When I was 9 months pregnant, in the middle of the hottest summer on record for years, I can't remember feeling as gross and in need of a shower as I do now. Even if I've showered the day before, I still feel super yucky the next day. Probably my subconscious telling me to take a break from the baby and do something for myself... This brings me to Realization #11: Washing your hair and shaving your legs in the same day is a luxury, enjoy it.

Maybe it's just me, but I can't make myself really enjoy the nice, long shower. It bothers me that Caroline is asleep and I'm indisposed to save her life, if that need should arise. Even with the baby monitor right next to the shower, I'm afraid I won't hear her if she cries. I check the baby monitory every few minutes (shampoo, check monitor, rinse hair, check monitor, apply conditioner, check monitor...) This behavior is not only obsessive, but also counter-productive, since it causes me to take even longer in the shower and thus, away from my baby. It's similar to the way a socially anxious person checks their cell phone religiously to make sure they haven't missed any calls or texts. Really, there was never a call to begin with, put the phone down, Captain Awkward. (It's not mean, I'm really referring to myself here, anyways.)

Maybe one day I'll be ok with this. In the meantime, I'll continue to take shorter (?) showers and switch off days of hair washing and leg shaving to trim that time down and get back to being a Mama.