Whew.

Today I broke down and bought my first pair of maternity pants and all I can say is, what the heck was I waiting for?!

I have to admit to feeling slightly self-conscious as I awkwardly browsed Pea in the Pod with my not-obviously-protruding belly hidden behind my oversized sweatshirt. (For those of you who want to yell at me for shopping at the expensive store rather than Target, all I can say is, try jeans shopping at ANY discount store when you're five feet tall and you'll understand.) I kept my head down as I snuck into the dressing room with several armfuls of pants. But the second I pulled on that first pair of stretchy-waistband jeans, it was like angels singing.

Seriously. It was one of the most amazing, beautiful, spiritual moments I've ever had when I suddenly realized that pants could FIT.

See, I've been relying on my old standys in bigger sizes for awhile--the "fat pants" that I never got rid of when I was 15-20 lbs. heavier--but those had become just as horribly uncomfortable as all of the skinny pants that wouldn't button. My stomach was digging into the waistband, but the pants were sill baggy around my butt and legs, which made me look and feel like a frump.

But as I looked into the mirror in the fancy dressing room, I realized that I in no way had to fudge the fit of these jeans to my awkwardly 16-weeks-pregnant body. They were absolutely perfect. And honestly, they weren't THAT expensive--I picked up a pair of jeans and a pair of black pants for work for around $50 total, along with a Tummy Tube (similar to a Bella Band) to extend the wear of some of my other pants.

Until today, I'd been feeling pretty down on myself. I've put on 4-5 lbs so far, and honestly, I feel like a beached whale. But in my new clothes, I actually feel attractive again! In fact, I'm looking forward to getting all dressed up for a wedding we're going to tonight (which is something I haven't looked forward to for awhile). I might even let Brad take some pictures!