My sister and I, out for a Mother’s Day stroll through the garden, happened upon a Mother’s Day Jewelry and Gift Sale. Having not purchased anything for our own mother yet, we stopped in to check out the merchandise.
There were glass beads and gemstones, pearls and felted wool. There was gorgeous blown glass that looked illuminated from within. At one booth, the artist engaged us in conversation as we admired her beaded necklaces and bracelets. She pointed out the beautiful nacre on the pearl bracelet my sister was looking at, and commented on what a deal some of the pieces were. Then she looked at my midsection and her face lit up.
“Oh! Are—do you have a baby?”
I looked down, half wondering if I perhaps had my son with me and had forgotten (it’s been known to happen). I had my purse and my umbrella, but no baby.
“Well, my son’s at home…” I ventured.
She regrouped quickly.
“Oh, how old is your son?”
“He’s 20 months old,” I answered.
“Well,” she said, “you look great!”
We didn’t buy any jewelry from her, but not because of our conversation.
Imperfect Happiness 
I was trying on a coat at Macy’s last winter and I asked a saleslady if it looked ok. She responded “Oh, are you pregnant?!”… Um, so I guess it looked bad? Awkward.
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I am still positing that she was merely asking in order to confirm whether she could legitimately wish you a Happy Mother’s day, hence the “do you have.” Or she had vision problems since she failed to recognize our sister-ness (I think that was the same lady who said we didn’t look alike) And you are fabulous anyway!
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I like your “vision problems” idea. I’d forgotten that she failed to see any resemblance between the two of us (and it was the same woman…she had a lot to say). I’m not sure about your idea that she was just confirming my status as a mother. If this were the case, wouldn’t she have asked both of us? She must have seen something “motherly” about me, and it appeared that she saw evidence of my motherliness somewhere near my navel.
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I came across your blog from Jenny’s and have so enjoyed reading it! I also went to Baker Jr. High & then left OH.
One of my friends calls it the Mommy Muffin Top as our stomach will never be flat again!
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I’m glad you found my blog and that you’ve enjoyed it! My husband and I joke that Ohio is a great place to be from. (I secretly think it would be OK to move back now, but it’s more fun to keep the joke up.) We meet Ohioans everywhere we go!
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I think the rule on that is NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER EVER EVER guess a woman is pregnant. silly lady!
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You were clearly raised right, Renee!
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I had a lady at church do this to me. I was holding my daughter at the time. My five week old daughter. Five. Week. Old. Daughter. In my arms. And she asked me when I was due. I was so flabbergasted and mortified I decided to make her feel uncomfortable too. “oh, you mean you think I’m already pregnant again? I’m not pregnant. I’m just fat.” then I flashed a bright smile and turned to talk to someone else. I’m not particularly proud of that moment….just still thunderstruck, I guess. It was an older woman, a mother herself. She should have known better!
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I’d forgotten, but someone made a remark when my first baby was two days old, and we were back at the hospital for a heel stick (something like, “Such a tiny baby and already pregnant again?”). At least it wasn’t one of the staff. I wonder where people get the idea that bellies just go spontaneously flat immediately after birth?
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If people think you look pregnant than they would assume I was carrying twin 23 year olds in my belly. Just saying. There is no way you even look remotely pregnant.
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Thanks, Dacia. I did post another angle on my Imperfect Happiness Facebook Page to show that I really do think it was an honest mistake (even while I think it was poor form to make the guess at all).
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The artist may have had beautiful jewelry for sale, but she needs to get her eye sight checked…and fast! I honestly don’t know what would give her that idea from looking at your belly…..
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Thanks, Kitra. In her defense, I put up one of the more flattering belly shots. I know I have a little round belly when you see it from the side-on view. The muscles just aren’t there to hold it in unless I squeeze them tightly non-stop. She was an interesting character, though. She shared all kinds of things about herself that I didn’t put in the post.
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um, yeah, a waitress made this mistake back in november. . .it’s pretty much been all downhill from there, well,that and last week my husband officially weighs less than i do, which has NEVER happened in 12 years of knowing him. . .people are DUMB. . if you don’t know. . DO NOT ASK!!!!!!
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Ouch, Timbra.
The only time I made The Mistake was when I saw a woman sitting in the waiting area at the OB’s office when I was pregnant with my first. I still kick myself, but I do feel it was an honest mistake by a mom-to-be (me) desperate for some community (turned out she was the grandma-to-be. I hope that I at least helped her feel younger). Outside of OB’s offices, unless they’ve introduced themselves as pregnant, I’m keeping my guesses to myself. Even inside OB offices now.
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