A couple of pregnancy observations

Well, I'm back from my 10 days with my family. I had a great time with them (well, most...one person was a complete idiot) and enjoyed catching up with 2 long-time friends. Pat was spoiled at the baby shower my sister Heidi threw for us and I'll post some photos as soon as I receive them from my sister.

I've been meaning to write about this phenomenon (not sure if that's the correct usage of the word) that has been occurring quite a lot over the last several weeks. Every time I speak with or see someone who knows I'm knocked up, the first thing they do when they see it's me is look at my belly. It doesn't bother me--I can't help the fact that I'm getting rather rotund--but I find it rather comical. Most people try to sneak a peak while I'm looking away from their eyes for a second but some are rather obvious. I started noticing this at church about 3 weeks ago when I still wasn't really showing. This past week with my family and friends was no exception. And flying back to SLC yesterday, I noticed complete strangers looking too. I think they're trying to figure out if I'm really pregnant or just carrying some extra weight. I can't blame them as I do the same thing. And I've known all along that people would start rubbing or touching my belly as soon as I started to show and lo and behold, it has happened. I'm not one of those people that minds either--I love receiving hugs, butt slaps, the occasional headlock--so I don't shy away when I see an open palm approaching my mid section. But I've heard tell that there are some strangers that will approach pregnant women and I'm not sure how I'll react to that. I think that's crossing the line. If someone does attempt it with me, I think I'll slap their hand. And hiss. Those seem like appropriate reactions. But for all others, rub away. And you can even blatantly stare at my belly if you want. I know you're doing it anyway (you're really not fooling anyone).

There are a few questions that almost everyone asks. When are you due? Are you having a boy or a girl? How are you feeling? And then the dreaded question (only dreaded because I know what their reaction will be upon my answer)--What names have you picked out? Because we opted to be cool and not find out the gender, we of course have to come up with a girl AND a boy name. When I inform people of our girl selection, almost everyone says something to the effect that they approve. We've chosen a first and middle name that are classic and are not trendy (in our mind)--Rachel Grace. I love, love, love the name Harper for a girl (Harper Hancock...sounds like an author) but Christian is vehemently opposed. And besides, before we even found out we were with Pat we had decided to name our daughter (should Pat be of that persuasion) after an amazing friend of mine that recently passed away due to cancer (www.deathisnotdying.com). And here comes the fun part. When I tell people we can't come up with a boy name we like, out come the suggestions. Do you really think we haven't mulled that name over and thrown it in the discard pile? Really, you think that's a good name? You're serious?  I am a people pleaser. Always have been, always will be. But I'm also blunt, which sometimes negates the people pleaser in me. I've decided to go with the blunt responses when someone suggests a name. Someone recently told me a name we should definitely name the baby and I said "mmmmmm, well, I went to school with someone by that name and all I can picture is a nose-picking, crotch-fondling hooligan, so I don't think so."

So, the moral of the story is, I know you're trying to see the belly so don't feel like you have to be uber sneaky, and you can recommend boy's names to me but you have to be prepared for how I REALLY feel about it and you can't be offended when I tell you it sucks. If you suggest a name that I actually like, I'll give you a trophy!