Ever-changing figure

I was watching some old videos of the kids this morning. In one of them, my dad and Chickie were dancing, and suddenly I entered the picture, holding baby Zoodle and dancing too. I think Zoodle was about five months old.

It was so strange looking at my body in the video. It was almost like it was someone else's figure--at least the top half. The first thing I noticed was my milk-makers.

Wow, I thought, were they ever really that big? And then, Did I fully appreciate them for the little bit of time I had them?!

If you know me in person, you know that when I say "big," we're not talking Dolly Parton. Not even close. But, well, they were doing a great job making milk.

My waist looked different too--still kinda squishy from being stretched way out for the second time in three years.

And I look at myself now. My waist is tighter, thanks to exercise. My milk-making factory has been shut down for a long time, and that part of my body is back to its normal very-petite size. (That may not be optimal for bathing suit season, but it's great for running--these little things don't bounce around much!)

Like I said...it's almost like I'm a different person.

And I love the beauty of my changing figure.

I'd like to talk to fellow biological mothers for a minute. Ladies, aren't our bodies amazing? They can metamorphose in all sorts of ways. The abdomen stretches way out in front, then slowly shrinks back down. Breasts grow full with milk when it's needed, and gradually dry up when it's not. And all sorts of other parts join in on the beautiful dance of a body that can change its purpose, and its looks, when it needs to. It never quite goes back to the way it was before...and that's okay.

In future days when I see wrinkles deepening and age spots darkening, I hope I can look back at photos and videos and be thankful for all of the phases my body has gone through--and for the phase it's in at that moment.

This body will never grace the cover of a magazine...but it's doing its job, and it's doing it well.