Friday, March 7, 2014

Taking the Plunge

There is no other way to describe the mind over matter that took place today as I finally braved the murky waters of the maternity sections at Target and Ross. I'd peeked over there briefly once before, but was instantly hit with an emotion I can only liken to walking in on your parents having sex when you're 5...and yes, that really happened to me as well! I guess if you want to keep it G rated, you can liken it to the first time you dove into the deep end of a pool. Either way, it was scary stuff!


Perhaps it's because I've never gone maternity shopping with anyone else. I'd seen the extremely strange pants before, but never had I actually tried them on myself. Talk about a weird experience. I am doubly cursed, because I have an abnormally large ass in comparison to my waist, so here I am faced with the saaaame conundrum I have faced my entire life; If I buy pants large enough to fit over my ass, the waist is still ridiculously large. Baby's got back, and clearly that has not changed with the presence of an actual baby. The only jeans and pants that have ever fit correctly are from Express or Michael Kors.

As with anything else though, I did not give up! I tried and tried until I found some things that actually worked for me in the form of dresses, maxi skirts and a boatload of comfy shirts. And drumroll please... I walked away with two whole bags of clothes (3 long sleeve tops, 4 short sleeves, 3 tank tops, 1 cami, 1 maxi dress, 1 maxi skirt, 1 tunic/dress thing, and a belly band) all for under $200! Think I set a record on that trip for deal stealing.

I'd like to add that whomever invented this belly band idea deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. You don't even have to be pregnant to use this thing. Apparently it is made for problem preggos just like me who need help with the transition into and out of maternity pants. However, it could just as easily be used for a fat day. You basically just leave your regular pants unbuttoned with the fly wide open and then scoot this wide spandex band over the top to hold the pants up and smooth out any visible buttons or lines...which hides the fact your pants are completely undone under your shirt. Genius!



Is it just me, or should someone create a line of these for plumbers? I feel like I've been living under a rock or something, but better to discover late than never. This little gem is seriously going to save us some coin, because now I can rock my regular pants and jeans a wee bit longer. Believe me, I'm not in total denial though. I know that eventually my ass is going to double in size and there will be no hope for a measly opening of the fly to save the day. For now, it's a life saver and I'm grateful for it!

Today's epiphany: No wonder I felt like I was sucking my stomach in for so long. Everything was too damn small. I feel like I can finally breathe now! The last thing I tried on reluctantly on a whim ended up being my favorite...

It's much cuter on too!

And speaking of taking the plunge, I also broke down and got highlights this week. After waiting it out the entire first trimester, and becoming so frumpy and downtrodden I didn't even want to leave my own house, I was given clearance along with the usual "You worry too much" nod of the head from my OB. Also, my justification for believing in the safety of highlights was that if billions of pregnant people have soaked their entire body and largest organ with billions of sponge-like pores (the skin) in chlorine filled swimming pools for hours on end without issue, then why should applying hair dye without even touching the scalp to dead hair affect anything? Yeah, I think I'm safe there.

Other rebellious and outlandish things I've done this week include eating Chik-Fil-A (with gluten-filled sandwich bun) for lunch today and eating 2.5 Boar's Head turkey & cheddar sandwiches for dinner last night. Those of you who know me know that I am normally a very healthy eater. Up until now, my cravings have just been for vegetables, fruits, and all things healthy...nothing new at all. Well, not this week!

Someone I have never met before has snatched my body and is craving deli meat, cheese, and bread. I never had any real cravings up until this point, but it's like I can't get enough cheddar cheese especially. I'm eating sandwiches like they're going out of style. Additionally, I may or may not have made 2 dozen homemade monster cookies as well....


Damn that Paula Deen and her tasty recipes! Does it count that these are gluten-free? No, still not healthy? Oh well, I am learning to let go a little and enjoy things when I want them. I have the whole rest of my life to be fit, and I can't help that I'm so damn hungry!  I did give away 18 of these ginormous cookies, because otherwise I would have eaten them all.

Not to worry, Preston is still being fed a mostly organic diet, and I'm eating healthy at least 70% of the time. I guess I should feel lucky I lasted until 16 weeks before the maternity clothes and cravings came into play. However, I'm just warning you ahead of time; There is a very good chance I may blow up to the size of a bounce house by the time summer arrives.  I guess I'm just becoming OK with embracing the adventures into maternity land, and by God, I'm going to indulge in a little dairy, gluten, and sugar here and there if I want to!

31 comments:

  1. You deserve some treats mama!!! You are working hard! Great deals too on mat clothes too!!! I wear my belly bands I bought to hand on hand for pregnancy, as a under shirt, tube top, to help contain the "girls" and keep cleavage at bad,but then I dont have to deal with cami straps etc...;)

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    1. You know what? Taming the puppies is actually a really good use of the belly band too. Great idea!

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  2. How exciting this sounds!! You deserve all of this for sure, you've waited long enough! Those cookies look so very yummy...do you have a link for the recipe?

