Maternity Jeans Don't Count

I recently returned from a weekend jaunt to Tucson and it was great. However, I think it kind of backfired, because my escape to warmer weather has left me in a bit of a funk coming back. This morning was a good morning though, and it helped me think of some things that make me feel happy.

 

My Girls

 

 

They are generally very loving and helpful. It makes me excited to have another one. Plus they are quite the characters, which keeps me entertained on these winter days.

Cici is excited, not only because of her chef's outfit which she randomly wears, but because Sam has gone to preschool and she can finally mess with her sister's new dolls!

 

Country Music

 

 

Sometimes you get tired of music about love/sex. A lot of country music simply celebrates what is good about life. ("There's no dollar sign on peace of mind") Or it reduces life to manageable terms. (e.g.,  "God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy." Not that I condone drinking.) Either way, it makes cleaning the house more tolerable.

 

Living Above the Inversion

 

Photo Credit: Tom Smart, Deseret Morning News

 

Hurray for living on top of a mountain! Every time I have to drive down to the valley I am grateful I live above the pollution. I don't have to breathe this into my lungs on a daily basis. Plus it's actually supposed to be warmer above it.

 

Pregnancy Yoga

 

 

Pregnancy yoga is the best. Sure the kids still like to climb over, under, and on me, but on the whole it's rather relaxing. Unlike normal yoga, where you are actually supposed to exert yourself to feel like you've had a real workout, with prenatal yoga it mostly involves feeling your belly, making big circles with it, laying down, stretching your arms and legs a little, but most of all, breathing and connecting with your unborn child. For those of us who are not naturally inclined to work out, it's pretty much awesome. Disclaimer: I do switch this up every other day with my old person workout routine on TV, which is actually a bit more vigorous.

 

Maternity Jeans That Fit

 

Have I actually experienced this yet? No. The price is a problem. All the really cute-looking jeans seem to be over 100 dollars. The jeans at the maternity stores I can afford are too big and just not flattering. For some reason, maternity designers seem to think women look like this once they get pregnant:  

 

 

The reality is, some of us just put all our weight in front and our legs don't change size!

 

September 2010: A few weeks away from Cici being born!

 

 

I'm not a big fan of shopping online, but my normal jeans are going to fit me for about two more days, so I've made another stab at finding maternity jeans online. I bought size 2 jeans from Gap and was quite saddened when they came and still gave me that saggy-butt look I hate. I was talking to Austin about ordering a size 0, ("Guess what, hun, I haven't been a size 0 since I was 13!") and was summarily informed that maternity jeans "don't count." Whatever. I've ordered a pair of jeans today that will hopefully look cute and up my comfort level with their stretchy waistband. That makes me happy.  

 

Pregnancy

 

Famous midwife Ina May Gaskin said that "Birth matters. The journey through pregnancy and birth offers an irreplaceable way for women to explore their deepest selves." I think most of us have had life-changing experiences that haven't changed our lives. They could have, but they didn't. I didn't want to pass up a life-changing experience this time. 

 

Realistically, I have had pretty much the same complaints as with my last two pregnancies: morning sickness, heartburn, round ligament pain, weird itchiness, etc. But I still tell people that this is my best pregnancy ever, and it is. Why? Because I've prepared and am still preparing this time, and "the essence of childbirth preparation is self-discovery" -Birthing From Within. I've learned so much about myself as a woman as I've prepared for birth, and no matter how the actual birth goes, that has made this pregnancy the best one ever.