On Being Awkward & Flirting

I am a really awkward person.

I don't know if I always have been or if it's only been since I was married. Prior to marrying Dalin, I learned the hard way that men and boys easily misconstrue friendliness for flirting. I try to be very friendly to people, which means I like to talk to them, get to know them, and I always try to smile because I know how much of a difference it makes when I'm on the receiving end of someone else's kindness. Unfortunately, young men would often take that to mean I was interested in them, which was usually not the case (if it was, I felt like my actual flirting made it clear). How I got the reputation as a flirt was always unclear to me, unless, by definition, being kind to someone equals flirting (which, some people believe apparently). But basically, since I've been married I think my awkwardness around men has increased tenfold. Most of my friends were male in high school and now that I'm married, our relationships have not only changed, but they've basically ceased. In some ways this saddens me, but mostly I see the necessity of it.

Unfortunately though, I no longer know how to interact with guys my age. Or girls, for that matter (I'm not sure why, other than the fact that I pretty much only hang out with Dalin or family nowadays). I do not want to be perceived as flirting and since there is such a fine line (in some people's minds anyway) I don't know how to be friendly without giving off the wrong impression. It's not like I'm dropping hints or doing anything at all other than having a simple, but completely awkward conversation.

I guess I felt like I needed to write this to excuse the awkwardness I'm sure I've produced in regular conversations with people I know. It's not that I don't want to talk to you, I swear. It's just that I'm basically a recluse these days and have apparently forgotten how to have ordinary conversations with people. Just wanted to make that clear...

I'm also a much better writer (or typist technically) than I am a conversationist. I have always been interested in teaching (probably because I have three uncles, five aunts, and a grandpa who are all teachers of various levels) but I tend to think I would be horrible at it because I write much more easily than I speak, especially in front of groups. Or when people pay me a compliment. Seriously, it seems like any time someone compliments my blog to me in person, I'm suddenly speechless and all I can do is mutter, "Thank you, that's so nice." I really am touched by you telling me, so please just forgive my inability to gracefully accept a compliment.

I'm also super awkward at making friends. I totally love having people over and being able to talk about my geeky hobbies like reading and art or about my favorite shows (Downton Abbey, Modern Family, Parks & Rec., Survivor, The Bachelor (embarrassing, I know...)) or just about Harry Potter because it's my favorite book ever. Or The Hunger Games. Or the Divergent series. Because I love that stuff. And Star Wars. And Lord of the Rings. You get my point. I just have forgotten the art of making friends. It's like this pin:

So if you are interested in being my friend, please look past my initial awkwardness and feel free to invite yourself over to my apartment (there's a 50/50 chance it will be messy, forgive me) and know that the awkwardness fades the longer we talk. Just ask my visiting teachers. ;) But seriously, I am down for anything, especially if it involves talking about a book, watching a movie, eating, making food, talking about pregnancy/parenthood, or anything else.

And to you guys out there (and for your wife's/girlfriend's/whatever information) I totally am not flirting with you. Not at all. I love my husband a LOT and he is the only one I flirt with. I have zero interest in any man but him. If I'm being nice to you, it's because I'm nice. To me, flirting while married is just a few steps away from cheating. I don't even think about celebrities in that way. When I tell Dalin I think an actor is "hott" or "handsome" or "attractive" I'm making a realistic judgment based on appearance and he knows that. I'm not implying that I'm more attracted to that person than my husband because there's no way. And I know when I ask Dalin if he thinks an actress is pretty or beautiful that it doesn't mean he desires her. He's just making a truthful evaluation. After reading this article for a class at BYU-Idaho, I decided that I would be in control of my thoughts. So even before Dalin and I got married, I decided that thinking about a person other than my husband in a romantic way was almost as bad as cheating and that I would be careful to avoid it. We've all heard this scripture in Matthew 5: "Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman (or man) to lust after her/him hath committed adultery with her/him already in his/her heart" (stressed words added). So, anyway, all awkwardness aside--guard your thoughts. Actions start as thoughts. Be loyal in action and mind to your spouse.

Showing off my nerdiness with my hott husband :)

Us being gross ;)

On a completely separate note, for those who were dismayed or angered by my post about feminism a few days ago, you should really read this. This woman puts it so much better than I ever could (and did). She is LDS and a feminist. She definitely was blessed with the talent of eloquence.

