cold weather is what you get for gloating

Rhoda's reaction yesterday when I told her the high temperature would only be in the 20s 

Let me tell you what you get when you miss a polar vortex when you are on vacation in 80+ degree southern California—you get TWO weeks of polar vortex when you come back to DC. After a snow day and two below zero days, I was a little disheartened to look at the forecast for next week (which is almost as grim as this week's). Before this afternoon, I hadn't been outside since Monday evening. I have eaten Nutella ebelskivers for breakfast every morning this week to make myself feel better about being stuck at home. To be fair, Rhoda has been pretty good-natured considering I have been keeping her cooped up inside all week because I can't bring a baby (or myself) outside when the windchill makes the temperature drop below zero. The problem is that she is wising up. Yes, Rhoda, there are really actually only three or so things I have at home to entertain a baby. Everything else I have in my bag of mom tricks involves being outside, in the stroller, in the wrap—anywhere but in our tiny one-bedroom apartment. So now she just wants to be held all the time, although tonight, in a strange turn of events during her witching hour, she was only happy when she was laying half-dressed on the changing table. A changing table is not really the most fun place for a grown-up to be entertaining a baby, especially when there is a drafty window right next to it. But she seemed to enjoy it for like twenty minutes, which is basically eternity for a baby, so I guess that's okay.

To end on a positive note, this afternoon was a bright spot amid the snow and wind when we went and met up with some other mom friends in the neighborhood that I met during my pregnancy. We all had baby girls with old lady names (seriously—Rhoda, Evelyn, Marian and Maude?) within weeks of each other and now we have a standing date to get together and share our collective wisdom about breastfeeding, postpartum recovery, cloth diapers, and adjusting to the mom thing in general. It's pretty great to have a group of friends that you can be completely confused with. I have picked the brain of many experienced moms and while that is helpful, it is also helpful to be around other people who are totally new to motherhood so that you can all learn together without passing judgment. So if this is how I'm going to make it through the winter, the next couple months won't be half bad.