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    1. The link is in the blog Amie...red words that say "homemade monster cookies." It's Paula Deen's recipe. I only cooked them for 8 minutes to make them extra soft and gooey. Everyone has LOVED them! Big hit!

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  3. You are hilarious! A bouncy house! Girlfriend I have a feeling I'm going to be right there with ya. And lovin' every second of it!

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    1. I am glad to hear the hunger is hitting you early on instead of something worse, like intense nausea. Bring on the bounce houses!

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  4. Those cookies look amazzzzzing. I am definitely the size of a bounce house (or at least, well on my way), but I'm trying not to stress it too much. I hear it's all worth it!

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    1. Yep, let's just press the procrastinate button on that one! Deal with it later! hehe

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  5. Love that dress! I bet it looks cute with that baby bump. You so made me want some cookies with milk right now. Sigh! Enjoy ur pregnancy, you deserve indulging in all these delicious foods.

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    1. Only one cookie left in this house thank goodness. That was definitely what I'd call a sweets hoo-rah. Bad bad girl!

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  6. I'm sure you look fabulous, especially with your new wardrobe! Cute dress! Enjoy yourself! You deserve it :)

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    1. Thanks Jennifer. Now if it will just warm up so I can wear some of this stuff! Summer will be much easier than winter to dress myself I think.

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  7. oh.my.word! Those cookies! Seriously?! I could eat my computer screen!!

    LOVE THE DRESS!!

    waitingforbabybird.com

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    1. Go buy yourself one of those dresses Elisha! Got it at Target, and I don't even understand what makes it "maternity" necessarily. I would have worn it non-pregnant in a heartbeat and I'm sure I will next year too!

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  8. That's right! You indulge Mama, you deserve it! Those monster cookies look DELICIOUS! I don't think I've ever had those before... I was craving double chocolate chip cookies the other day which I never usually eat. I feel a little guilty about giving into the cravings but I tell myself that as long as I'm not forgoing the fruit & vegetables I can allow myself the treats.

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    1. We have the same line of thinking. I justify the treats since I eat so many clean whole foods outside of that. I will say that I find it funny everything I read says we only need an extra 300 cal/day during pregnancy, because my hunger level says otherwise!

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  9. I never did the belly band thing- I went from normal clothes to leggings to maternity pants- but maternity pants still bother me and don't feel super comfy so maybe I should try it! I love that dress you bought and definitely need to make a trip to Target! I want to see a picture of your bump!! XOXO

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    1. The belly bands are right in the maternity section at Target Aubrey. They have a sizing chart on the package for multiples too. Definitely am rocking the leggings when possible too. BTW, my bump pics are in a tab on the top right hand size of this page labeled "bumpage."

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    2. Chiming in on the Bella bands! I used them for my pregnancy last year. I managed to get through the entire pregnancy purchasing only one pair of maternity pants (along with a comfy maternity skirt and a dress from the Gap). I had a few pairs of baggier boyfriend jeans pre-pregnancy, and the bands worked like a charm with them. When my bump was smaller I would put on the band, with the bottom of the band at the top of my underwear and the top right under my chest. I'd put on the pants, leave them unzipped, and fold the top part over my pants. As I got later in the pregnancy I'd just wear the entire band over my pants. Sometimes I'd layer two for extra support/comfort. The last two weeks I basically lived in my yoga pants!

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    3. I am already basically living in yoga pants most days...is that bad? Haha! So good to know the belly bands got you through that much of your pregnancy. Only one pair of maternity pants? That is awesome!

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    4. It helped that I was due at the end of September, so getting away with a few summer clothes was much easier than trying to dress for the winter. I had one pair of denim shorts that I basically wore all the time when I wasn't at work. And those yoga pants... I have never loved anything more. Yoga pants and flip flops. It was fantastic. LMAO! I wore them to the hospital when I was induced, wore them home after Reid was born, and lived in them for three weeks post-partum before I was ready for "real" pants again. It was nice to wear regular jeans with Bella pants post-partum, too, until I could finally button my regular pants.

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    5. Meant Bella bands, not Bella pants. There needs to be an edit button!

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  10. Good for you! This was a long awaited pregnancy…you should enjoy it. Love the dress by the way.

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  11. Yay! I went right out and got maternity clothing. After IVF I felt like nothing fit. Maternity pants are very odd- but I second the being able to breathe sentiment! And those monster cookies-- mmmm. Glad you are feeling well!!

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    1. I'm also scared of how hot those maternity pants will be in summer. I mean, that big ole belly pouch of fabric is thick in the ones I saw. Nothing like a sticky sweaty belly for summer! lol

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  12. Love the cute dress!! I think it's great you're indulging a little. Nothing wrong with that after everything you've gone through. Sending you lots of hugs. So glad you're doing so well. (you're bump is adorable, btw!)

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    1. Thank you on the bump compliment. Weird thing is I swear it's not that big until I take a picture. My husband then says oh yes, it's there. Such a strange disconnect. I'm like an overweight girl who loses weight and still thinks she's fat or something... like it's not even me.

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  13. Good for you girl! Indulge a bit! You deserve it! the dress is super cute!

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