It’s a weird thing to say that you feel lucky when something awful happens, but I do feel lucky. All of your kind words, prayers, and wishes mean so much to my family. It’s still just unfathomable that this has happened…and yet, we already know how quickly the rug can be pulled out from under you. I am comforted by the love you continue to show my family, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
My grandmother died eight years ago this past week, and I was remembering how I coped with what was, at that point, one of the biggest losses of my life. I didn’t really know HOW to deal, and so I spent a lot of time walking. And usually, I walked over to the mall near my office (Media City Center for you locals). I would go to the makeup counter and have someone do my makeup, and it really was such a mood booster. Something about a person fawning over you, telling you your best features and all that. Since then, whenever I have a bad day I will go to a makeup counter.
Yesterday, I woke up feeling really depressed and decided I would make a trip to the MAC Cosmetics counter. There is a guy at my favorite counter that I was really hoping was working (he always makes me feel pretty). Then I looked in the mirror and saw three pimples the size of Texas. The makeup counter just would not do. Mike reminded me that I had three birthday gift cards to my favorite store, Anthropologie. Nothing like subsidized retail therapy! I loaded Annie into the stroller and off we went.
As I shopped, I grabbed every little thing that looked pretty or sparkly or frivolous. I cared less about buying and more about getting some fresh air and improving my mood. Everything was going fine and then a miracle happened – the store stylist came up to me in the dressing room and asked me if I needed any help. I had a PROFESSIONAL STYLIST offer to PICK OUT CLOTHES for me. Never in my life has anything like this happened. So I said, “HELL YES” and she ran off to fetch me things she thought would look good. My mood immediately improved.
I started to try on the first round of items when Annabel started whimpering. I offered her some food but she pushed it away, so I turned her stroller so she could see herself in the mirror. That satisfied her, so I continued my try-on spree, wondering if this is what it’s like to be Kim Kardashian.
And then, when I was in only my underwear and bra, Annabel Lost. Her. Mind. She had a full-on screaming gasping fit. So I grabbed her and started soothing her, hopping around in my dressing room trying to calm her. The adorable store stylist chose to knock on the door right when I said to Annie “come on, shush!” The stylist just heard “come in” and walked right in on a mostly naked me and a red faced angry Annabel. That poor girl is scarred for life.
Eventually (after what felt like hours) Annie passed out. I set her down on the bench in the dressing room so I could fan myself (I have hot flashes all the time), and she stayed asleep. I went to grab the dress I’d worn to the store…and then realized she was sleeping on it.
So I did what any other normal woman would do, and I tried on clothes as fast as I possibly could.
This sleep lasted long enough for me to take off the above outfit and then put on a new one – a cute top I liked, and a pair of pants to wear with it since I’d worn a dress into the store. As soon as I had this outfit on, Annie woke up. I scooped her up and walked out of my dressing room to show the stylist. She and the other workers made their comments, and then Annie coughed, burped, and spit up all over the jeans I had on. The jeans I had no intention of buying because they would use up almost all of my gift certificates. I laughed weakly and said, “I guess I have to buy these now, huh?” and all the girls looked at me and said, “yeah.”
At least they fit.
{ 76 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh no – did they really make you buy the jeans????
Love the way you can find humour in things. My little girl is looking at the Daisy giraffe just visible in your bag. She has the same.
Cute pictures of Annie all flaked out.
Deer Baby´s last [type] ..Finders Keepers
LOL! Oh that sucks! Good thing she’s totally adorable!
Heidi´s last [type] ..Lives- Lost
I bet you’ll be wearing those jeans every day for a year. lol
Loved the hat. Poor Annie.
Perfect (or not) timing. lol
I went bra shopping with a bra and boob obsessed 3 year old. Big mistake. I’m sure the lady in the other stall and the sales person probably wanted to call CPS with me constantly telling A to Stop.Touching.My.Boobs. and Get.That.Bra.Off.NOW.
I’ve been out of the loop a bit (busy) but I wanted to tell you I was sorry to hear about your Aunt. I’m praying for you and your family. Too bad you can’t get postcards from Heaven. .
InDueTime´s last [type] ..Insert Simile For Exhausted Here
I somehow nicked myself with a bra that didn’t fit right (gave me a shelf boob look) and bled on it. Awkwaaaaard. Had to buy it. Note to self (and others): don’t eat too much turmeric! It may “cleanse” your blood, but it also makes your blood all watery, hemophiliac style. LOL
LOL – I guess Annie liked the jeans too – THATS why she spat up all over it!
It’s like our kids know the exact moment to do things like that. I think they have some internal detector that goes off.
