Bodacious Boomer

Awhile back I started painting the billowing bellies of obviously pregnant ladies. It’s a popular thing to do at baby showers. These days it seems it’s perfectly acceptable to bare your belly while expecting. Remember the naked photo of Demi Moore while she was pregnant?  Now I’m going to say something that’ll make me sound like I’m 106 and sitting here gumming my dinner because I’ve forgotten how to chew.

Back in my day, women just didn’t do this. I had Brett in May 1983. I shopped at Motherhood Maternity at the local mall for my “ex-pan-do wear”. They had swimsuits for pregnant ladies then, not sure if bikinis were an option though. Not a problem for me. I never thought about swimming when I was pregnant. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that). If someone had been as insane as to have suggested that they’d paint my belly at all, much less with others around, I’d have thought they were on crack.

Maternity wear has gone through a huge metamorphosis over the last 25 years. All the tops I wore when I was pregnant looked like they’d been made by Omar the Tentmaker. They all had smocking across the top to give you plenty of room. Expectant moms just didn’t bare their bellies by choice back then. If you saw a bare bulging belly peeking out from under a top back then it was because either the mom couldn’t afford a maternity top, or had outgrown the ones she had. These days women proudly wear skin hugging t-shirts and sweaters that celebrate their temporary curves. Maternity tops now are really, really cute. I wouldn’t even mind wearing some of them now, but then I’d have to explain how I’m carrying my own grandkids.

Since I was able to quit work the last half of my pregnancy I never bought a lot of maternity clothes. I just rewore the same few pieces over and over again. My mother-in-law, Betty, is a sewing wiz. So I was all excited when she called and said she’d made me something. I eagerly awaited the arrival of my new duds in the mail. She made me a dress alright. It was a nightmare in polyester-  muddy olive green and cranberry plaid print- a large plaid. To embellish the plaid, which was special enough on it’s own, was printed ecru lace. It was the most butt-ugly dress I’d ever seen in my whole life. I called Doug at work to tell him just how awful it was. He defended the dress to me. (Once home, he retracted his defense). In good conscience I couldn’t even donate that dress to charity. It went straight to the trash. I only wish I’d taken a photo of it first.

Kinda got away from the whole belly painting thing- sorry.  (You know how I can be when I get wound up). Anyway, the photos on today’s posting are from the first two bellies that I ever did. I think they were pretty cute. It just goes to show you how much times have changed I guess.