34 weeks, or is 35? I miss you toes!

I read an article today about a mom who was devastated that pregnancy had changed her body. Well... yeah that does tend to happen when you grow a person (I can't think of a better way to put it). At first I was outraged, hearing that you are never going to be a size 0 again and coming to the realization that your tummy is going to be a bit... puffy really isn't anything to complain about, not even a blip on the radar when you could get actual bad news from a doctor.  But then I tried to be a bit more compassionate... cause you know I am trying to be a better person. I can't think of anyone out there that has been pregnant and has not been self conscious about their appearance at one point. Clearly, most people don't go to the extreme that they can't have another child because their abs are getting ruined, this is immature to say the least. But I think all of us have had those moments, the ones where you stop taking pictures, looking in the mirror etc. We get self conscious about the stretch marks, the ever expanding tummy, really just the whole experience. I remember being a little bit self conscious with Mikey but this time around it is worse. I have to admit that when I found out my brother was getting married, I was of course thrilled for him, but there was a little part of me that was mortified that I was going to have to be in pictures pregnant. And when my parents said they wanted to use a picture from the wedding as a christmas card I flat out asked them not to. It was dumb, I fully admit it, by that point there was no question that there was a baby and not just too many donuts (unless donuts make me gain weight in strange ways), but still I was super self conscious about it. No one else will ever care, but me... that stupid teenager part of me cares. I think I am starting to come to grips with things, maybe cause I am just so tired. But let me just say when I see that initial glimpse of my toothpick legs and expanding tummy I cringe... just a little bit, I am grateful for this experience, and have absolutely no intention of ever fitting in my jeans again... but something about it makes me feel a little bit like a gangly 13 year old with braces again, maybe it's the part that things are changing so fast... kinda like being a teenager actually, or that you have no control, wow again like being a teenager that makes me crazy. Whatever it is, I am grateful for the stretch marks, a belly button that now sticks out, and how ridiculous my toothpick legs look with a belly because in the end I am hoping to have a healthy baby, and that healthy baby is worth more to me than my parents not sending out the picture as their christmas card, rock hard abs (cause those were never going to happen any way, or be attempted, lets be real here), or fitting back into my jeans (which weren't that cute any way).