Belly Pics

Now, from reading previous posts I'm sure you have an accurate impression of my daily struggles & frustration with my body. I love my belly, don't get me wrong, but its everything else that frustrates me. Having been pregnant for 1 1/2 years & really not being able to exercise during either pregnancy has taken a toll on my morale. There seem to be lumps & bumps in places I never knew could get lumps & bumps. My sweet husband always denies that I have anything but the "perfect" pregnant body, but when I point out an area that has never seen cottage cheese before he always reminds me that I have had a different path than most. His encouragement along with the many kind comments from friends & family members still isn't enough for the harshest critic of all, ME! I decided not to do maternity photos because in my mind, why would I ever want to remember such a frustrating time with my body. You have read the rest of my posts & know that those thoughts classify me in the temporarily insane category. Those thoughts really aren't ME. Fortunately I have a husband and a girlfriend who set me straight & talked me into doing maternity photos.

I found a wonderful photographer who works full time as a NICU nurse & does belly & baby photos on the side. I e.mailed her links to photos I found online & liked & she came to my house for the photo shoot armed with additional poses, a backdrop & an amazing eye behind the camera. We took lots of photos with & without clothes, with & without Frank & Maya (our dog) then headed up the hills to my parents home where we did some amazing outdoor photos. The entire experience was not only very comfortable but also a lot of fun. At one point she suggested doing some partially nude photos, I contemplated her suggestion, then said, "heck you see boobs all day long at work, why not". It turned out to be extremely liberating & resulted in some incredibly intimate & stunning photos of me & of Frank & me, all of which I will cherish. I truly think the photographer could make or break the experience & ours certainly made it! The next day she e.mailed me a link to her blog where she posted some of our photos & I literally burst into tears when I saw them. Having been so self-critical even I couldn't deny the beautiful images she had posted. It all sort of hit me that no matter what size you are used to pre-pregnancy & to whatever degree your body has changed during pregnancy there is no question that the pregnant body is simply beautiful! Immediately, I not only changed my whole Debby Downer perspective on my body, but felt an overwhelming boost in self-confidence. Doing these photos & seeing them on my computer screen reminded me that pregnancy is beautiful & special & the pregnant body (even your own) is meant to be loved & appreciated no matter what lumps & bumps have appeared out of nowhere. I e.mailed our photographer & thanked her for making the experience so comfortable & for literally boosting my beaten up body image. My husband replied to my e.mail (and made me cry): 'Sentiment expressed by Dana rings very true for me as well. Thank you for making this a great experience for my wife, now she can see how beautiful she looks with our baby. -Frank'

So there you have it, please do maternity photos. If hiring a professional isn't within your budget or your comfort level, have a friend or even your husband do them. You will not regret it & they will become a beautiful memory for you & your child of one of the most beautiful states your body will ever see.

Here is the link to Jennifer's blog. I hesitated letting her keep the non-clothed photos on her blog, then I remembered how much time I spend on this blog singing the "embrace you body" tune & decided that I better put my money where my mouth is. So, enjoy! And, again, enjoy your beautiful pregnant body!!!

Scroll down to "The G family is expecting"...
http://jenlschow.bigfolioblog.com/

Nesting

I'm standing (8 months pregnant) at the top of the stairs with my arms full of drapes, sneezing. Frank appears at the landing below the stairs...
Frank: "What are you doing?"
Dana: "I'm taking all of the drapes to be cleaned".
Frank: "All of the drapes? Why?"
Dana: "Frank, we've never had the drapes cleaned and we've lived here for 4 years, do you know what lives in these suckers?"
Frank: "Ahhhh Haaaaa, THIS is what nesting is!"

So there you have it, Frank's Ahhh Haaaa moment is indeed, me nesting. Not only do we now have very clean drapes, but we also have all new door knobs, a freshly painted office & laundry room, a new handrail for the stairs, new throw pillows on the couch, & new rugs in the kitchen. I haven't hit my fanatic clean everything with a Q-tip phase yet, but my girlfriends assure my that that is just around the corner. I appear to be in Phase 1 of nesting. I almost started to explain the drape scenario by saying it was something I always intended to do & just never found the time, but really I knew the moment Frank caught me in the act, I am nesting! The good news is, they really are things I have wanted to get done & just never found the motivation to do. And, so far, I haven't made Frank run to Riteaid in the middle of the night for diaper cream or anything totally irrational. Nesting not only facilitates the completion of 1/2 finished or odd ball tasks around the house, but it also serves as a little reminder that the long awaited bundle of joy is just around the corner.

Now that I've made it to the third trimester I have to say that it is by far the most fun trimester of all! The baby kicks & moves regularly which always makes me smile. It's the trimester you get to start thinking of & narrowing down names, the nursery starts to take shape, you meet with pediatricians & decide who will be your child's medical care giver, you get to take maternity photos (if you are so inclined), & you pack your hospital bag. Not to mention the overwhelming feeling of comfort in the fact that the organs are fully developed & the baby could come any day & be perfectly healthy. For those who have had pregnancy scares there is truly no better feeling. The excitement & anticipation elevates in the 3rd trimester & the pregnancy transforms into a very real thing. It feels as though the light at the end of the tunnel starts to rapidly approach. So bring on the nesting, we don't have long before we will add a wee-one to the nest! And, boy am I ready, clean drapes & all!!!

