Last night in bed I was reading about my ninth month of pregnancy in my What to Expect When You're Expecting book. I thought it would be hilarious to make my husband turn away from his Jonathan Edwards biography and read the list of pregnancy symptoms I will experience this month. If I have to go through them, he should at least have to know about them, right? He was horrified. I'm not gonna lie, pregnancy is a beast. A beautiful and necessary beast, but also a fat, grumpy, and uncomfortable one. (Still, I know many people would give their right and left arms to be pregnant right now and I know how blessed I am to have gotten to do this twice.)
So, back to my motto - don't look behind you. You may know that we started our spring semester LPM Bible study last night. As soon as I got to the church, I went into the bride's room where my mom was getting ready. Not only did I want her to know I had arrived, I also knew there would be cheese and crackers in there. I always look forward to this treat when I'm at Bible study. Don't ask me why. Of course, this time I am pregnant so it's to be expected. I quickly realized the error of my ways when I was popping cheese cubes into my mouth and suddenly saw myself in the many, many mirrors of the bride's room. Angles, people. So many different angles. Pregnant women should never, ever enter the bride's room. Leave it for the beautiful princess dressed in white with a tan and toned arms. For real, y'all. It was very painful. I now have mental images of my backside that will give me nightmares for the rest of my life.
Now I realize that other people have been seeing me from these angles all along, but bless VPG's heart. When there's currently nothing she can do about her backside, and when it will only get worse before it gets better, isn't it more kind to let her stay ignorant of her true girth? Yes! The answer is yes!
In case you're keeping track, I have now graduated to VVPG status. Yes, that would be Very Very Pregnant Girl. I passed the one month mark of my due date on Monday and tomorrow I will be 36 weeks along. I'm terribly excited. I can count on two hands how many MDO days Jackson has left before baby comes. At that point, he will still go to MDO, but I will no longer have those days to myself. Yesterday I took full advantage of my alone time and went to the mall to exchange some things and use some gift cards.
I also went to Babies R Us and stocked up on things I need for the nursery. I loaded my basket with new burp cloths, tiny hooded towels and wash cloths, miniature white kimono tees, microscopic socks, a few BPA-free bottles, Dreft, some pink baskets for the changing table, a new Diaper Champ (white with pink trim!), a baby book, a keepsake box, some receiving blankets, a new mattress, and a hot pink changing pad cover. I had the most fun ever. Also? I bought newborn diapers. It was so exciting.
All I have left to do now is get some supplies for breastfeeding, but those are last on my list since, incidentally, I already have breasts. Houston has a really neat store for nursing moms in Rice Village that I've been hearing about, so I'm going to pay them a visit soon. I was going to go tomorrow while Jackson was at MDO, but he's sick today and I'm thinking he probably won't get to go. Dern, that's one less day!
I'll leave you with this.
Baby Girl's diaper
Jackson's bedtime diaper
74 comments:
I STILL think you are the beautiful princess. Just so you'd know...
Love you!
Holly
VVPG, I fully understand and sympathize with the beastly pregnancy...um..."issues" that your body goes through - especially towards the end. Mine even continued after my 2nd daughter was born when I had to have my gall bladder removed when she was 9 days old. Betcha didn't know that gall bladder issues often accompany pregnancy, huh? I didn't...until it flared up...and I thought I was having a heart attack. Not to mention that daughter 2 was a preemie and was in the NICU until she was 6 days old. So she had been home for 3 days when I went back in the hospital for 3 more days with gall bladder surgery. LOVELY.
Can't wait to "meet" this little one. The bloggy world needs another Princess for us all to goo over!
A Mother's Work is the best! The are SO very helpful with all sorts of things (they helped me contain my BOD post baby with a great nursing bra)! They also have some cute baby things too.
The diapers next to each other was too much! I forgot how tiny those newborn diapers were!!!
VVPG ~ you are so stinkin' cute!! How exciting that you are going to have a little pink lady gracing your already very busy house really soon. What a beautiful thing it is!!!
Have a Blessed evening,
Dawn
Oh, I love those little tiny diapers. If only our "booties" looked as cute, huh?
Girl, I didn't even think about the multiple mirrors...that would be horrifying, but I am sure you still look absolutely beautiful!
You were cracking me up!
Take care!
Oh my gosh! I know exactly what you mean! It blows my mind. I really thought the only thing that would change would be my stomach. I still can't understand why my rear has to get big in order for me to carry a baby!
