Soggy

This is a little story about the last day of my first full week back at work. I was slightly (okay, more than slightly) stressed out because I had a bunch of errands to run before a weekly meeting of about 20 writers and editors.

Happily, the errands took less time than expected and I showed up to my meeting 20 minutes early. I figured a walk would help me blow off a little energy - and oh, what an efficient use of time now that I'm a working mom. So I strapped on my backpack and headed down the hill into town.

Many students were out-and-about walking to their classes, I was feeling quite chipper. I felt something a bit cold and damp on the back of my legs, but I thought nothing of it because it was a chilly morning.

Fast-forward 15 minutes - I arrive at my meeting feeling all chipper about my bit of exercise. I take off my backpack and notice the back of my coat is wet. Oh well, I think, I must have brushed up against something damp. Then I take out my notebooks and they are soaked. Then I realize my pants are wet - from my butt all the way down to my heels. Then I realize...all 32 ounces of the water bottle in my backpack has been spilling into my backpack and down my legs while I was out walking. And now I'm worried that my colleages are going to think I'm leaking in some weird postpartum way - never mind what all of those college students thought.

So I sit through my hour-long meeting in wet pants, taking notes in a damp notebook, and trying to secretly dry out my coat. Then it dawns on me - maybe this is what A feels like when his diaper is wet. Oh, the joys of working-motherhood!