Ready to POP?!

If you've seen the movie 'Knocked Up' with Katherine Heigl you might remember the scene where she is interviewing red carpet celebrities & they keep asking her if she is delivering tomorrow, or commenting that she is "ready to pop", or she can't possibly be 7 months pregnant she must be 9! Well the writers must've consulted with a preggo, as that scenario seems to happen to me regularly & when I ask other Moms they say the same thing happened to them. Just when you feel huge already someone (usually male) comes along and says "boy you must be getting ready for your epidural". Or when asked when are you due & you reply "I've got about 2 months left" they say "no way, you look like you could deliver tomorrow!" I've been getting these comments more & more these days & I can't help but start to feel a little self-conscious. "Should I look this big already?", "Do they know I've been pregnant for 1 1/2 years?", "Stupid men!", "You try carrying a baby around for 10 months!", "I must be retaining water today!", "Guess I shouldn't have had that extra scoop of ice cream last night!", "Maybe this baby will be big, my brother was 10.5lbs after all"... are all comments that have run through my head at times like those. And when I sit down and think about those seemingly insensitive comments I have to remind myself WHO CARES! I am carrying a healthy baby & if given the choice to be tiny having only gained 8lbs with a barely there bump & have an unhealthy baby or to look like I've gained the appropriate weight & get the "you must be ready to pop" comments on a daily basis, I choose option B. Embrace the belly, & forget about the "you must be ready for your maternity leave" comments!

Now that being said there are those folks who find clever ways to comment or ask questions about my pregnancy without implying that I look like Free Willy. I figured I would write those comments down as advice for those who just can't pass up an opportunity to say something about someone's bump.
-"You are absolutely glowing! When are you due?"
-"You are the cutest pregnant woman, you must be getting excited to have your baby!"
-"When are you due? Your baby will be so lucky to have such a beautiful Mom."
-"Pregnancy certainly agrees with you, when are you due?"
Now I'm not suggesting that flattery or exaggeration is necessary, but it certainly helps sugar coat the "I'm huge, bloated, tired, & I still have 2 months left" feeling that the preggo you are talking to is undoubtedly feeling. If compliments aren't your style, go for humor...
-"You sure have been hitting the beers this summer" (a parking garage attendant said that to me, I thought it was hilarious & he was so proud of his clever comment)
-"Did you swallow a basketball?"
-"Who's the man that did that to you, anyway?"
...yes, even preggos enjoy a good laugh. But whatever you do, don't say...
-"You look ready to pop!"
-"Are they inducing you tomorrow?"
-"You look like you could deliver a 10lb baby right now!"
-"Don't worry you will lose the pregnancy weight in no time!"
... because depending on the day, & what preggo you are talking to, you might get punched!

And preggos, from a fellow preggo, you DO look beautiful! Embrace the beautiful bump & the rest of it too, & remember that your body is the incredible vehicle that carries & delivers your beautiful baby. Love it no matter how many extra pounds you might've gained or despite the new cellulite field you've discovered, because nothing is more important than a healthy baby.

Babymoon

This weekend my husband and I went on what I referred to as a babymoon. While my husband is POSITIVE that I made this whole phenomenon up I reassured him that this is not a new thing & that many couples go on babymoons! While I am actually starting to feel like a "normal" pregnant woman we were mindful of our previous complications & opted to choose a location within driving distance. We did splurge a little and stayed at a stunning resort right on Payette Lake in McCall, Idaho. It was, perhaps, one of the most relaxing peaceful & romantic weekends we've had in a long time. We spent the weekend talking about the past, present & future. We ate great food, took leisurely strolls, spent hours sitting on the dock reading & snoozing, & laughed & talked like we did when we first started dating. It was a great break from the fast pace of life not to mention a welcomed reprieve from the 100+ degree heat in Boise. We reluctantly left our weekend retreat & on the drive home we commented on how much fun we had & vowed to do many, many more babymoons.

While a babymoon might have been a wise pregnant woman's ploy to get a luxurious vacation out of her husband, I do believe that there is great merit to the idea. There is so much emotion, planning & prep work that goes into pregnancy & getting ready for a baby, it is easy to lose sight of the reason you are in this position in the first place. You wouldn't be pregnant if it weren't for the love for your spouse. A babymoon is a great way to remind yourselves that the most important part of pregnancy and truly, your baby's life, is your love for each other. The paint in the nursery, the oodles of clothes & baby gear, the piles of books to read, & even the baby classes don't mean anything if you lose sight of what's really important. Someone once told me that the best gift you can give your children is a wonderful relationship with your spouse. Not only is that amazing insight, but it certainly justifies a babymoon. In fact, it justifies a babymoon, a post babymoon, regular date nights, & even long getaways just for two! So plan that babymoon & remember that the little being inside of you was created out of love for one another & nothing is more important than that!



Frank & Dana's Babymoon- McCall, Idaho