Baby weight sucks

Why does the female metabolism change so violently as we age, and why must it happen at the exact same time that we have a baby or many babies? Honest to God, the weight seemed to fall off of me after Erin. And after Meghan we went to St. Lucia, so I had the most excellent motivation to get back in shape: BIKINI IN JANUARY!! And as my friends, mother and poor husband know, I get so crazy about this issue, it has taken over my life (and the lives of those mentioned) at times. I am so over it. Liz is nine months old and it looks like I'm not having anymore babies. That should be all the motivation I need, right? My body is now my own again and I don't have to share it like a vessel anymore. I have bins of skinny clothes waiting for a slimmer me. I love to run, absolutely love it. I love to exercise. I even found a studio that offers hip-hop classes. What more do I need? Why can't I get it together and get back into my old jeans...without a bulge hanging over the top of them? Lots of possible reasons, or excuses, depending on your vantage point: Slow metabolism, lack of motivation, too many tempting "kid" snacks in the house...being in my kitchen ALL THE TIME with total access to aforementioned snacks. Oh, yeah, and don't forget the total lack of activity, despite all of the options available to me which I listed above. And that "total lack of activity" concept is ironic because I seriously never sit down, not even now while typing, but apparently bending over four thousand times a day to pick up toys and kids doesn't actually raise your heart rate or shrink your waist line.

Well, I think I may have gotten smart the other day. It suddenly occurred to me that Erin's school is walking distance to my house. So, why not throw the kids in the stroller, strap the baby to me in the Bjorn and power walk to and from school? It's a start. I figure that's a combined weight resistance of about 87 pounds, and part of the walk there is uphill. We've picked Erin up from school the past two days after a great walk and even managed to take her to school today by walking. It also really helped her separate from me. We had extra time this morning to chat and sing and enjoy the fresh air before she started her day. She walked over to line with her principal, turned around and waved, and started her school day with a smile.

What if walking is the solution to not only getting Erin to and from school happily, but it gets this baby weight off, too? I'm a little nervous, though, to get on the scale and have my theory debunked. I guess we'll see...