts were pretty strong down on the beach. Which meant sand in my mouth, sand in my shirt and bra (my boobs are going through enough as it is, thank you very much), sand in other fun and surprising places. Some of this might have been avoided had I actually packed beach towels. (See #2).
2. Beach towels and sunscreen are *kinda* important.
Why this wasn't on my radar, I have no idea, other than to blame my stupid preggo brain. I'm the only person I know who packs for the beach and leaves behind sunscreen and something on which to actually sit at the beach. *Picture me and Jake toting our small, inadequate bath towels from the hotel down to the dunes.* Obviously, I'm not one for keeping up with appearances when it comes to "necessities." Sure, I packed 2 cute maternity sundresses, 5 tops, 3 pairs of pants. 4 pairs of shoes (we were there for 2 days total) and 3 different hair styling products, but no beach towel. I still hold my head up high.
3. Once you sit down on the sand, you should plan to stay there for a while.
This was only complicated by the missing beach towel problem from #2. Obviously, if towels weren't on my packing radar, then any kind of foldable beach chair certainly wasn't either. (We're gluttons for punishment, what can I say?) So I plopped down on the sand and then proceeded to flop around like a fish out of water (or more like the kid brother Randy from the movie A Christmas Story) until I found a somewhat comfortable position. Jake continued to read and write in his journal, clearly deep in thought and completely tuned out to my grunts and groans. I kept my mind off of my aching hips and pelvic region by feeding the local seagulls, much to his annoyance. Had Jake not been there to ultimately help me to my feet, I would probably still be lying there on the beach, doing what I consider to be a great impersonation of a beached whale.
4. It's good to slow down (and not just because of my lower back).
It's finally begun to sink in that the days of just being the two of us are numbered, which brings about some mixed feelings on my part. Although I'm anxiously counting down the days until we meet our Junebug, I sometimes want to be able to freeze moments of our lives together right now, so that we can always remember them for what they are right now: lazy mornings in bed, going to dinner at the drop of a hat, a leisurely weekend trip to the beach before packing up the stroller and diaper bag...
I'm more aware than ever of how quickly the time is moving now, and although I'm at the point where I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore, I don't want to wish away this time either. We will never get it back and we will never be expecting our first again either. Truly a time to slow down and cherish all that's good...
I love you! (and your writing)
ReplyDeletep.s. it takes 2 to forget beach towels! (you + jake, not you + junebug)
p.p.s. Chris and I are in oregon right now, about to drive back to VA. When we were packing to leave for oregon, I put a big freezer bag on the bathroom counter and said, "put whatever toiletries you are planning to use in the freezer bag before we leave." he said "okay" (which i took to assume that he was acknowledging that he had heard/understood what i had said). when we arrived in oregon, he opened the toiletries freezer bag and said, "hey, didn't you say that you were throwing my deodorant and contacts case into this bag? where are they?"... listening skills, my dear. listening skills.