I’m sure if you were wearing what you wore into the store, no spit up. Expensive jeans, beep beep beep, red alert, bring on the puke.
Oh, poor wee thing! And poor you – having to buy soiled jeans that you didn’t even want. I hope you at least got something nice that you *did* want as well, and that you felt better afterwards. I love Annie’s little dress!
Kate @ UpsideBackwards´s last [type] ..Excellent news
I will never forget the post you wrote about seeing dimes in random locations following your grandmother’s death. Later that same day after reading your post, I found a dime on the ground right next to my car. Thank you for the reminder that we all have heavenly messengers.
And the pants? You totally deserved them anyway!
Olivia Singleton´s last [type] ..Florida – July 2010
First off, let me just say that Annie looks especially HUGE passed out on the dressing room bench. Has she really gotton that big? OMGosh she’s a chub. I love the thighs on that girl.
Second, I really love the hat on you.
Third, bummer you had to buy the jeans, but you’re right: at least they fit!
And last…I can totally relate to the “hushing” a fussy baby in a dressing room scene. I have SO been there. I sometimes have had to take all of my little ones with me when I clothes shop — it’s so not fun that way. Not only have I had a fussy baby to juggle, but a toddler who kept climbing out of the stroller, a 3 year old who kept peeking under the dressing room stalls (yea, that pesty kid is mine!) and a few others who were whining that they were sooooo bored….all crammed into the dressing room with me. Of course I try to get the super big dressing room, but sometimes that’s not available and I squeeze us into the little tiny one. I have to bring everyone in with me, of course, or else the ones left outside to “wait” would be running up and down the place. Clothes shopping is not fun with a bunch of kids in tow. Nope, not even a little bit.
Katrina´s last [type] ..Happy Birthday Two-Year-Old!!!
Glad you got out and hopefully you felt even a little better!
Take care of yourself!
My BesT,
Jenn
oh dear.
What a piy that Mike couldnt have had a Daddy day whilst you had a ‘pamper myself stupid’ day!
I never ever go shopping for myself with my kids, thus I very rarely go shopping for myself but when I do the peace of not having demon 1 and 2 with me is bliss!
Oh gosh!
Lynn from For Love or Funny´s last [type] ..In 250 years- my dog will be automated
Annie was obviously putting her stamp of approval on the jeans. Too bad the sales girls didn’t find teh humor in it. I’m glad you had a chance to take your mind off things for awhile. Still thinking of and praying for your family.
Heather- Another post reminding me why I heart your blog so very much. Your spirit and spunk in spite of all the the things life continues to throw at you. Thanks for keeping it real!
P.S. Anthropologie is so fabulous.
i kept thinking she’s such a little girly-girl to put up with even the idea of shopping. My son made it so difficult from day one – he sucked the air right out of that idea!
Jenny´s last [type] ..Word Up
Glad you got to spend a little time on yourself. Hope it helped you feel better. I love her all passed out, she is getting so big.
jeans that fit. you got JEANS THAT FIT.
that’s like… finding the perfect LBD or a bathing suit that you don’t feel like a whale in.
ya done good, mama.
I agree with Nic. Jeans that fit are like the Holy Grail. Glad you had some time out and about.
Ditto!
Awh, Heather! Sometimes you’ve just gotta laugh, huh?
That’s hilarious! Shopping with kids is crazy hard!
Keyona´s last [type] ..Because I Saw A Picture of Myself
You gotta do what ya gotta do, right?! Like you said atleast the jeans fit. In my case I am sure they wouldn’t have. Still praying and sending you all lots of hugs.
Nicole´s last [type] ..Mason through the years
Retail therapy FTW!! Is Annie wearing the Princess onsie, with tutu, that I got her? If so, yaye it fit!! LOL
AmazingGreis´s last [type] ..Tomorrow…
Heather you are adorable. And Annie… Well she’s adorable too!
Love it!!! Anthropologie is my fav too. Hope the day with your beauty helped lift your spirits!
Distraction a good thing…though maybe you could have done without the drama!
Lucky you in the end–that she only spit up on the jeans (that fit).
That is too funny. That would so happen to me except they probably wouldn’t fit! LOL. Hope you got some things that you really did want. Nothing like a little retail therapy.
I can’t believe they made you buy those jeans! I’ve been in stores before where people accidentally broke things and the salespeople just cleaned it up, even cheerfully, and told the person it was okay. Although to be fair, this was usually a $20 candle in the Yankee Candle store and not clothing, but still…
There’s an Anthropologie in my town, but I’ve been told to just not go in there unless I’ve got a few hundred bucks to spend on clothes, which I almost never do. At least the jeans fit, but that’s a real bummer.
