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I Feel Like a Real Person

I've had a run of good luck on the self-esteem-while-pregnant front lately. It started with a random visit to the H&M store at Cherry Hill Mall last week (I don't know why I went in, really—I guess just to see what was trendy at the moment), where I came upon a small maternity section. I ended up finding three pairs of adjustable-waist pants that look great on me, as well as two cool tops. The best thing about the pants is that I look and feel like a real person in them, not a pregnant person. The second best thing is that everything was reasonably priced. Who knew self-esteem could come so cheap?

A day or two after getting the great clothes, I had an opportunity to visit a day spa for a pedicure and a pre-natal massage (my first), followed by access to a heated indoor pool where I got to swim for 30 minutes. Ohhhhhhhhhh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. And as if that weren't enough, the next morning I visited my favorite hair stylist ever (Toni at HUGO Salon in Maryland) for a cut. Her first comment when I plopped into the chair: "Oh my god, look at your boobs!" Yes, it's true: I now have actual boobs rather a top half that falls a few inches short of balancing my hips.

Anyway, since hair basically doesn't fall out when you're pregnant, and mine is very thick to start with, I'd managed to grow a helmet that would have protected my noggin quite well in an NFL game. I wasn't sure exactly which way to go with it—should I cut it wicked short again, or let it grow out?—so I didn't give Toni much guidance except "please make it funky and flattering." She proposed keeping the length ("too short would look funny with the rest of you," she said, I assume meaning that since I look more like a pear than a curvy pencil now, I need bigger hair to avoid looking like an eraserhead) while still removing about half my hair. (She called this "giving it some ventilation").

I was totally thrilled with the result, which was exactly as advertised: I had all of the length, none of the bulk, and bonus spikes (which I love). How did I get so lucky? I've got cool 80s hair, pants that fit, and a totally relaxed and happy body. (Incidentally, the massage therapist remarked that I must not have gained much weight, and when I said that I'd actually gained 25 lbs. already, he said, "it must all be in the belly." So in addition to being trained in pre-natal body massage, he must also have been trained in pre-natal ego massage. I prefer to think that he just really knows what he's talking about. :)