Do you still have friends of the opposite gender those of you who are married?
How do you maintain appropriate boundaries?
Do you think it's okay to have male friends if you're female and married? (Or vice versa)

Play Dates

Tenley and I both had a play date today! Mine was with my friend, Rachel. Tenley's was with Rachel's son, Henry. We had grilled cheese and tomato soup and salad. It was delicious. But as always, the best part of the play date was getting to sit with another mom and just talk about our lives. Talking is seriously the best therapy. Anyway, we had a lot of fun as you can see from the photos below. Fun fact, Tenley and Henry are exactly two months apart (on the day). Both of their dads are also two months apart!

It's just an awesome coincidence that they're matching :)

Comparing feet

So funny!

Big difference in the size of their hands!

Cuties

Henry was much more interested in Tenley than she was in him

Tenley's expression...

Precious, much? Whoever gave her this outfit, it's the cutest! Thank you!

I hope everyone had a great Monday!
What did you do today? 

Christmas Parties & Games

Dalin and I had an awesome and busy weekend. On Friday, we went to a Christmas party at the apartment of some good friends of ours, Hillary and Andrew. (Hillary is the one working with me on our new blog, The Mommy Tales). There were four other couples there, tons of delicious desserts, and several fun games, which I will share with you to use at your own Christmas gatherings!

Alphabet Race
Very simple, challenging game. List A-Z on a piece of paper and in an allotted time (we did like three to five minutes), list something Christmas-related for each letter. After the time is up, the game is kind of like Boggle, in that everyone reads the words on their list, and crosses them off if someone else has it. Whoever has the most unique words (which no one else has written) wins.

Bea Arthur (3 Parts Charades)
At least, that's what we call it. Basically, it's a charades game with three parts. Everyone starts by writing down three names (or, in the case of this party, Christmas-related things) on scraps of paper, which they fold once and stick in a bowl. Once all the names (or things) are in, the group is divided into two teams. One person from the first team goes first. Round one, each person has one minute to describe as many people/words in the bowl as possible before time runs out. In round one, players can say anything but any words contained on the paper. The round lasts until the names run out. Round two*, the same names are put back in the bowl, and players still have a minute to get as many names as possible, only this time, players can only use one single word to convey the name so they must choose wisely. They can repeat the word over and over, but they can only use one. Play until the names run out. Round three, the same rules apply. Names go back in the bowl, players have one minute each to get as many as possible. But this time, no words can be used, only acting. It's a very fun game that can be played anywhere as long as you have some paper, a bowl, and a group.

*Variation of the game: switch rounds two and three. That's how we played at this party!

Pictionary Telephone
This is a fun game which only requires some paper, pens, and a group (and your individual imagination, but that becomes clear). Every player is given a piece of paper and a pen with which they write a single sentence at the top of the page. The sentence can be random, silly, serious, whatever. In our case, it had to be holiday-themed in some way. Players should be instructed not to take up much space, as the rest of the page will be used. After the sentence is written, the page is passed on to the person sitting next to them. That person, reading the sentence, must draw a picture just below conveying its meaning. The picture, like the sentence, should be small and not take up much of the page. Once the drawing is completed, the person should fold the top of the paper so it completely covers the sentence at the top. With only the drawing visible, the page is passed to the next person, who, seeing the picture, must invent a sentence for it. Once their turn is over, they must fold the page over the drawing, so only their sentence can be seen. Essentially, the game will go: sentence, picture, sentence, picture, etc. (folding over the last piece each time) until the pages have been passed through the circle and reached the original writer. At that point, everyone can unfold the page completely and takes turns sharing the sentence transformations. The results are genuine, silly, and outrageous. No specific time is allotted for writing a sentence or drawing, but it could be for an added challenge. This game is a lot of fun in a group!

One-Handed Gift Wrapping
This challenge was just hilarious to watch. Each couple in the room, took a turn going against their spouse. Using one hand (and any other body part), couples had to wrap a box so no sides of it were exposed as fast as possible. Wrapping paper, a box, scissors, and tape were provided. It was so hilarious to see each couple with their own strategies. Some presents ended up wrapped fairly neatly, while others (most) were complete chaos. It was very fun as you can see below!

Watching another couple go

Stephanie holding Tenley for Dalin and me

First we had to unwrap them after the previous couple

It was a lot of pressure

Look at the determination in our faces...especially Dalin's

So hard to do nothing with your other hand!

