Man, I feel like a woman 😉

I don't know about you ladies but the farther along I get in this pregnancy, the more I feel like that's all I am...just pregnant. Not myself. Just a belly with a body on it. Melting away into a dishwashing, laundry doing, child rearing house troll. My skin has been a wreck, I have morning sickness 90% of my life and having to quit my physically active job and limited by how ill I've been means my muscle has deteriorated and I feel like a squishy, yucky blob.

I love my bump, I'm so excited to meet my baby boy but sometimes a mama needs to do something that reminds her she is still HER, right?!

So my husband's company throws a formal-ish, really nice Christmas party. I am not a party person, human interaction stresses me out, but it's also important to me that we start laying down some real roots and building community (we moved half way across the US last year) and have some sense of normal after all we've been through so I really want to do this. But I was stressing about what the heck I would wear to this thing, I can't afford some $100+ fancy formal evening dress, plus shoes and whatever else. Plus it's on a rooftop which means it will be cold, just further complicating the struggle to find an outfit that would work...and that fits the bump. 😬 So my MIL and I went out and I tried on a bunch of dresses and settled for the one that was the most acceptable, and bought it because I felt nothing else would fit or be affordable (it was 20$). But it was realistically not very flattering, made me look like a giant eggplant, and when I got home and put it on with shoes. I realized it was too short (I'm 6ft tall, this is my life's struggle) plus it's glittery and...well it's pretty but it's just not me. Long story short, I had some spare time today and stopped at Ross, found this for $20 and I felt like a million bucks the second I put it on. I couldn't stop turning and looking at it and smiling, I felt like a goofy kid. 😂

I was pretty much on a high the rest of the day. I grabbed some new gel polish and a lip stain that matches the dress, went home, blasted Tennessee Whiskey, made some hot cocoa, tested out the new lipstick and painted my nails and relished the sensation of feeling like a real, living woman again.

I'm normally not a selfie person and I just don't care to look at myself much but I took some photos to send to my hubby mostly for a second oppinion but also just because I was so excited. He approved 😁

I'd love to see your photos of whatever you do that makes you feel good about yourself!