I didn't realize you live in Houston. We are in Tyler. I have a friend in Kemah who came to visit this weekend. We don't get to Houston as often as we should, but we do visit.
You forget how tiny the diapers are...and they are SO cute! :)
I'm so excited for you! :) I'm so glad that I still get to keep up with you here since you aren't in Dallas - it definitely brightens my day to read what's going on in your life.
Hope you enjoy your last few days by yourself before your first daughter arrives!
I LOVE the diaper comparison photo! I've kept a diaper in every size my little guy has gone through this first year (he will turn one on February 5th). He's already in a size 5!!!
i totally wish i'd saved each one of the girls a newborn diaper. they are SO CUTE! and how good do pampers swaddlers smell? and DREFT! oh my heavens...they're the best!
I laughed when you said on my blog that you couldn't watch the bachelor because it would hurt your self esteem. All I could think the other night when they were all parading in bikinis and each weighed about 98 lbs soaking wet that I was glad to be married and pregnant because NO WAY I could ever go on the bachelor and have to wear a bathing suits. Some people have HIPS!
when titus sees your blog, he always tells me that your dog needs a ball :) love you! oh, what's funny is when you accidentally grab the newborn size and try and put it on your toddler beast. we just laugh and say, "where's your mommy?"
Amanda. It sounds like the most perfect day spent alone shopping and thinking of baby girl. You are right you will not be alone much longer. At this stage of motherhood I still enjoy the trips alone. No diapers to buy but really fun miniature adult clothes and goods.
I think you are beautiful!
Not to long ago Pampers sent me a diaper in the mail. I have a 20 and 18 year old, hello! I did enjoy looking at the newborn diaper. They are so cute. :))
The pictures of those diapers made me smile!
HUGE smile!
I love your blog and rarely comment, but I just had to say...AMEN on not looking back!! Girl, I am at 16 weeks with baby #2 and if you can believe it, I've already gained 4 pounds that have gone straight back there. If this is any sign of things to come, I just want to CRY!
So excited for you and the addition of your sweet daughter.
Oh Amanda, it's so true! I can't wait for this thing to (hopefully) shrink soon. We are both almost there now!
Sweet Amanda,
I am more endeared to you every time you write. I was so thankful to be reading today because it wasn't too long ago that I was right where you are and my how time does fly.
luvin you girl and prayin' too!
You're beautiful just the way you are missy! Just don't look behind you anymore!!!
About those shoes for baby girl...they've apparently discontinued them! WHAT?! I was sooooo upset when I found that out. I might be able to get them in another town so am still going to check!
I know you don't know me but I stumbled across your blog and got the biggest chuckle out of your post. A month ago I delivered my first baby, a girl. She was a whopping 8 lb 12 1/2 oz and was a little rough on my body if you know what I mean. A couple of weeks after delivery a good friend asked me if I'd taken a mirror and looked at my stitches. Uh, no, I told her...you NEVER look at it...it only makes it hurt worse. She's never had kids...she'll understand someday if she delivers a big baby like I did! Needless to say, I hope you get to stay in newborn diapers longer than my little angel did. We moved on to size 1's pretty quickly! Good luck!
Girl, at least your back side was small to begin with...there's always hope for you that it will most likely become small again! Some of us aren't small to begin with, so at least pregnancy is a good excuse for those few months! I'll be 20 weeks tomorrow- and believe you me, if necessary I will be blaming my large rump on this little one for many years! (You know the saying "I still haven't lost those few baby pounds! :)
Congrats! Little girls are a ton of fun...enjoy all of the pink!
The diapers side by side, now that is a precious site. Enjoy your time with your babies, it goes by oh so fast.
You will finish well and be back to your own self in no time.
I can't wait to meet her.
Much love,
Celeste
It seriously makes me feel so good to read your blog! Sometimes I get so sad looking at my ever expanding backside...and then I feel guilty because I realizehow fortunate I am...nice to know I'm not the only one who feels like this! It really is a beast, isn't it!?!
I'm going over to the store in Rice Village on Friday...maybe I'll see you there!
Amanda, I just bought my first ever box of diapers at Target this week! It was a surreal experience. Philip and I can't believe how tiny they are...
Oh, be still my heart. That tiny little diaper is just the most precious thing! My girls are quickly outgrowing their "babyhood" at 4 (in a couple of weeks) and just-turned 2. It may be time for another one....
Can't wait to see pictures of the princess!
