My Favorite Pastime

I am always amazed and sometimes humored at how freely people speak their minds. I am referring specifically to comments made towards pregnant women and new babies, since this is still fresh in my mind and life.

At the beginning of a pregnancy I hear alot of, "When are you due?" "Is it a boy or a girl?" "Is this your first?" (I always lie and say yes when it's a stranger because do they really care and I know when I announce it's actually my fourth there is the inevitable "Wait, how old are you?") Then as the pregnancy progresses, the comments change to, "Can't be too much longer now!" (Still have eight weeks thank you.) "Another girl huh...are you going to try for a boy?" "Your fourth! Are you Catholic or Mormon?" (Jokes on you... I'm Mormon) "Don't you know how to use birth control?" And my personal favorite, "WOW! You look like you're going to POP!" (What a self esteem boost! Thanks!)

But despite it all, my sweet baby is born and then the comments start on her. Now these comments are hillarious to me because I have made it my new favorite pastime to imagine that the comments are directed toward an adult, rather than a speechless, drooling infant. Let's be honest, people say things about babies that they would never say to another adult. For example..."Look at the rolls on those thighs!" "She has such fat cheeks!" "What happened to her hair?" "Wow! You're a chunky one!" But my very favorite comment that I have never heard before, and i would be very surprised to ever hear again came from a sweet old woman who was also waiting to pick up a prescription at the drug store..."Does she have a paper route yet?" What?