"You're all belly!" they say...

The roller coaster ride of pregnancy is conniving, endearing, fearful, pleasant, frustrating...in the first trimester you're trying so hard to embrace the joys and wonders that are about to happen to your body. Crossing your fingers that you don't get morning sickness...I'm sorry for those of you who did experience that throughout.

Second trimester comes along, you're in the clear, everything seems to be operating as scheduled...but, why don't you LOOK pregnant yet? You certainly feel it with your swollen breasts and pants getting a little snug. You've already begun wearing bigger shirts to avoid the "muffin top".

And suddenly...POP! Here's the belly! At first, it's cute, is it not?

I must say, I've seen women who are REALLY ALL BELLY!  I encountered a young lady the other day at the H&M dressing room who at 37 weeks (like me) was sporting her "pre-pregnancy" jeans...and wrapped her tiny little waist with a belt! A BELT! Aaaah....belts...I haven't seen my belts in 9 months!

At my son's swimming classes, there's mommies pouncing around the pool with their belly's and thin long legs and I just sit there feeling fat and swollen wondering "how is that even possible?!". Maybe it is my insecurities of having slightly heavier thighs, and being 5'1"...there's some days where my thighs and ass don't look so huge and others that they look ginormous! To me.

Tip: do not look back! Don't go through "pre-pregnancy" photos unless you're strong enough to tell yourself that you're goal is to look like THAT again!

Well, despite all this nonsense I'm writing about, I'm speaking from a reality prospective. However, beauty is how you feel about yourself from the inside, and how you feel about your life in whole. I'm content and fulfilled. I have a beautiful and healthy son, a strong and compassionate husband, a roof over my head, my health and my baby's health, food to eat, a car to drive...the sun shines on cloudy days and I actually AM confident about my appearance. Gaining a mere 30+ pounds this time in my second pregnancy, eating more carefully and wisely is not all that hard.

And yes, I dress to impress because despite my feelings about myself, the body only I see in the mirror, it is always nice when someone tells you "look at you! you're all belly!" Yes. I am, because everything else is hidden! haha!  Your most attractive attribute is your smile, and you become approachable to people. And as I often wonder "wow, people in America are very friendly" I conclude that I'm actually smiling even when I don't think I am :)

Have a great day ladies!