You are absolutely hilarious, and totally wonderful! I've been reading your blog for a while now and am SO EXCITED for you on the imminent arrival of your little girl!
Those Swaddlers are THE BEST DIAPERS EVER. And other than babies, they are the cutest things I've ever seen.
On another note (because I didn't know about these with my almost 3 year old, but DID find out about them in time for my 1 year old), check out Lily Padz for nursing. They are FAN-TAS-TIC.
Take care, and God bless!!
You are beautiful, I know!! Can't wait to see this baby girl! :0)
Girl- you look fabulous!!!! That diaper comparison is just too much!
Funny you posted the pictures of the diapers... I took pictures of our size "N" diapers today and the size "1" ones that we have just graduated to, and was going to write a post about them tomorrow! They outgrow the tiny ones SO fast!! :(
the diaper comparison blows my mind! how do those sweet cheeks grow so much, so fast?!
get ready for setting foot in a woman's work... it's like stepping foot in zutano and kissy kissy heaven. i can't get enough of how soft both of those brands are!
and there is fabulous nursing supplies too:)
That is a great motto...one which I desperately need to adopt. Why is it that when your body realizes you're pregnant, its fat cells absorb as much water/fat as possible as soon as possible?? Bleh!
VVPG, I think its funny about all the angles. I'm glad I NEVER walked into a brides room when I was a VVPG. Its kinda like trying on swimsuits now for me. Despise the angles. Ha!
Praying for you. Take care of that baby boy Jackson! Enjoy the days!
Love,
Fran
You CRACK me up. It reminded me of a funny story from my 9th month of pregnancy with our 3rd and final child (MANY years ago). I had gained over 50 lbs. (no, that is not a typo) and while walking (waddling) into church one Sunday, I told Keith, "Oh no, I forgot to wear a slip!" Keith took a step back behind me to examine the view and quickly said, "Don't worry honey. I don't think anyone will be looking." We still laugh about that to this day!
I've seen A Woman's Work a million times but never really paid it any attention when I was a college student (duh). I just looked at the website, and it looks amazing! It's very similar to a place here called Isis, where I took a class with a bunch of other moms with small babies, to learn about how they were developing and get some emotional support. I would highly recommend taking that type of class to anyone.
Also, I can totally sympathize with the "don't look behind you" mantra. At this point in pregnancy, I just felt a little panicky every time I looked in the mirror, like "How did my body get so far out of my control?" It's like it has a life of its own. But it will get back to normal, as you know. :)
Big buns are IN, girl. You are HOT!
VVPG--Too cute! And hey, I think cheese and crackers should be something to get excited about. That's one of my favorite snacks. :)
Re: diapers comparison- once they're filled and you have to compare that...well, now, that is depressing.
Amanda, you have age on your side, girlfriend, and you've looked lovely in all your photos. I was just under 35 with #3 and wow- age makes such a difference during and post pregnancy. (By the way, did you know there is a special geriatric type of name for pregnant ladies 35 and over? The nurse kindly informed me of that at our first meeting with #3 and thankfully, I just missed getting that label.). And besides, I heard once it takes 3 years to recover from a pregnancy (some might argue at least 18).
"Since, incidentally, I already have breasts."
Please don't ever make me laugh that loud again while sitting alone with my laptop in a crowded restaurant. People are now staring.
You are too cute & funny! You always brighten my day with your take on things. By the way, I would guess that there must be a mention in the "what to expect" book about blurred vision. Didn't see it? See there! Now, what you thought you saw in the mirror was probably not accurate. No worries! It was just an illusion!
Amanda- You are too funny with the VVPG! And I like your motto, too! :)
Those tiny diapers get me every time!!! They are so little!
I am so excited for you guys....and thankful that I am following right behind you with my own "baby girl!" God is so good!
Blessings!
Fyi...I saw you from afar at Bible Study last night and you look GREAT...truly! If it's any consolation...I think I am about your age, have had no children, nor am I pregnant, and I'm pretty confident that my bum is still way bigger than yours! :) Congrats!
When my daughter was born, she weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds, 15 ounces. I was HUGE for a very long time during my pregnancy. I was about where you are and I was walking past a mirror in the ladies' restroom at Chuck E. Cheese. I had been avoiding side views of myself for obvious reasons. I will never, ever, ever forget what I looked like in that mirror. If I turned the right way, I could have killed a child with the blunt force trauma coming from my stomach. I kid you not. I momentarily thought of wearing a sign to warn anyone who was short and could read. It was that bad.
