Pictures and Conversation, Part 2

We have been getting dreadfully erratic about our Sunday Pregnant Picture of late. This time around it was well into the week before we got to take it. (We forgot on Sunday and then it was many days before I felt pretty enough to document my condition.) So in addition to our standard pose, I also wanted a couple of free-standing, carefully scripted candid shots, to give the appearance of breezy elegance and casual, carefree ease and happiness.

The first picture I relaxed completely, to allow the full effects of the expansion to be visible. ‘This will be the “Wow, I can’t believe how pregnant I looked then!” picture,’ I explained to Michael, who was patiently working the camera. ‘It will be a curiosity piece, because I’m never going to be this big again, except under similar circumstances.’

Next I wanted one a bit more controlled, for the exact opposite effect, to prove how non-pregnant it is possible to look at 8+ months along. ‘Now I’m going to suck it up a bit, so I can look back and think, “And that’s how I looked at 8+ months pregnant!”’ And held the pose (with some difficulty. It reminded me a bit of those corset-tying scenes in old Victorian novels. ‘Don’t breathe, Mabel! Don’t breathe!’)

Michael peered through the viewfinder. ‘Okay,’ he called. ‘Go ahead and suck it up!’ Distressed yelps resulted from me and evil cackles from Michael. Funny, funny man.

(This is all very silly and I readily admit it. I don’t know why it’s so important to me to prove by pictures how un-pregnant I look when I’m perfectly happy being pregnant, feel great, and wouldn’t wish a thing otherwise. Sigh.)