It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A!

I decided to join the YMCA. Though carrying around a 24 pound seven month old is phenomenal for the biceps (I got guns!), it's terrible for the back and knees. I haven't worked out, aside from the occasional walk, since before Ben was born and I'm starting to feel my inactivity. It doesn't feel good.

So this morning was my first trip to the Y. Obviously children aren't allowed in the work out areas, so this entailed dropping Ben off in the on-site child care room. I was actually fairly nervous about it. It was the first time someone other than family or close friends would be caring for Ben, if only for an hour. I even had a dream last night about one of the workers dropping him. However, when it came time to leave him in the room I had no problem. Even despite the fact that the workers are both old women and when I walked in they had four or five infants in their care, one of whom was screaming.

I've never been one who likes to exercise. It's a chore to me. Something to be done to keep myself healthy, but to be done as quickly and painlessly as possible. So when I realized I was almost done on my machine, I couldn't believe how quickly it'd gone by. I think it's because I was actually sort of enjoying myself. Not the exercise, exactly, but the fact that I was sans baby and doing something for myself. So much of what I do on a daily basis isn't only for me. Sure, doing laundry or cooking dinner benefits me, but it's also for Heath and Ben. Working out was for me only and it allowed me to be Katie. Not wife or mother, but just Katie. It felt good.

When I went to pick Ben up he was alive and not even crying, so it was a success! I'm still a tad nervous about those women holding him, just because he's so heavy, but they were very nice. Hopefully Ben liked it in there, because we're definitely going back.