Well, the last few weeks have been interesting to say the least! If I can just be bold and honest here Β (and TRUST me, this is not me fishing for a compliment, it’s me being honest and REAL and not just posting “pretty pictures” and acting like everything is ok!) …. I had a pretty FALSE view of what I would look like pregnant, and while I can find pretty light, have my husband take some photos of me in a cute outfit, these days you most often will find me at home in his oversized flannel pants of E’s and a $5 Old Navy Tank top that actually fits…. You see, the thing is, I thought I would look like this at about 35 weeks pregnant and not 25 weeks pregnant! I know … I know…. that’s insecurity creeping through, but MAN I am only human! I will say, I asked E to snap these photos for me for a couple reasons :
1.) I do indeed want to document this baby girls growth and show her one day, the miracle that she is!
2.) I felt obligated after starting with a few maternity outfit posts to keep going because if I do not then I am not being real, and rather I am being that “fake-pinterest-perfect-and-my-life-is-worthy-of-instagramming-everything” girl that I don’t want to be…. Which I am THANKFUL for that feeling of obligation, because the day we took these, I was quite possibly feeling my WORST but came away with some new thoughts on body changes.
I had just been to the Dr. where they told me my “new” weight and it’s hard to see your body change SO fast! BUT alas, after E took these photos, I thought to myself ” Lord, you are growing this little girl in me, I am thrilled and honored with that responsibility and I am SO SO Thankful to have a husband who sees right past my insecurity and tells me how beautiful I am”….. So, while these are pretty “good angles” by a great photographer, it’s not how I look everyday and I want people to know that! To know the insecurity is normal, it’s OK to feel that way some days and then other days to look at yourself and feel BEAUTIFUL. I give you permission to feel EITHER WAY! But what I don’t give you permission to do, is compare yourself to ANY OTHER PREGNANT WOMAN and wonder why you don’t look like that … because that’s what I was doing the last couple weeks only to realize IT DOESNT MATTER!!! I am growing a little human, doing the best I can and looking pretty fly if you ask me! So no matter what… I pledge to do AT LEAST 3 more Maternity outfit posts before baby girl arrives, EVEN IF I FEEL INSECURE…. and again…. it’s not fishing for compliments, it’s me being real and honest about my body changes, emotions and weight gain that I did not know would be hard for me. Plus, my Sweet Sury Girl (Dog) snuck into a few of these shots and I ADORE those ones. π
So with that, I think I will be living in dresses this summer and find that a simple belt around the waist helps define my belly a bit and makes me proud of it!
Dress: Target Sandals: Forever 21 Bracelet: Morea Seal Rings: MadewellΒ The Dog – Sweet Sury Girl: The Pound π Β
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You are radiant and indeed growing a daughter who will be just as beautiful. Savor the moments for those of us who haven’t been able to conceive.
This is Katie on Ryan’s page… You are SO ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!! I have always felt that every pregnant woman is just so gorgeous, each in their unique, incredible way, just as each baby is so unique, one-of-a-kind and miraculous! I completely relate to your thoughts here, and believe me, I lived in pajamas for about 95% of my pregnancies…I would wear Ryans boxer briefs with a slit cut in the top front of the elastic band to make them more comfy as pajama shorts even though they were hideously ugly, lol. Seriously, I don’t know how Ryan didn’t lose hope when he came home to that some evenings, haha! Comfort becomes king. I would get dolled up about once every week or two for church, and after about an hour of trying to find an outfit that was both comfy and pretty, and about 3-4 near breakdowns into tears, I would head out the door feeling relatively ‘cute’. An hour later, I was wanting to rip those cute clothes off and put my sweats back on, haha!! Seeing pinterest pictures of ‘perfect’ fresh, radiant pregnant women always made me want to either laugh or cry π But you are radiant and beautiful, both in the dress and with the lighting, and on the couch with flannels and a messy bun!!
It is good to remember that there is such beauty amidst the discomfort and “bleh” that comes with growing a baby, and you are radiant with that beauty my dear sister!! This little girl is so lucky she has you for her mama π And Eric is one lucky man!!
Sorry, don’t mean to project my experience onto you, but I loved reading this because you are not alone in what you are feeling!!
(plus, random fact that helped me appreciate the weight gain instead of resent it: God created our bodies to do what they do during pregnancy for specific reasons. We gain weight, particularly FAT for a VERY good reason!! It is NOT that you didn’t manage to keep yourself from eating that 4th donut in 10 minutes {I think I ate pastries every day} it is purposeful. The fat stored on a woman body, specifically around her thighs and butt is stored for after the baby is born, and is easily accessible by mama’s body to be turned into breastmilk. This type of fat is crucial for healthy brain development in a baby in its first year of life!! So gaining a healthy amount of weight during pregnancy is God’s design for preparing your body to feed your little one and help their brain develop well! π Isn’t that just so cool?? So it is nothing to feel insecure about, it is something to be grateful for!! There has been research into this and I just found it so amazing how that works.)
Love this! I’m 25 weeks as well, so this post came at the perfect time! PS – I didn’t realize you were from the PNW!
I vote you share a picture of you in the oversized flannel pants and tank! π
Hey Tonie! Congrats on the upcoming baby!! We would love to send you our video π Shoot us an email: hello@babyitsbedtime.com π