long distance virtual dress sizing & fitting

Let's see, where were we? Ah yes. Hopefully soon to be delivered. Today I officially hit 38 weeks of pregnancy. Two of my babies arrived 10 days early. The other one was a few days late, but I'm ever the optimist. The question is, how much of an optimist should I be?

Here's the real issue: The other day my sister called me from some department store requesting to know what size of skirt I would be fitting into in the middle of July. "Wwweeeeellllllll...." I said....???

The thing is, this isn't just some random act of "oh, here is a skirt I think Allysha might like that I can send her in July" kindness, no. This is to be part of a bridesmaid ensemble for her wedding reception that I will be flying in for a day or two before the actual event. The skirts are on sale. They need to be bought. They may be, may be, may be alterable. Maybe.

So, let's see. I need to estimate what my postpartum body will be doing in July, approximately two months from now. I need to do that estimate while still inhabiting a presentpartum body, a body that is currently prone to retaining water and craving fattening snacks. So how much of my present weight is water and how much of it is real, gulp, weight? How was I to answer this question? The only thing that kept coming to my mind was a confused sort of incredulous "I think I understand that you're trying to ask me what size of skirt I will be wearing in July, but my brain is having a very hard time wrapping it's self around the idea of wearing anything without a good elastic waistband."

I did what any reasonable, pregnant, older sister would do. I asked to talk to my mom. I mean absolutely no offense to my sister, but someone who has never been pregnant before, and has never experienced the random shifting of curves through the months during and after a pregnancy has absolutely no way to help gauge what size of skirt I should ask for.

If you have been pregnant before you know that each one is a little different. Each weight loss experience is also different from any other pregnancy. Sometimes the pounds come off faster, sometimes slower. More often a complicated mix of slow then fast then slower and hopefully fast again (okay that last one is part of my optimism).

My mom is about my size although our body shapes are a little different, but she tried on the skirts for me and gave me her experienced opinion. She is coming out when the baby is born and could bring the skirt, but we both know that trying on a skirt at that point isn't going to be a lot different from trying on the skirt at 38 weeks and counting.

We decided to go with buying 2 sizes just to be safe. Let's clarify, that is not a size 2, but two different sizes of skirts. (Heck, I would have suggested 3 different sizes, but that seemed a little over the top.) But it's done.

yikes.

Another sister gets home from her mission a week before the wedding. And while it's not pregnancy, mission body shape shifting and weight can also be tricky. Taking this into consideration my mom picked up some different sizes for her too. Between the two of us and all those different size skirts, we should be able to work something out. Otherwise, at least we'll have someone to hang out with behind the punch bowls and to laugh with as we try to stealthily avoid the wedding photographer.