Crappyyyy cutting job

Dalin won :P Barely. ;)

So the Dobbin's Christmas party on Friday night was a blast, and the treats were amazing. Then on Saturday morning, I went (late) to the baby shower of a friend in the ward. She's having a little girl and I know she's going to be the best mom! We ate delicious yogurt parfaits with granola and fresh fruit (my favorite!) and had fun telling her all about the fun in store for her (topics ranging from labor, to birth, to post-partum details, to breastfeeding, and so on). It is always fun to compare stories with other moms and I know I had a wonderful time with the lovely ladies who were there.

Then, Saturday evening was the ward Christmas party! The party was hosted in the Wilkenson Center Ballroom on BYU campus and was even better than last year. The decorations were so beautiful and the tables looked amazing (especially with the most delectable-looking desserts on them!). We were encouraged to dress up, so everyone looked really good and so Christmasy. And I can't even describe how delicious dinner was (though I'm about to try). After lemonade, rolls, and salad, we were served chicken cordon bleu (freaking good) with mashed potatoes (amazing), and buttery green beans (loved them). It seriously was so good that it was hard not to lick my plate clean. But I definitely ate everything on it. I had already eaten my dessert before the food showed up, but that was delicious too. It was some kind of raspberry cake with frosting, fresh raspberries, and a layer of white chocolate which was my favorite part.

After eating and enjoying the company of those at our table, each couple with children received a little present, which contained a board book version of one of my favorite children's books! ("You Are Special," which I had read for the first time when the mom of a high school friend sent it to us for Tenley!) After that, we did a White Elephant gift exchange. Dalin and I forgot our gifts, so we had hurried to the bookstore and grabbed some bright-colored socks and Christmas candy which we had wrapped for free upstairs. There were so many families at the party, that we had to do the gift exchange by table. We got a "Best of Bill Cosby Shows" DVD (which I was excited about) and a loaf of Organic Wheat Bread with a hilarious back-story shared on it. After the gift exchange, the holiday music was switched for dance music and everyone got up to dance! Dalin and I slow-danced, holding Tenley at the same time (you should have seen all the couples dancing with their babies), then we headed home in the snow. Check out pictures from the ward Christmas party below!

The tables looked gorgeous. The photo doesn't really capture it.

Check out those AMAZING desserts all around!

The little Gunnell family :)

My babies ;)

Holding the sweetheart

I love our darling girl!

Enjoying the party

Some silly guys from our ward, during the dance competition

It was such a fun weekend! If only Dalin didn't have to work tomorrow for his Sunday of the month, then it would be perfect. But overall, we had an awesome, party-filled weekend which I enjoyed every second of.

What is the best White Elephant gift you've ever given or received? (We gave an Obama Chia Pet one year amongst a conservative group, which was pretty funny)
Have you been to any Christmas parties yet this year (or hosted one yourself)? 
Are you planning on attending any parties? 
What is your favorite dessert? (Mine is anything with fruit, preferably fresh)

Why I Don't Post Daily

There are a lot of excuses I could give for why I don't write on here daily. Most of them, you could predict. But besides being a busy stay-at-home mom and student, the main reason I don't (and quite frankly, can't) post every day is because I don't want to. I love blogging--really I do. It makes me happy in a way only one who enjoys writing can understand. But I do not like being so connected all the time. (Remember that post I shared a month or two ago with some random things about me? Getting off the grid, or at least wanting to, was on there.)

Let's get one thing straight: Technology is great. I'm so thankful I can be in touch with my parents and brothers and husband and in-laws throughout the days and weeks. But technology is also numbing. You don't have to agree with me, and sometimes I feel like a hypocrite arguing this particular sentiment, but I usually don't feel...what's the word...happy, after being on the computer for hours. When I go on Pinterest and somehow end up staying there for three hours, I feel a little bit sick to my stomach when I think of all the time I wasted pinning amazing ideas to make my home and family and life better. Because pinning isn't doing (though the English language would technically disagree with me). Going on Facebook is another big time waster that I am completely guilty of. Do I really need to read about every detail of everyone's life from their status updates? Nope. I don't. I didn't do it when I was a young teenager, and I don't think I was any less happy back then. Same with email (ha ha, you're thinking, who uses email still?). I hardly go on mine except to erase the dozens of spam messages I receive, but I don't need to waste so much time going through junk.

