Explore. Dream. Discover. Family Edition.: The Belly and its Progression to Awesomeness

It took me a long time to look (really) pregnant. This was frustrating because I had been looking forward to the perks of pregnancy. You know, people holding open doors, carrying my bags, and basically going out of their way to acknowledge the miracle of life I was growing inside of me. Of course, in order to get said benefits, you actually have to look pregnant. I did not. Or at least I wasn't that impressively/obviously pregnant until I was about 8 months along (depending on the outfit) because I carried so low. So once I crossed that threshold into looking really pregnant I was quite excited. I would now finally get the preggo props that I had been looking forward to these many months.

Wrong. Yes, people did finally recognize that I was pregnant, but, alas, they really didn't give a shit. Or at least not in the ways you would hope. Lacking were the, polite gestures, maternal respect, and assistance (oh, thank you so much for getting out of my way on the sidewalk because as you can see it is hard to maneuver this wide load I have out in front of me). Instead interactions seemed to bring out the nosier side of people. Conversations with strangers now centered on a string of questions: how far along are you, is it a boy or a girl, do you have a name??? These more begnin questions were often followed up by more specific coaching tips on parenting and child-rearing. Apparently the big belly brought out the Dr. Phil in people.

I think the creepiest moment was when while waiting for Pearce by the bar of a restaurant I looked over and caught a man was staring and grinning at me. When he caught my eye, he gave me a wink and toasted me from afar as if to say job well done preggo! On a funnier note, I only had one stranger, thankfully, touch my belly. I was in Target (shocker) when a little girl spotted my big belly and asked her mother if there was a baby in there. Before her mother could answer the girl ran over, put both of her hands on either side of my stomach and started jiggling it while talking to the baby. The mother was mortified, but it made my day. Hysterical!

Despite my burgeoning belly not bringing the mad respect I hoped for, both Pearce and I really enjoy my big Buddha belly. It is just amazing to me that my body is designed to stretch and grow in order to accommodate our little lady. I get great enjoyment strutting around the house jutting it out in all of its glory. Yes, getting up and down is harder than it used to be and yes, I can't bend over as agilely as I once did, but there is just something so wonderful about its roundness. In some ways, I think that I may actually miss it when PAL is born. I guess I could always work on a beer belly.

So here are just a few(ish) shots of my lovely belly over the course of my pregnancy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! (but maybe not as much as that guy in the bar!)