Loving the “Mommy” body…..

Who loves there Mommy body?? Anyone??? Going once going twice???? Oh look at you all jumping up and down raising your hands!! What good mommies you are!! Well one day I’m jumping up and down (while slightly holding the jiggle) while other days I want to crawl into a hole, never eat another thing and drag out my “before mommy” cloths and magically slip into them! This story is how I’ve, over time, a lot of time, became happy with my Mommy body.

Here is a picture of me way back in the day…..when I could show off my belly!! Hey that was only ten years ago 🙁

Who’s with me? Ugh…….how can I complain about the extra poundage when I have the most beautiful person on the face of the earth sitting beside me? (I’m a little biased, I’m aloud, just like you are). Here is the thing. I may not have lost the weight I gained while pregnant, but my story just proves that it’s not about the numbers. Being pregnant doesn’t just “up” the numbers on the scale.                                                                     Here I am on my honeymoon….

So anyone who knows me, knows that I had a fantastic pregnancy. So perfect that I hate talking about it because I don’t like to make my loved ones say “You lucky bitch.” Yes there I said it. I know I would be saying that about my friends if they had the “perfect” pregnancy and I didn’t. Don’t worry, I know karma will come back around for #2 and kick me in the ass. Anyways, I justify my weight gain by remembering how great my pregnancy was. I glowed, I lost weight (don’t worry it just because I stopped drinking my wine), I ate whatever I wanted, though I did eat all the things I was supposed to as well. I was truly a happy person, I had everything I ever wanted, as each month went by with every kick I felt, I waited and waited patiently to meet my baby girl. Well and counted down to when I could quit my job 😉

Here I am about 6 months pregnant. We were pretty active I guess, we walked the track down the street a few nights a week.

18 lbs. later and 24 hours of birth I had finally met my sweet angel. I left the hospital two days later in sweatpants but 11 days later when I attended a family bridal shower I fit into a pair of jeans I hadn’t even fit into the day I found out I was pregnant. Talk about going out on a high! Whew! I can say what every new parent says, we didn’t eat when we wanted to, and when we did it was take out for the first three weeks. The funny part was when I was pregnant I could eat pizza, fried anything and all the take out that I wanted and didn’t get that “Fat-bloated” feeling!! Well that’s probably because I was fat and bloated already but didn’t care because I had a human being growing inside of me. Anyways, I was skinnier than I had ever been. I thanked my lucky stars and jumped on the scale. I must have ran out of the bathroom knocking over my husband saying I was at my lowest weight in years!! I said I’m a lucky one. I’m one of those lucky chosen ones that miraculously just looses the baby weight without having to do anything!!!!

Here I am on Thanksgiving, a month after Madison was born. Never thought I’d want to go back to that weight!!

Well I lived on this high for all of four months. Hey it was good while it lasted. Then slowly but surly “things” started happening. Now granted I did gain some weight, but I’m still at the weight I was the day I delivered my daughter (minus the daughter of course) so all in all, I’m really happy with that, what I’m not happy with is what has become of my body! Things go south isn’t even funny. I gained cups sizes galore while pregnant, that didn’t go away. I slowly started to get the belly back that I so quickly lost after I delivered. WHAT!!! Where did that come from when I didn’t have it for the first four months after delivering. My butt grew, my arms grew, even my feet grew!!

Here I am last summer heading out for a MUCH needed girls night out.

Now I look 5 or so months pregnant. I’m comfortable at home, but the second I walk about the door I have a fear that people will assume I’m pregnant again. It was OK when you have an infant, people will assume it’s “baby weight” well I have an almost two year old, people can’t assume anymore.

So here is the conclusion I’ve come to. I love my body. I love that my body held and nurtured life for 10 months (yes 10 months!!) I love that I experienced what a lot of woman can not experience. I love the connection I will always feel because of  this very body. Here is the question. How do you “really” feel comfortable with it? I want to go on that show “What Not To Wear.” The style I used to have is obviously not working for me. I’m OK with that. That really cute fall style that everyone adores right now, the skinny jeans with the tall boots and the sweaters with scarfs, yeah that’s not happening over here between my larger calves, my height and my boobs. I’m OK with that. No seriously I am, I just need help finding what does look best on me, where I can feel beautiful. When I can love putting on cloths again. At this point I’d never trade in my yoga pants because……….well they are comfortable and why where jeans and such when I’m home a lot. Why wear jeans to bring my daughter to soccer or dance at 9am. However, when I do go out for the occasional moms night out or a date night with my husband, or god forbid I say it, get my family portraits done next month, how do I know what is best for this Momma’s body??

Here is a picture of me and Madison from this summer.

I seriously want someone to nominate me for that show. It’s not that I don’t want a new style, I just don’t know how to go about doing it, can I hire someone?? No the magazine articles for “what body are you?” does not for me. I’m an Apple shape, or a Pear shape, that crap doesn’t cut it. I’m OK with not being able to wear what the style is in today, but there has to be a style out there for me.

I’m happy with where I am because I eat fresh foods, whole grains, and non processed foods. I won’t even buy frozen vegetables anymore because I want to go fresh. I take vitamins, I drink a lot of water, I hate soda, I have one cup of coffee a day. I may not exercise regularly, but I’m even OK with that because my time is spent with my daughter and when I’m not with her, I’m doing what I LOVE to do, cooking, taking care of my family or writing to all of you lovely people. I love it all. It’s taken me almost two years to be OK with my mommy body. I know I’m going to extend my family at some point so I’m not all that concerned about looking my best right now. Besides the doctor told me they couldn’t reduce my breasts until I’m done having children so why bother! 😉 Honestly if you were to look at the pictures I’ve taken since my daughter was born you’d see they were all of her or her and my husband. It’s not always my weight, I take horrible pictures. I mean really horrible pictures. Does the camera really add ten pounds? The only pictures I was ever happy with were my wedding pictures and I chalk that up to it being such a happy day that it all just came natural for me. I have to start taking more pictures with my daughter she needs pictures of her and mommy.

Here we are a few weeks ago making daddy a pizza.

Are you happy with where you are at with your Mommy body? What did you do to get there? Do you have a style you can share with me that would help hide my baby belly but still make me feel good? Yes I’m envious of the woman out there that go right back to their usual looking bodies but I can promise you that it’s never the same for them either, I’m done being jelous of woman that look the same after having children. It is what it is, I can’t waste my time on that, I have better things to think about. I know plenty of moms that look fantastic after having children but they are still complaining about all of the things someone like myself complains about. It’s just made me realize we are all moms and we all have our “Mom” bodies. Being comfortable and happy with yourself is what’s important. I’m almost there……..just need to find that “style” that works for me! So who is nominating me for What Not to Wear?? Here is the link if you need it 🙂 http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/what-not-to-wear/what-not-to-wear-casting.htm.