Greenlake

We've been blessed with a fantastic man-made lake here in Seattle called Greenlake. The lake itself is rather odd: it's filled with green algae most of the year, and can muster up quite a nasty stink when the mold spores set afloat. But it's a gorgeous area, and it's smack in the middle of a nice middle-class neighborhood.

It's also become a see-and-be-seen type of place over the years. Couples often meet for their first date at Greenlake. Girlfriends meet to walk around and gab, eyes carefully shaded by sunglasses so they can slyly check out the shirtless dudes running their laps around the lake path. Moms meet with their strollers to get their morning exercise before their babies need naps. And elderly couples stroll the pathways enjoying the beautiful scenery and fresh air.

DH and I have shared many strolls at Greenlake over the years. We've talked about wedding plans, how many children we want to have (me: six, DH: two...so far, DH is winning), parenting plans (working vs. staying home), vacation plans (Tahoe, Hawaii, or Whidbey?), and dreaming (retirement: RV or vacation home). It's a great place for families to stroll, and we were eager to introduce Charles to the ways of the Lake.

Yesterday, we took Baby out for his first stroll(er ride) around Greenlake. He cooed and slept most of the way. And I walked slowly and purposefully, not quite with my natural pre-C section stride. DH used his long legs to stride with the stroller and chat with his mother and sister, who also accompanied us on our walk. DH is mastering the art of Cool Dad with Stroller: he had his commuter mug filled to the brim with a fine blend of African coffees, his hair all zjooshed and looking swell, and a bit of a stubble thing going. The man is hunky, what can I say?

I, on the other hand, was wearing maternity clothing. Still. Because while I'm already back to my pre-pregnancy weight (as it appears that my weight gain was, in fact, all baby), I still have a landslide on my frontside where my stomach used to be. And I've got this fantastic clothing contraption that helps keep my maternity pants up. So I'm not going to stress myself out about not fitting yet into my pre-pregnancy clothing. Heck, I had a baby two weeks ago. But it felt great to get outside, get some exercise, and spend time with the fam-damily.

And my son looked super-cute in his jogging outfit. Looks like he's ready for a marathon or something! (Okay, he actually looks like he's posing here for a tracing of a crime scene, but whatever...)

Check out those socks...they seriously ROCK!