More than a swim suit

I wasn't sure I had heard her right. I must not understand German as well as I thought. I mean, that's what people would ask me when I was pregnant. And I'm not pregnant anymore.

We were sitting in the living room with a family whom I had just met for the first time a little over an hour ago. We were enjoying some good conversation when the lady looked at me and asked, "so, when are you due?" What? What did she mean? I was totally confused, thinking that perhaps there's another meaning behind this phrase in German. But the embarrassed gasp from her husband and the words from my loving husband sitting by my side, told me the truth. This lady thought I was still pregnant!!!

I quickly fought back the tears that were just waiting to spill over, and played-along with my husband. We did our best to make light of this awkward moment, knowing that the lady had realized her mistake and was quite embarrassed herself. Comments of, "yeah, she wants to start jogging soon" and "that's what happens by the time one has six kids" were light-heartedly spoken. And then, for the sake of our hostess, we did our best to move on to a new topic.

But, my mind was still back there... back on what was just said.

Do I really still look like I'm that pregnant?

The absolute ridiculous part about this whole conversation, and why I was totally confused about what the lady was saying... is that I was holding my 2 week old baby the whole time! (O.k. I know that we've had our kiddos rather quickly, but my goodness... things don't happen that fast!)

When we finally reached our big 8 passenger van to go home, I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. I mean, I know that I'm very out-of-shape and I do not look like I did 8 years ago, but... do I really look that bad? My caring husband comforted me as best as he knew how, saying that the lady just was not thinking at all, as she knew I had a 2 week old baby. She had heard that I was pregnant, and somehow forgot that I had already had the baby (even though she was laying there in my arms). Yeah, I know. I totally understand that the lady wasn't thinking when she asked that question. But... (sniff, sniff)

The next morning, I read a beautiful post from another blog and was reminded that He has used my body to give life to 6 precious little treasures. And that's a beautiful thing.

The following is the post from the gypsy mama which He used to encourage my heart.

"My boys officially smell of summer. And to me summer smells like sunscreen.

The ritual has begun – the spraying and lathering and rubbing into scalps of sweet smelling SPF 50 on blond hair and pale white bodies. {Sorry, boys, you may have got my blue eyes, but you also got my British genes.}

They love it. They stand – arms akimbo – and rotate slowly as I mist them. Teeny tiny waists astride gulping swimsuits that all but swallow their cute little patoots; hide their calves and brush just short of their ankles.

I could literally eat them up.

We wade into the water together.

Their tiny selves next to my not-so-tiny-self. And it makes me proud.

Because this body of mine that can’t ever seem to find a flattering suit, this body birthed those two boys. This body has seen life that the adorable taut, toned and tiny lifeguard girls on duty couldn’t possibly dream of yet.

This body has housed 3 miracles and it turns out that miracles need room to grow.

This beautiful amazing body has stretched to accommodate three sets of feet, three heads, three hearts, three sets of flexing limbs. This body is round where some say it should be flat; soft where some say it should be hard; and full where many others are running on empty.

This body knows what it is.

And it is much, much more than a swim suit."