Spa Weekend Getaway Part II: Renewed, refreshed, and rejuvenated

Saturday morning I officially woke up just after 7am. About the time I would wake up  if I were at home and sleeping in.  I took time for my morning devotional, prayer, and blogging.  When I finally spoke with my husband hours later, I found out that he truly slept in until 8:30am and when he asked if I had done the same he laughed when I told him when I had woken up.  He said, "You don't know what to do with yourself do you?"  No, I really didn't. I am so used to taking care of someone else that it was weird not to do so. What do you do when you have hours to do whatever you want?   I ended up filling my time with reading, having a long and leisurely breakfast (I didn't have to scarf it down to assist someone else), and working on my daughter's baby book.

My best friend and I had spa appointments that weren't scheduled until 1:45.  I drank 2-3 glasses of water before the appointment because I remember reading that you can become dehydrated during a spa session, and J. was doing it, so why not. If you have ever been with me anywhere you know I suffer from "Mommy bladder." You know, having the tiniest bladder ever and the urge "to go" every 15 seconds. My mommy bladder is also combined with "anxious in new situations" bladder. A really bad combo. Why oh why didn't I think of this while I was hydrating myself before my sessions. I even thought I was being good and peed 3 times before my facial. 

I loved that I was forced to slow down and take my time. With our weekend package we were given a "complimentary" facial. I thought it would be a mini. But it was complimentary, so hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth.  I was enjoying my facial that I thought was going to take 20 minutes when it happened. My bladder filling and filling and filling.  So instead of enjoying my facial which ended up lasting about an hour, I was praying and silently begging for it to be over. I think I started sweating and if I had been standing, without a doubt I would have done a great rendition of my 3 year old son's pee-pee dance.  I kept trying to think about other things, but all that kept playing in my head was my son's pee-pee dance: the anxious funny little hop, the running as fast he could to "stop" the pee-pee from happening, the adamant NO.  That was me in my head.  Not to help matters, but the technician was playing a CD with waves and had turned on of those babbling fountains to soothe the soul. Complete opposite effect.  It made me want to pee.  Here I am a grown woman getting a spa treatment thinking that the best thing in the world would be a toilet. I almost died when she said, "I'm done, can I get you some hot tea or a glass of water." Just the thought of more liquid was enough to bring me to my knees and tears to my eyes. I almost ran her over when I hopped off the table begging for a bathroom.  

I apologized profusely when I returned realizing I still had to finish the rest of my treatment, a complimentary paraffin hand treatment. If I hadn't used the facilities before the hand treatment can you just imagine what would have happened when I put my hand in the warm wax. Accident City, that's what.  

Thank goodness the technician was really sweet and understanding.  I finished my hand treatment and was sent to the serenity room. Ahhhhh, another place to relax before my hot stone massage. My friend joined me shortly after her facial. While we were waiting for our next session, I had to get up and go to the bathroom two more times. I think they thought there was something seriously wrong with me. No, it was me being ridiculous and drinking 2-3 glasses of water in less than hour. It reminded of me when I was pregnant and had to drink a ton of water for my mid-pregnancy sonogram. HA! and doh!doh!doh!

 Fortunately I was able to enjoy my hour long massage without incident. It was so awesome.  I've never indulged in a hot stone massage before and it was perfect, especially, in this cold, cold climate. I highly recommend it. My entire spa day last about 2 1/2 hours. 

I loved that it forced me to relax and enjoy my time (peeing excluded).  I loved that my husband was so awesome about encouraging me to go. I loved that I got to experience this weekend with one of my dearest friends.  I loved that I got to spend time and take care of me and to do so without guilt.  I even allowed myself to go to bed even later on Saturday night and to wake up later Sunday morning.  I cut myself a break and made it okay that I accomplished 1 of the possible 3 projects I brought with me.  I am renewed, refreshed, and rejuvenated...and slightly lighter ;)

Spa Weekend Getaway

So here it is, my first spa get away weekend. My very first time to go on a mini-vacation without the kids or my hubby and what do I do? I wake up at my normal time of around 6:30am. I tried to keep sleeping and made it to 7:07am. I spoke with my husband last night and he said he would laugh at me if I went to be before 10:30pm. As he put it I would be able to sleep in so why not stay up late. I thought, yeah, you're right. I finished my almost 4-yr. old son's baby book and read until midnight...and I woke up early. Huh.....I know that if I was at home, I would still be sleeping. I don't sleep as well without my hubby.

 Last summer my hubby went to Chicago on business for 6 weeks. While the kids and I joined him after the first 3 weeks, the 3 weeks without him were tough on me. At the time my son had just turned 3 and my daughter was 8 1/2 months old.  I missed my husband like crazy and trying to take care of the needs of two little ones on my own was hard. I think I psyched myself out thinking that I could not do it alone.  My husband and I really are a team and the child-rearing is a team effort in my house.  My kids are great, but I love that my husband takes over after he gets home from work and plays with the kids. He gives me a few minutes to veg out on my own before we say nighttime prayers and he puts the kids to bed.  So not having him for 3 weeks was like missing half of me.

Soon after the Chicago trip my husband suggested that I go away for a spa weekend with a friend. This was said over the summer and it's February and I've finally done it.  At the time of the suggestion I was still nursing my daughter. So I set the date to be sometime after she weaned. When I was telling one of my best friends about Will's suggestion (fully intending for her to go with me) she asked me, "Are you asking me to go with you?" YES!!!!!  Her husband was in the room I think I saw the faintest look of nervousness as all husbands do when they realize that their wife might go off and leave them with the children for more than a few hours.  HA!  I think my husband didn't think I would go through with it. But I knew that if I had a partner in crime, then we would hold each other accountable and really go and leave our families for a couple of nights and spend time pampering ourselves.  What better partner to have than your former college roommate and best friend of 13 1/2 years?

J. and I decided that we were actually going to do this and set up a date to go.  After doing some research we decided where and what. I volunteered to make the call and make reservations. When I did I think I closed my eyes and held my breath. Almost like pulling off a band-aid. I couldn't believe I was doing it. Putting down a deposit meant that I really was going to go away for 2 nights and spend some time on my own. Holy cow!!!!!  I'll admit that I didn't talk about it much with my hubby or plan for it or think about it. It was like a dream and if I thought too hard I'd be sure I'd imagine all of it.

So here we are in a little in-town suite in Berkley Springs.  We spent the night scrapbooking and listening to music and catching up. The hubbies are at home with the children.  I feel a little guilty leaving my children and taking time for myself, but at the same time I think that maybe my BF should do this again in the next year to two years when neither of us will be pregnant or nursing (which we are both kind of hoping will happen in the next 12 months).  I think that J. and I are getting to a point in our lives that it is okay to take step away and spend some time by ourselves. Our husbands are great hands-on fathers, and our first children are getting old enough to be of some help around the house...at the very least more independent.  So I'm thinking we should make this an almost annual get away and make it annual after we are done having children. It's kind of hard going away when you are hugely pregnant or nursing an infant. So J. if you are game let's do this again and make a deal that it won't be more than 2 years before go away again!