I guess I’m the only one who would have rushed home with the jeans and tried desparately to get the spit up off without washing them so that I could return them:) I’m a horrible person, I know.
Adrianne´s last [type] ..Spicing things up!
I WOULD HAVE TOO!!!
Clothes shopping is a wonderful way to distract yourself, isn’t it? I’m so happy that you got out of the house for a little while, even if Miss Annie wasn’t cooperative the entire time. Congrats on the new, soiled jeans!
Deborah´s last [type] ..Laziness
Love the pictures of you Heather – you look really awesome in the hat and the outfit in the picture!
Way long ago, I was trying on things at some store here in Michigan, my daughter being an infant. I was nursing. She had a hissie fit! I sat down in the dressing room and nursed her, and the lady helping me try on things walked in on us. She took one look at us, and walked back out and never came back. I did not buy anything that day.
babies and shopping has never turned out well for me. This is why all my jeans are at least 4 years old. But hey at least she puked on something you liked, ol
You at least have cute new jeans! Retail therapy is always the best.
XOXO from GA,
Nikki
Well I hope you really liked the jeans!!!
Maybe Annie will be more of a shopper in a few years! hehe.. that’s too funny, love the pictures too!
You are too funny!! Isn’t shopping with babies SO MUCH FUN?!?!?!!!!!!
Jeans that fit = worth every penny… clean jeans that fit, that is.
freckleonthenose´s last [type] ..Restoration
It figures!!!!!!!! My advice… get the spit up out and return the jeans at a different store! BWAHAHAHA!
(((HUGS)))
Retail Therapy is the best!
charlane´s last [type] ..YUM YUM YOGURT
I’ve been thinking of you and your family and I was happy to read a post from you.
We have to see a picture with the jeans and top now do we not? That’s a bummer though that you had to use most of your gift certificates for one pair of jeans,hope they are fabulous!
Hilarious!!
adequatemom´s last [type] ..Blast From the Past- Letters
When Annie gets older lollipops should buy you a decent amount of time to try on clothes. They work with my 2 year old and she is a little on the wild side. That or stickers. I’ll bring a couple of sheets of stickers, give them to her and let her go crazy. We’ll walk out with Hello Kitty plastered all over her arms and face, but who cares?
Too funny. And you are brave. I never shop with the kids. I am too chicken. Thus, I rarely shop!
Brie´s last [type] ..Fear
I would have taken the jeans off and (quietly and stealthly–is that a word?) put them back on the rack! lol. I too don’t shop unless I have my hubby with me… kids + shopping = bad combination! love and hugs from NJ~!
They couldn’t have FORCED you to buy those jeans. Sure, it was probably the right thing to do, but I wouldn’t have bought them. The whole “you break it you buy it” notion really can’t be enforced. Oh well – at least they fit and can be washed!
Of all the posts over the years, THIS one struck me so…Anthropologie is one of a very few clothing stores that is within walking and shopping range of where I live, and I have escaped there many times with my son (now almost 2) in tow — in the dead of winter, after long days of fussing, etc. He is generally a decent shopping companion but there is something about those dressing rooms that just brings out the TANTRUM in him. And I remember well the days where he refused to stay in the stroller but didn’t sit well enough to be safe on the stone floor or that horrible wooden bench…oy. I’m sure the salesgirls were all, “Woman, just GO HOME”…but sometimes, you’ve just got to get OUT and break up the bad mood, you know?
You look great, Heather! Annie is so cute passed out on the dressing room seat!
I love Anthropologie! So glad you found jeans that fit…and Annie was putting her stamp of approval on them even before you purchased lol… way to go Annie! Glad to hear that retail therapy is your go to therapy…it is for me too. Shop till you drop
Take care Heather!!
Hehe sounds just like the luck I have too. At least you have the unique perspective of being able to put a spin of humor on things and see the fun in it all, which goes a long, long way. I’m glad you had a fun day out with Annie and were able to take your mind off things for a while.
Never a dull moment, eh?
Some things are meant to be. Clearly you were meant to own those jeans!
Jen´s last [type] ..When it’s hard to be zen…
I just have to say, that hat and dress look fabulous on you! Not to mention, your daughter, though sleeping, is an absolute beauty!!
Know that you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Some days are better than others and you just have to allow yourself to feel all the raw emotions before you can make the next step with your feet. You are doing an amazing job and I am constantly humbled by your love, devotion, honesty and courage of your life.
don’t you just love it when those things happen
Haaaa. I haven’t yet attempted to shop for clothes in any serious way with Nate in tow. No way would he pass out on a bench like that. Sorry about your new jeans.
