Grace's Bump Blog: A Very Preggo Christmas
31 weeks
The holidays are here, and you know what that means—family parties. Sometimes, that could be a good thing, and you get to catch up on all the good gossip. Whisperings like Cousin Mark left his bank job, joined a punk rock band and moved to Detroit...Auntie Jane left Uncle John and is now back-packing through Europe with a gypsy clan—Wow!
But sometimes it could be a bad thing when the aunties and uncles look you up and down and comment on a too-modern haircut, a too-trendy clothing choice, and whether or not you’re too skinny or too fat. In my case, I was too skinny—rather, my belly was too skinny.
For the past five years since I walked down the aisle, the aunties and uncles always looked me up and down and said: “You’re not pregnant yet?” or “When I was your age, I already had three kids.” or just simply, “Your eggs are getting old.” Sigh.
But this year is different. On Thanksgiving day, I opened the door to my parents’ house, flipped open my wool maternity coat, and shouted: “Ta da!” Of course, I was greeted with a chorus of “Oh thank goodness!” and “It finally happened!” and “We’re so proud of you!” and my most favorite: “How’d you do it?” Um…
In addition to this major change this holiday season, I’ve found that my “holiday chores” have changed as well.
In the years past, I’d be up at 4 am on Black Friday, grab a cup of coffee and fight the crowds for sweaters, shoes, and scarves for 60 percent off. This Black Friday, I grab a cup of hot chocolate, prop my back up against four pillows, fire up the computer and start putting items in my virtual shopping cart.
Same with the decorating. Years past, I’d open up my super large Tupperware containers of Christmas decorations, put on some holiday tunes, and hum my way through three or four hours of trimming the tree; positioning the donkey and calf around baby Jesus; and straightening the leaves of my fake poinsettias. This year? I open up the containers, put on the holiday tunes…then sit down and fall asleep. Maybe I can just spread a red table cloth over the dining room table and call it a day.
Happy Holidays to you and yours! Were you preggo over the holidays? Did you brave the holiday shopping crowds and pull a Martha Stewart and decorate your house? Or were you more like me, hugged your Boppy Buddy and stayed comfy on the couch?