I feel for you, VVPG, I feel for you.
You are so funny. And, that diaper comparison? Bless the sweet name. Little baby bodies SO intrigue me. I mean really, they are exactly like us, just mini! I know I am so wierd, but I think about those things.
Saw you from afar last night! You were looking so cute with your yellow purse. Get it girl! And, I didn't notice any angle issues. :)
Wow, Little Momma, I will note everything you posted:)...You were blessed on your shopping adventures, good!:)...VVPG, aww...you sure are getting stocked up, Pequena Madre, I love the diaper pic! It made me smile:)
Love in CHRIST,
katiegfromtennessee
I concur.
I am only half-way through this pregnancy and I wouldn't dare look behind me.
I remember with my first picking up a pair of maternity pants someone gave me and thinking, "Those are huge. They will never fit my bottom." I put them on and they were even a little snug.
Rude!
Here's a question you can get back to me on re looking behind you:
8 years from now, if it never went back to what it was before, can you still call it 'baby weight'?
(please say yes!)
girl....I was preggo from my head to my toes and NEVER once was brave enough to look at the rear view!!! The front view was scary enough!!! BUT...
You are absolutely stunning!
THOSE DIAPERS!!! Oh my goodness...you are going to put a baby in that little thing SOON!!!
You really should frame this warning in a beautiful frame outside the Bride's Room!
Praying for you!
steph.
That is so cute...and I totally hear ya on the backside. I refuse to check my outfit from behind!
I really, really, really did not like being pregnant. I did not mind "birthing" those babies but being pregnant was NOT good to me. You know how a lot of people say a pregnant woman just "glows" well that was not me. I am grateful, however, to have had easy and relatively short labors. Thank you, Jesus! And mind you it was 37 years ago that I was last pregnant and the memories are still fresh.
Take heart, Amanda! I weighed the most when I got pregnant with #2, but just 10 months later I was down 15 pounds from what I started at!
(Then I bought a whole new wardrobe, went home, and found out I was pregnant. And I've never seen that number or anything close to it ever since. But that's not gonna happen to you.)
And I STILL don't look in the angled mirrors.
It's okay that your backside doesn't look the best. You have a blessing in your belly and that's all that matters! Can't wait to see pictures of that beautiful blessing! Love the nursery too. :-)
Honey (I had my fingers wrong on the key board and actually first addressed you as Hiney. That would have been an untimely error!),
My favorite card in the world is the one that has a VVPG on the front of it. The cover says, "I just want you to know..." and the inside says, "This isn't my real bu**." It isn't. And your mother would know. I put diapers just that tiny on YOU.
You are so darling I can hardly stand it.
I totally understand the VPG bee-hind issue. I remember whining to the Lord during pregnancy how BIG my thighs and hips looked. He knew I needed some serious vision correction because He renewed my mind with this:
Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of a Master Hand.
Song of Solomon 7:1
Wow, He speaks to everything!!
I couldn't help but "awww" at those diapers! Girl, Jackson is going to suddenly seem HUGE to you once you hold baby girl!
Can't wait to see her. I actually have several outfits for her here at the house. A girl can't have too many clothes, right??!!
Haven't seen you lately, but I'm sure your bum is quite alright. You are ALWAYS darling. Preggers or not.
Oh how I love those newborn diapers. I have kept the last one of both my kids and pull it out to look at is sometimes. Even with my 7 month old I'm amazed at how she fit in those. I will say though that this time around I was quick to graduate sizes because the blowouts weren't worth the cute diapers.
Amen! Three months after birth, it's slowly but surely going away. SLOWLY!!! But still going away.
can't wait to see pics of those two IN the diapers!! how precious!!
I totally know what you mean about not looking behind you, except I'm not pregnant!!!! :)
I did the same thing when the Princess was a flower girl and I was about 9 months pregnant. 9 months PG in a dress in a very well lit room with many many mirrors with raging hormones. Not a good combo!
Oh my, that diaper picture is waaaaaay funny Amanda, how cute the difference in size! love love love your blog!!! :)
Hey Amanda!
I read this post earlier tonight and later on as I was getting ready to go to bed I thought I would read a little of John Eldredge's 'Desire'. He was talking about 'waiting' in reference to our spiritual life, but he quoted a verse from The Message that made me think of this post (I had never heard that verse in this version before)...It made me laugh so much at the similarity between what you wrote and the truth of the Word that I just HAD to get up and leave you this comment!
