Life With Frenchie

When did I become “old”? As of late, little things have been making me feel like I’m no longer the kid in the room. Most noticably, the cute young thing sitting at the front desk as you walk into my office! She’s got the body, the style, the personality, the Pantene-hair, that I would kill for! Another sign (which actually came about 7 years ago) was when I was talking with some co-workers about my college days. I was telling some story about a night of partying and my friend looked at me and said “Frenchie! We never knew you liked to have fun…you’ve always been the serious ‘mommy’ type.” I thought I would die right there! Is that what turned me into the old woman — being a Mom?

I mean, does having someone call you Mom (long gone are the days when she proudly screamed “Mommy!!!” when she saw me….I’m still waiting for the progression to “Motherrrrr!!”) invoke some kind of frumpiness curse? I feel like it may be so! I turned to The Yummy Mummy Manifesto hoping to get some help.

This fresh dose of candor from Anna Johnson is different than my normal read. I rarely pick up anything in the self-help aisle of my favorite bookstores. Mainly, it’s out of fear - they usually involve changing in some way and that’s just too much work to have to go through to get what I want! This book, however, was recommended as a good read for the moms who want help in reclaiming their yummy selves!

Although the book was very entertaining and refreshing, I feel as if I am a bit beyond the advice of Ms. Johnson. About 2/3 of the book is devoted to the pregnancy and infancy. The remainder of the book gets you going in the toddler years. My darling MM is in double-digit years now, so I made it through the days of doubting my “natural instincts” and the terrifying moments when I would hear that blood-curdling scream when I told my angelic child that “No, I’m not buying you a 500th Barbie doll today, maybe another time….”

However, were this book given to me 7-10 years ago, it would have been perfect for me! Still, the book did help put me on the path to becoming a Yummy Mummy. It’s especially important as my daughter is getting to the stage where what I wear can (read: will) cause her embarrassment.