How is that a waste of time--connecting with family and friends? you may be wondering. Well, everything in moderation, and like any addiction, somehow Facebook and Pinterest and Instagram and Twitter (for some people) have the ability to draw people in and hold their attention for much longer than they intended.

Why is everyone so interested and--dare I say--obsessed with other people's lives? Isn't comparison and judgement what we as Christians are supposed to avoid? We should be seeking after things that are VIRTUOUS, LOVELY, OF GOOD REPORT, and PRAISEWORTHY. We should be working a little harder to grow closer to Christ. We should have sympathy and charity in our hearts. We should be loving those around us to the very best of our abilities.

Boredom is simply no excuse. There are a million other BETTER or BEST things you can choose to do than go on the internet. Read a book. Read your scriptures. Paint. Learn to paint. Visit a friend. Have a friend over. Make cookies for someone. Make a special meal for your husband. Learn to cook. Go grocery shopping. Do laundry. Clean the house/apartment. Play a game with your husband, roommates, children. Write a letter to someone. Do a random act of kindness. Write in your journal. Watch a good movie. Listen to Christmas music. Decorate your house/apartment. Call a friend. Look for coupons and use them. Gather recipes. Make a list. Exercise. Try something new. Do a craft. Learn a craft. Share a craft. Take some photos of your family. Reorganize a desk or room. Learn something new!

That was like 30 things right there off the top of my head. Whatever you choose to do, do it with all your heart. Don't be half-hearted. Be confident and give your best effort!

Most of all, I do not want to be so connected or attached to the Internet because it greatly takes away from the time I have to spend loving and enjoying and teaching my daughter. I can tell you, taking breaks are good and necessary. But there is a significant difference between checking a message and surfing the web for hours. My daughter is little and so precious to me. I may not always be patient with her, but I always want to make sure I enjoy her littleness before it's gone. This is the only time in all eternity that I will have to enjoy it. Some moms can't wait for their kids to grow up. Sometimes I can't wait until Tenley is old enough to play with and bring places and do all kinds of things. But more than that, I want to "let [her] be little" while she has the chance.

The Internet is not always a bad thing. But too much of a good thing is not so good. And as Christians, we should always be choosing not just better things, but the BEST things.

I encourage you to go do some good in the world today! (Or, if it's too late, tomorrow). To steal a line from a favorite Church hymn, "Wake up and doing something more!" You'll be happier for it, I know it. Unplug for a few hours and connect to what really matters--real individuals.

What are some other ways we can do some good in the world?
How and when do you like to unplug from the cyber world?

My Most Embarrassing Moment

It took a lot of work to think of this. I can't just recall this stuff off the top of my head when people ask, so I actually did research and looked up other people stories to remind me of my own. Doing so mainly made me realize that I haven't had that many embarrassing moments.

But, since I'm doing a series (30 things my kids should know about me), I had to come up with an answer.

When I was maybe fifteen, my best friend Sarah begged me to come to our friend from another town's house for a sleepover that weekend. There was a church dance the next day and we were all going to go together. I had eaten a salad with, what I was pretty certain was rancid ranch dressing for lunch, and was not feeling well the rest of the school day. I told Sarah that I didn't want to go multiple times but she insisted that I come with her or she didn't want to go as much. I told my mom that I would go even though I wasn't feeling up to it.

After school, we met up with our friend and her mom about halfway (they lived about an hour away from us) and Sarah and I got in their brand new car so we could head back to their home. On the ride to their house, I started to feel really sick. I knew I shouldn't have come, I thought. "Sarah, I'm going to throw up," I said. We were sitting in the back seat. The next thing I knew, I was throwing up my lunch and Sarah has holding out her hands to catch it. And she did. She caught my vomit, which was so disgusting in itself. I still remember what it looked like, but I'll spare you. We joked about it later saying that that act was the mark of a true friend--when she willingly catches your vomit in her hands. Anyway, someone quickly grabbed a plastic bag for me to throw up in if I still needed to. I don't remember the rest of the trip, but luckily I think we were close to the house. When we got there, Sarah and our friend helped me clean up the car. I felt so bad. It was a new car! And I still felt so sick. I think our friend's mom was pretty mad at me. Understandably. She was nice about it though. I was just wishing I hadn't let Sarah talk me into coming. I felt like our friend's mom never really liked me as much after that experience.

