Pregnancy Is Not Always Glamorous.

Embracing the elastic.

29 Mar posted by heirtoblair

Let’s be honest – maternity clothes are darling. Until I have to wear them, & then some black hole sucks all the cute & I’m stuck wearing cheap fabric draped like a tent over swollen ankles.

My maternity style back in 2009 was terrible; I’m not going to make any excuses for it or claim that I am a reformed now-fashionista, but I did learn valuable lessons to carry into my next pregnancy:

1) Embrace leggings. Being a tall gal (5’10″) I ran into a BIG problem in the third trimester – the dresses that properly covered me in the second trimester now rode high on my belly & exposed…well, everything. So I purchased capri leggings to wear under my work dresses, & unfortunately this was long before leggings became cute fashion staples.

2) Invest in good clothes that I love. There are two types of maternity-wearers – those that refuse to spend money since it’s a short “season” of clothing, & those that view it as a fashion opportunity. I fell under the first group & rocked many shapeless shirts I found on the $5.99 clearance rack. By the end of the pregnancy, I splurged for good pieces that fit my new body & I felt much prettier.

3) Rock the elastic. I want to find out who decided that pants should have buttons & zippers instead of elastic…& punch them in the face. Elastic is comfy & I have decided to start a petition for all pants & skirts to be made with elastic from here on out. I was in maternity pants around 5 weeks pregnant with Harrison & wore them until 12 weeks postpartum.

4) Play up the accessories. This past year, I’ve really worked on putting scarves & cardigans & cute shoes into my closet to complement more “plain” pieces, like basic t-shirts, jeans, and black shift dresses. I think it would be smart to create a maternity wardrobe with a few classic, quality pieces & build the fun & color with the accessories. babmaternityclothes Embracing the elastic.

Do you “toss in the towel” with maternity clothes & figure it’s 6 months of frump? Or do you invest in good pieces? Or were you like me & you’ve changed your mind after pregnancy?

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Find more posts from bloggers sharing their experiences of motherhood on the Huggies page on BlogHer.com.

HeirtoBlair500x150 v41 Embracing the elastic.

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Filed Under: Knocked Up, Pregnancy is not always glamorous., Pregnancy Side-effects, Who's body is this?

The Final Week

20 Mar posted by heirtoblair

When I think back on the last week of my pregnancy, I remember being very pregnant. Swollen ankles to match a swollen belly & anticipation that flowed through the core of my being. None of my clothes fit anymore, only the maternity leggings & jeans I bought last-minute with a few T-shirts. I began wearing them to the office without even asking permission, but at almost two weeks overdue, I think they knew better than to argue.

All of my paperwork & clients were settled anyway – me sitting behind my desk was like a lame duck president, simply waiting for the term to end.

Every night, I came home with exhausted hips & feet but by the end of the night, after dishes were tucked back into cabinets & a cup of tea brewed, I found myself sitting in the nursery. I sat with only a lamp on in the glider, hand on my belly & full of wonder. I wondered who this little baby would be & who I would become as a mother. I worried that I did not have enough diapers or enough clothes or enough bottles or that I would simply not be enough. Sometimes I straightened the little outfits in the closet for the 500th time, but mostly I sat & rocked. I sang lullabies, practicing for future 3am wake-up calls. I dreamed of little toes & Little League, of a lifetime ahead.

Sometimes my husband peeked in on me with a smile, that indulgent smile that I always returned because we made this miracle & this life. It embarrassed me a little, to be found lost in thought, since earlier that day he had caught me standing on the coffee table vacuuming the ceiling. Or scrubbing the bathtub while I was showering. Or checking my hospital bag once more.

I did a lot of those nesting tasks on repeat as I waited for labor. The labor that never came on its own. That infuriating, magical week where every moment was the longest pause of my life & every twinge was the possible beginning of something new.

Find more posts from bloggers sharing their experiences of motherhood on the Huggies page on BlogHer.com.

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Filed Under: Child Eviction, Knocked Up, Life in General, Pregnancy is not always glamorous.

Where I channel Samuel L. Jackson.

28 Sep posted by heirtoblair

I’M GETTING MOTHER EFFING STRETCHMARKS ON MY MOTHER EFFING FEET.

footstretchie Where I channel Samuel L. Jackson.
This is where I draw the line. I am proud of my belly stretchies. I can deal with the ones on my knees & calves. BUT I DRAW THE LINE AT FEET.

fwiw, my foot looks AWESOME in this picture after hoisting it above my heart for 3 hours while we watched Goonies. It’s amazing how my perspective of what constitutes “awesome” has changed in the past few weeks.

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Filed Under: FAIL, Pregnancy is not always glamorous., Pregnancy Side-effects

Battle wounds.

27 Sep posted by heirtoblair

When God said to go forth & multiply, Phyllis thought that included her as well.

These are her disciples.

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Filed Under: Pregnancy is not always glamorous., Who's body is this?

I used to like driving in tunnels as a kid, but this kind of tunnel sucks.

21 Sep posted by heirtoblair

Carpal, that is. My fingers are so swollen that I cannot straighten them. Or bend them more than a few twitches. I can’t hold a pen. Or an eating utensil.

I wanted a baked potato & salad for lunch, but realized I couldn’t hold the fork. So I got a sandwich.

I want to cry.

Any ideas on relieving the pain?

I should take a picture. I have pitting edema in my index finger & my wrist bones have taken a vacation…I think they’re in St. Lucia, sipping martinis at the Sandals Halcyon.

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Filed Under: Pregnancy is not always glamorous., Who's body is this?