Dressing Down

I own some lovely shoes. Flat, stiletto, kitten heel, peep toe and even some hot little ankle boots which are probably out of fashion now. I stopped wearing most of them when I was six months pregnant because they were either impractical due to my diminishing coordination, or, just didn't fit my puffy little feet. With the joy of pregnancy now behind me, I have the opportunity to become one of those women who gets all dolled up to do the grocery shopping. I could whip out my super skinny jeans, a handbag that matches my shoes and apply layer upon layer of make-up. But I can't be bothered. I really can't be bothered.

In the later stages of pregnancy, after I had finished work and didn't have to recycle the same three outfits any more, I bought myself multiple pairs of some very comfy trackies. I lived in these trackies right up until the moment my Obstetrician broke my waters. Scarily, as soon as I was showered after the birth, I slipped into a clean pair, and here I am almost 13 weeks later, still enjoying their comfort. They are actually officially referred to as yoga pants. They have a loose elastic waist which means I don't have to deal with drawstrings of any kind.

There have been a few occasions over the last few weeks where I have been required to put on jeans, a pretty top and of course a pair of shoes that aren't runners or slippers. These outings were hard work. I had to blow-dry and straighten my hair. I had to put on make-up. I had to find my wedding rings which have been buried in a drawer since my fingers got fat many months back. It felt like it took me about six hours to get ready. I walked out of the bathroom, looked at my son, and began to wonder what important milestones I may have missed in the time I was in there. I worried my husband wouldn't recognise me with my hair down and the baby vomit washed away.

I tried to remember how it used to be, going through that every morning. I started adding up the time in my head and figuring out how much extra sleep that could have been. I'll take the sleep over the make up any day. Sleep, food and a shower, in that order. My how things have changed. I guess the next step for me is buying sensible shoes from the chemist. The ugly ones that are not too dissimilar to some hiking shoes my husband owns. I'm sure they are very comfortable.

So the point of this post (yes, there is a point), is next time you see a tired mother trawling the isles of a supermarket in her tracksuit and well worn runners, try to see past her unwashed hair to the sassy shoe collection that may be waiting for her at home.