(Photo courtesy of My Awkward Teenage Years)
"I was short and pale with glasses and uncooperative glowing red hair."
It was, however, seemingly beyond my reach. I did not hit the genetic lottery unlike it always appeared that those floating beauties on my TV screen did. They were tall and skinny and flawless. I was short and pale with glasses and uncooperative glowing red hair. Growing up in a house where my report card trumped anything and everything, I never really learned the magic of a good bronzer or how to make my legs look a mile long with the right type of shoe. So, I figured that I would sit and watch them win their crowns and smile their heart-growing smiles rather than even try.
That is, until I had my son. Babies. Change. Everything. They change your sleep schedule and your priorities and your waist line, but they also change your prospective on what you're capable of doing. Amid those sleepless nights (and days), I slowly realized that I had just MADE A PERSON, and that person was dependent on me to keep him alive and happy and healthy. It still amazes me every now and then that he's still doing well at 15 months. Two years ago, I was barely keeping myself alive. Now, I have this miniature human looking up to me for support and guidance. Anybody else have those moments of awe that just stop you in your tracks?
He learns everything so quickly that I can't imagine what he'll be doing at my age. Right now, he's taking apart the remote, learning how to switch between games on my phone, signing what he wants for breakfast.... And, as of 6 months ago, he is NOT learning that it's okay to sit on your rump and watch TV all day or live in your pajamas.
(Photo courtesy of Caitlin Hawley Photography)
"Parenthood is exhausting...but there is that one miniature reason why you should take care of yourself."
As my pant size crept up and my energy level plummeted, I couldn't keep up with my ever-increasingly adventurous LO. He was no longer a baby; he was a toddler. He was couch surfing and climbing and playing hide and seek. He wanted to swing and go for walks and learn how blocks worked. He wanted me to dance and sing and keep his little mind going. And, even though I worked nights and kept house during the day while trying to start up a business (that wasn't exactly taking off), I knew something had to change. Parenthood is exhausting and there are a zillion excuses at to why you can't, but there is that one miniature reason why you should take care of yourself.
(Photo courtesy of my new running addiction)
"By the middle of the year, I had lost nearly 40 lbs and I wasn't ready to stop."
So, January of 2014, I began a weight loss journey that would give me more confidence than any of those "A"s in Advanced Honors Chemistry ever did. I was challenging myself in an area I failed so many times... and succeeding. By the middle of the year, I had lost nearly 40 lbs and I wasn't ready to stop. I needed motivation to keep going and a goal to work toward. Then, it came to me. I felt led or called or whatever you want to say and the little voice in my head was saying "Enter that pageant, momma! You can do it!" No, no, silly voice. I haven't worn heels in two years. Even my wedding dress wasn't that fancy. The extent of my makeup is a tinted moisturizer with mascara. The only up-do I have in my skill-set is a ponytail. I couldn't possibly... I mean, the expenses and the time and work... It just seemed so daunting. But, then again, so did losing 40 lbs.
I did my research and learned that I might only have a month to get all of my ducks in a row to enter my first pageant ever - Mrs. Tennessee America. By some blessing, the pageant had actually been bumped three months and the deadline had as well. I guess that settles it, then!
I now have until January to:
- Shed a remaining 10 - 20 lbs
- Find a gown AND bathing suit that keep my post-baby body contained in a relatively attractive manner
- Learn how not to kill myself in heels while simultaneously not looking like I'm walking on hot coals
- Figure out how to not break into cold sweats when interviewed
- Get head shots that don't show my double chin
- Perfect the art of painting my face to look like a socially acceptable woman
- Land sponsors to cover most if not all of the $600 entry fee plus ads in the program book
- Convince my stick straight hair to hold a curl for more than five minutes.
No pressure, right?!
I'm excited and nervous to share this journey with you. There is a good chance I'll fail at winning a crown, but I was never enamored with the winning. I was enamored with the effort those women put into being as close to perfect as they could be in every area of their lives. They were charitable and confident and eloquent and beautiful and graceful. If I can succeed in strengthening myself in each of those elements while staying true to myself, I will have won the best possible prize - becoming a great role model for my son.
Please feel free to share your comments and love below! XOXOXO
