Why Not to Drink So Much....

Every now and then - -like, say, every 3 years or so, its good to remind yourself why its important not to drink too much.  And I guess my 31st birthday was as good a time as any to refresh my memory of the evil hangover.   When you spend a few YEARS either breastfeeding or pregnant, you watch your nonbreastfeeding-non-pregnant friends drinking with no inhibitions and you often think, "Doesn't drinking excessively look like FUN!?!?" .  Well I can tell you now from RECENT experience- - it is.  But the big question - -is it WORTH it?

Wednesday night was had 4 friends in for a "low key" birthday dinner for myself.  None of us had to work the next day and we turned it into a slumber party so no one had to drive home.  What started with a fancy dinner of fine cheeses, paella  and Amarone  soon progressed to rocking out with Rock Band and Beer and ended with a 3 hour hottub.  At 4am I had a sudden epiphany that it was BED TIME.

The next morning I woke up at noon.  

I am going to leave that as a complete paragraph because anyone who has a child under the age of 1 knows how RARE an occurance it is.  IN fact, I'll write it again  -- I woke the next morning at NOON.

I stepped out of the bedroom and scared my husband.  I then looked in the mirror and scared myself.  It was hardly possible, but I actually LOOKED as bad as i felt.  We're not sure if I was an allergy or just windburn but my entire face was red, swollen and blotchy.  I also had pink eye and had pus crusting both eyes which were swollen as well from either the pink eye or the mysterious ailment that was inflaming my face.  And my hair.  Oh my crazy hair.  Its ridiculous at the best of times, but imagine it after 3 hours of rocking out on the drums followed by a 3 hour hot tub and then being slept on the the strange position I finally ended up in.  It had a mind of its own.

As I stepped out of the bedroom my sudden splitting headache reminded me that the only thing worse than drinking excessive amounts of red wine, beer and bar shooters...was drinking an excessive amount of red wine, beer and bar shooters and then sitting in a hot tub for 3 hours.   That's a sure way to guarantee that  there was not an OUNCE of fluid left in my entire body.

Needless to say, it was a pyjama-and-glasses-day at our house.  Which Toby loves.  Mommy in her glasses = fun because if you pull them OFF her face, she IMMEDIATELY leaps up and grabs them out of your hands.  So its challenging and rewarding all in one.  We both made some changes to the game yesterday morning.  I, for one, was not able to jump up and chase after my glasses.  So Toby decided to singlehandedly spice up the game by announcing his arrival at my face by SCREAMING Into my ear before YANKING my glasses off my face.

I give props to my husband.  Not only was he a sport and stayed up with me until 3am - -he got up  with Toby and took care of him ALL DAY LONG while I wallowed in post party depression and played the role of dead beat mom with flourish.  And he didn't make me feel guilty ONCE.  I think he knows we won't be doing this again for another 3 years.  

SO for all of you who are pregnant or breastfeeding - -yes, those of us on the other side of life right now ARE having fun.  But give us a call the next day and we'll gladly trade places with you...