Its Romans 8:24-25, Paul says,
"That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy".
I love you girl! You are such a godly mother and I am hoping that God will instill in me His heart toward motherhood like He has in you one day when its my time.
Have a great day, you have much to rejoice over...
Katie Taylor, AL
Too funny! It was the comparison of the newborn diaper and size 6 diaper that made me realize potty training needs to happen! Size 6 diapers are just TOO BIG. You look GREAT!
I remember thinking during my first pregnancy, "I don't know what the big deal is about stretchmarks... I only have a couple little ones, they are not that bad and who cares... it's the mark of a new life..." THEN I SAW THEM! I happened to look from a certain angle in the mirror the night I went to labor... they were awful and they were simply hidden under the stomach!
When I was pregnant one of my friend's MOTHER actually said to me...and I quote...
"Your butt is getting big."
This was a Christian woman, mind you. And her husband was an elder in our church. And her butt was WAY bigger than mine.
I'm just sayin.
Anyway...popped over from Lysa's blog because I saw you were going to GNO. So am I! Hopefully we can meet in person. I will look for the very, very pregnant girl, who has the smallest behind in the room. And I'll be sure and tell you how SMALL it is, because I'm a good friend that way.
Blessings!
Sandy Cooper
www.godspeakstoday.blogspot.com
girl you looked FABULOUS at Bible study, you are tiny for 36 weeks, really, you look precious.
AND..when you go to that store in Rice Village, PLEASE stop in Doodles...it's on the same street I think. You will lose your mind with the cuteness that is in there. I mean, BOWS upon BOWS, cute blankies, clothes, it's HORRIBLE to walk in there to "window" shop, never happens for me. MY princess is 3 1/2 and I still frequent there for bows, cute outfits, and the occasional decorations for her room. It's a MUST go! Really...just be prepared! :)
See you Tuesday...
Dad gum, how cute is that????
Isn't it funny how your "baby" seems so young and small until you have another baby and suddenly the "baby" you left when you went into the hospital is HUGE!
I was excited to read on Lysa's blog you'll be attending GNO in Houston. I hope we can all get together! I'd love to see you in your VVPG stage.
Paula G. <><
www.wrinkledshirts.blogspot.com
All I have to say is, "Amen, Sister Friend!" Being pregnant with twins, I am only about a month away as well at this point. My own backside did so well for so long, and then one day I woke up and it was all so different! I am a FTPG, so I'm still learning the lay of the land regarding pregnancy. Should the Lord bless us with more in the future, next time I will know better. :-)
I had that experience when I was pregnant for the first time, and I gasped and said out loud, "This is not my behind! What happened to my behind!" Nancy Mon says, "Don't ever tell Satan to 'Get thee behind me,' because all he's gonna do is tell you how big you look from back there."
Okay. So I've been reading your blog for a while now (and loving it). I honestly can't tell you how I ended up here. I certainly don't know you, and you don't know me. However, I feel like I do now, so I'm going to talk as if I do (if that's okay). :)
I had an uncontrollable urge to mention that MY backside, while it almost NEVER gets any observation from me, nevertheless finds plenty of opportunity to remind me of its HUGENESS every single time I try to put on my pre-pregnancy pants. Taking a little longer this time around (I'm three months out from having my 4th baby) to get into the old duds... So I won't continue to be a stranger to you, feel free to visit my blog if you ever have the time. Here's a tip: Late night nursing sessions are so much easier sitting at the computer. For real!
Blessings to you Dear. Also prayers all goes well. I raised two special needs kids years ago and of course neither of them married but our youngest married last June and this May they blessed us with our first grandchild. I always say jokingly that at 66 I am finally old enuf to have grand kids. Lisa is a real joy and they live close enuf by that I get in on the care of little Lisa often. I have gotten used to those diapers and all little kiddo things I have not seen around here in nearly 40 yrs. It truly is the crowning joy of older age. I just regret that I probably won't be around to see her marry, but if Jesus comes all bets are off!
It would be great to see you if I make the SSMT thing this January.
Much love,
Betty M from ND
Going through my pics of the FMSC Meal Pack yesterday, I noticed you were in one with your back to our table and I thought, "What I wouldn't have given to have had that tiny a heiny when I was pregnant. She doesn't even look pg from behind." And add to that your willingness to stand for a solid 2+ hours, with a smile on your face? Sheer admiration, lady.
Thanks for letting Charlie join y'all's assembly crew, too 😉
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