Anyhow, for the rest of the evening while Sarah hung out with our friend playing DDR and making cookies, I lay in bed upstairs, going between sleeping and using the bathroom frequently. It was really miserable and I just wanted my mom there to take care of me. Food poisoning sucks. When I woke up late at night and mostly recovered, I was famished. After taking a shower and getting something to eat, (and then a good night's rest) I felt much better and ended up being able to go to the dance. But I still feel embarrassed when I think about how I stunk up my friend's mom's new car with my throw up.

What was your most embarrassing moment? (Or one of them)
I really want to know!

My Relationship With Your Dad

This post is for Tenley and for our future children who have not yet entered this world. But I can assure you (future children) that I'm already thinking of you daily and that I already know some of your names. For the rest of you, we'll have to wait to know your names until Dad and I come to an agreement.

Your dad and I met under weird circumstances. At least, that's what I think. It is not the type of romantic story I'd imagined for myself while growing up. I thought I would marry a boy from one of my college classes or maybe from my church ward. I thought we would meet at some activity like Stadium Singing or a group movie night with friends from my apartment complex. Thanks to Disney, I even thought I might meet him in the woods (which sounds kind of sketchy, but really--how many Disney princesses met their princes in the woods? Like all of them.). I never imagined that your dad and I would be set up by someone or that our first conversation would take place through Facebook. I mean, really...Facebook? I know it's modern day, but the internet is just not romantic to me--period.

But we did, and now I think it's cool that we met and immediately liked one another just by talking to each other. We just get each other--it's hard to explain. We talked for a week, met after that week, started dating at the end of the second week, and got engaged two months later. I guess it's true what they say, "When you know, you know." Your dad was my first and only real boyfriend. While we were dating during those two months I was praying hard every day to know if I should marry your dad. I liked him that much right away. Every Friday morning, my roommates and I would go to the Rexburg temple to do some baptisms. And every Friday morning, while we waited in the chapel, I would pray for confirmation that marrying your dad was right and would write about what I was feeling in my journal.
On Friday, April 22, 2011, I wrote the following in my journal:

Reasons I know: [that we're meant to be]
Dalin sincerely tells me he love me
We have quirky things in common
We share most interests and opinions
Dalin treats me like a royal daughter of God
He makes me want to be my best self
He is my best friend. Already
He is not superficial or shallow
The Spirit remains around the two of us when we are together
Dalin has a testimony and is an example to me and others
Dalin is understanding
He is patient with my imperfections
He is willing to wait as long as it takes [to get married]
He and I can talk of gospel topics and sacred things
We share many similar perspectives
He loves me for who I am now
He is willing to make changes/sacrifices for me
He is not worried about my family, though I sure as heck am [this was in response to our wanting to get married after knowing each other for so short a time]
He and I both feel we don't deserve each other
He does not hinder my future goals but encourages them and wants to be a part of them
He is an Eagle Scout
He served a faithful mission
He wants children (however many I want! :)
He is flexible about the future and where we will live
He believes in me, more than I do myself
He is temple worthy and wants a temple marriage
He is what I want and more from a spouse
He is willing to try new things
He is frugal and cautious about money--but not when it comes to me
Dalin is honest--even with me when I make mistakes
He is trusting and forgiving
He has goals of his own
He wants to serve a senior mission (with me)
He wants to travel (with me)
He is good at compromising
He always wears his seatbelt (and makes me wear mine)
He is concerned for my welfare and safety

So yeah, that was a pretty extensive list and I am sure there would have been more but I ran out of time. Almost exactly a month later on Monday, May 23rd, Dalin called my dad and in an eleven-minute conversation, asked for my dad's permission to marry me, which was both brave and wonderful of him. I remember pacing the living room of my apartment, anxiously awaiting Dalin's phone call. I even called my mom and tried to get her to tell me what they were talking about but she wasn't very helpful at relaying that information. After, Dalin called and told me my dad said yes and in response, I jumped for joy (and thanked Heavenly Father because, quite frankly, it felt like a miracle that my dad had given his permission). A week later, I was down in Provo with Dalin when he proposed in the woods (bonus point for him ;) and I told him yes. It felt funny because we already had known we were going to get married. Asking me was more of just a formality than a confirmation.