Thanks for the post – it put a smile on my face! Can’t believe Annie could fall asleep like that, even for several minutes! That girl is amazing!!!
i love shopping too when I feel down
Sending good vibes down you way
Gotta agree, JEANS THAT FIT!!! Nothing ever fits me.
Poor Annie. Poor you (except for the Jeans That Fit- I’m a tiny bit jealous, can you tell?) LOL.
Take a bath with some wine next time maybe?
Kate´s last [type] ..The Bags
Oh goodness… Poor mommy! I hope you liked the jeans… at least a little.
Marianne´s last [type] ..Baseball and Back Fat
Only you!! Too funny!
I never thought of shopping as retail therapy, but when I am feeling down, I go shopping too, only at craft stores. I am keeping you and your family in my thoughts. Keep your chin up as it seems you are doing with flair.
Bwahahahahahaha. Oh Annie, how I love that girl. A baby is always good to make sure to remind you what matters: Anthropologie jeans that you don’t want!
Well, eventually every little girl shows disgust for her mother’s clothing choices. I guess yours is very advanced.
Twincubator´s last [type] ..Moooooooo
lol all to funny. Sorry about the Jeans but Annie must of thought you looked hot in them or she wouldnt of spit up on them.. jk!!
She looked so cute on the bench, while you looked adorable trying on clothes.. lol
Hugs.,
You should have refused to buy them on the basis that they had been spit-up upon. Even though your baby did it right in front of them.
Really. That’s what you should have done.
Ms. Moon´s last [type] ..Pictures From A Party
Hi Heather,
So glad you got to have a little fun and some cute clothes. Always makes a girl feel better! I am so so so sorry about your aunt, it is just beyond shocking and your family is devastated, again. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
xoxo
Bryn
Oh no, what an end to what sounds like an awesome experience. Retail therapy is sometimes the best therapy, especially when funded by someone else
I’m glad you got out, did something just for you and had such a good time doing it.
You and your family are in my thoughts and in my heart.
Love and hugs.
Lisa´s last [type] ..Out and About with a Toddler
I’m a big fan of retail therapy myself. Jackson on the other hand…not so much…he and Annie probably agree on this.
You look super cute in your mirror pic btw.
I think about and pray for guys often.
Much love.
Haley´s last [type] ..Be The One
Annie just wanted to make sure you got the jeans because she thought they made you look fabulous. She knew you’d put them back, so she did the only thing a 6 month old can do…spit. She’s a smart one, that Annabel.
Oh no. Um, well, at least they are jeans and not some fancy party dress that you’d have to get cleaned before never wearing? Silver lining.
Ummmm… I just about freakin’ pi$$ed my pajamas just now…I laughed so hard. You always seem to find the happy side of things and make the best out of every situation! This is why we heart You!! Gee, can you tell I have a tween (omg, I heart you). hahahaha Sounds like a great shopping adventure, with an adorable sleeping beauty! Glad you got something for yourself, even if it wasn’t your 1st choice!
Shop ’til you drop? “Shop ’til you pass out and then spit up” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
xoxo
Alison´s last [type] ..Marriage- Not A Science- But Just Like It
Oh, man. Well, I hope you really liked the jeans. Though I am loathe to waste gift cards on jeans the truth is nothing lifts my mood like having a pair I love and can live in!
Are the hot flashes from having Annie? I had those for months after my daughter was born…yuck.
Haha. Well maybe she knew you wouldn’t spend that much money on the pair of jeans and she just really, really liked them, so found a way to make you get them.
Wow, I can’t believe they made you buy them…
Once when Mack was about 4, I had a girls evening planned where we were all going to dinner, see a musical, and go out for drinks after. We had decided to get really dressed up. I decided I needed something new.
I promised Mack a trip to the Disney store if she was good while I was trying on dresses. I took several into the dressing room, tried a few on, went back out got some more, came back and tried on some more. The last dress goes on, and Mack practically screams in the full dressing room, “Mama, just buy that one, it doesn’t make you look fat!”
I wanted to die.
Everyone in the dressing room cracked up laughing.
I finally think it’s funny. She turned 18 on saturday…
Kelly´s last [type] ..Something to Learn- So I Dont Go Broke
that so would happen to me. 2 of my 3 kids are major spitter uppers. once even in a model home on the bed in the master bedroom.
(we just moved a decorative pillow on top of what didnt wipe up. ewpsies)
Just spit peanut butter all over my monitor at “forgot to suck in”. Heh.
o.m.g you poor thing. that is a hilarious story!