Tonight I'm linking up with Kate at Kate Says Stuff to do a little bit of gratitude. I started a gratitude journal once upon a time and I must admit it has been sadly neglected. So this is good.
I am, however, concerned that this may, in fact, be Bragging Thursday masquerading as Thankful – but stick with me.
Today I stopped into a shop at my local shopping centre to pick up a little something (okay, if you must know, it was a Reese's Crispy Crunchy Bar because peanut butter and chocolate are the loves of my life). Annnnnyway, I go to the counter to pay and the young woman says to me, "How do you keep your figure with a baby?" and indicated to Zee in the pram (LD was at kinder). I was startled and said, "Oh God, I'm pregnant!" and touched my stomach self-consciously, "This is my third baby!" "You're pregnant and you still look like this?" she shook her head. "If you had come in without a baby, I would have thought you were a teenager."
This encounter was amazing. The stuff that makes a girl's day. But it was even more poignant because earlier this morning, I had been dressing and lamenting the state of my body. Fourteen weeks pregnant is awkward, body-wise. You haven't properly popped, that lovely firm belly an obvious marker of your blooming state. Rather, you feel uncomfortable in your regular clothes and rub your belly whenever you're in public just to make sure people are aware you're with child and not sporting a beer gut.
So today, I was reminded of how amazing my body truly is and how cruel I can be about it in spite of the incredible things it has done and allows me to do, every day. And that even with the cellulite and jiggly belly, it doesn't look half bad. Genetically, I am pretty lucky.
I am thankful for genetics. I am thankful for this body that doesn't outwardly reveal half the abuse I heap upon it (peanut butter and chocolate, anyone?). I am thankful for the wildly gorgeous creatures that have sprung forth from this body, a body I spend far too much time and effort despairing of.
I am thankful for my body. It is a thing of wonder.
Around 36 weeks pregnant with LD
It is truly amazing how the body stretches to accommodate the new life and then just as quickly returns to almost normal. We all know some things are never what they were but oh my – the greater blessing is the wonder and capability of the female form.
Nice compliment and I say lap it up!
LOVE this post!
Our bodies are just insanely amazing when you really think about it. I hear you on the 14 week thing though… that awkward stage where you just feel heavy but not yet obviously pregnant. Unless you are me and it’s your fourth in which case that stage happens at about 6 weeks 😉
Thanks for linking up Angie! Glorious photo by the way, just beautiful.
what a great photo :)always nice to receive these compliments and reminders for ourself 🙂
Hey, if you got it, love it! You look amazing at 36 weeks with LD! Each time I was pregnant, people couldn’t tell I was pregnant for months – not because I was trim though, bwahaha!
How lovely to hear that from a complete stranger! I have no doubt you’re looking great. And yes, it’s amazing thing to experience pregnancy. I am often reflective of that, and feel blessed. We all need to be a little kinder on ourselves and our bodies.
I cannot remember if I told you congratulations yet.
Congratulations!
Week 14 is awkward. I’m pretty sure I was obviously pregnant by then with Lil Diva (the belly had no issues popping out the second time around) but with my son it was definitely the “no, I don’t have a beer belly, just read my pregnancy t-shirt!” phase.
You look absolutely amazing at 36 weeks. I mean.. Damn!