Your dad and I were sealed--not just for our time on earth--but for time and all eternity in the Boston Temple on August 19, 2011. It was the happiest day of my life. I truly mean that. I loved my wedding day. My mother in particular made sure that it was so special for me. Yes, I wish I had been able to have more of our delicious wedding cake and more time dancing with Dalin and taking in the atmosphere of the reception, but the short and simple and perfect ceremony at the temple gave me the comfort of knowing that your dad and I were sealed together forever. And because of our choice to marry in the temple, you guys--our children--are sealed to us forever, too, automatically. It is a beautiful and amazing thing that the gospel of Jesus Christ makes this a possibility for us.

Your dad is my best friend for a lot of reasons. For one, he is a great listener. And I'm a great talker (as you already know by now), which makes our partnership perfect. When I'm worried or can't stop thinking about something, I can tell him and he'll offer his opinion or give me advice or, if I ask him to, tell me to quit worrying and help me see a new perspective. He doesn't make me feel silly for being a dreamer, and his realistic approach to life anchors me a little. He appreciates my creativity and tells me so, which makes me happy. We both love reading and especially during our first two years of marriage alone, we did a lot of reading together. We would swap books on the Kindle or tell the other if a book wasn't worth reading. I would tease him for liking some of the nerdy books that he does, and he would tease me for reading the same books and watching the same movies over and over again. He tolerates my incessant comments about how I miss New Hampshire and why I love New England so much. He has never complained about it. Besides those things, he also is a really, really good man. He works hard for our family and is doing his best to make sure that we are financially secure. When I was worried about the cost of things after Tenley was born, he reassured me that everything would work out and reminded me that it was worth it. He is very faithful. He is the leader of our home (though I still feel that I get a fair amount of say).

When we have an argument, we either resolve it or we save it for later. And usually we forget about it. We never yell at each other, and we consider the D-word (the D-word is divorce) to be a swear and never EVER use it because, quite simply, it isn't an option for us. We're not doing that because we chose to be sealed forever. Sometimes, we do go to bed angry with one another, but I think that it has been a good thing because by morning, the problem seems significantly smaller and much less important. We also both feel much more forgiving toward one another. And sometimes, the problem was only created because one or both of us was tired and not thinking clearly--or not behaving as nicely as we should have been. We always apologize to one another. Sometimes we both know one of us was more at fault than the other, but we say sorry anyway and promise to try harder. We are not perfect. Especially me. But we are trying our best at being great spouses to one another and the best parents to you. Every day, we try a little harder to be a little better.

Your dad is my best friend. We are family because we chose one another. And that choice was an eternal one.

Read more about our love story here.

Can you think of anything from our relationship that I should have added?
What would you want your children to know about you and your spouse's relationship?

Maternity Photo Shoot, 34 Weeks!

In case you haven't heard yet, I'm 34 weeks along! The anticipation and uncertainty are the worst parts of the third trimester. I just wish I knew she would be here for sure on the 5th so I could relax until then. I'm looking forward to my doctor's appointment this Thursday--they always seem to make things go a little faster. But for now, I'm just counting the days. 

Yesterday, we spent much of our Sunday afternoon by the duck pond on BYU campus taking maternity pictures with friends Stephanie and Emil. We had a lot of fun and were so grateful they were willing to spend that time with us to take some fun maternity pictures. And now I can relax, knowing I got that done and won't regret not taking pics once my baby belly is gone (which will hopefully be pretty quick!). 

Here are some of my favorite pics from the afternoon:

"An apple for serenity, a pendant for balance..." Haha this picture makes me think of Mulan.

We did some just for fun yoga poses to show off different angles of my belly

When I look at these, I cannot believe just how big my belly really is. It is so strange because even now looking down at it, it doesn't seem as big as it actually appears when I look in the mirror or at the pictures. Sometimes I walk by a full-length mirror and I go, "WOAH," in my head. Like who is that? I have to admit that the thing I am most excited about post-pregnancy (besides our daughter finally being here!) is getting my body back. Not fitting into any of my normal pants is really discouraging. Especially because I always had to wear a belt before being pregnant. But apparently my hips are wider than I realized--I know my pelvis has to widen to make a passage for the baby, but I did not think it would be as noticeable as it is! I just want to fit in my skinny jeans again!!!!!

But for now, I'm wearing lots of stretch pants, skirts, and getting good use out of my two pairs of maternity pants. Hopefully by September or October I can at least have a few more options in my wardrobe! 

If you want to see more pictures from Sunday afternoon, you can look at my Maternity Shoot album on Facebook!