Post-baby Dress Shopping and Post-Shopping Cookies

So, in a few weeks a pair of friends are getting married, and I'll be a guest at the wedding.  I put off buying a dress until this past weekend; I knew it was going to be more difficult than usual.  I'm pretty short (I probably ought to stay in the petite section, if selection were good) and most of my weight is in my stomach (even before the baby) which doesn't make finding dresses easy.  But this time I have even more requirements: I've gained weight since Thumper was born, so there's that to consider, and I'm still nursing, so I wanted to find something that didn't require me taking off the whole shebang.

Easier said than done.  I headed to Ross while the Yeti stayed home with Thumper, because it's next to impossible trying on clothes quickly with a baby in an Ergo or stroller.  My initial goal was to find a fancy separate skirt and top, but there was literally nothing in that capacity.  Same with finding a pants outfit that didn't look like it belonged to a 50-year-old woman or look too Sunday-morning (it's a night wedding).  I headed to the dresses without much hope.

The main obstacle in finding a dress took me by surprise: my boobs are ginormous.  I've always been well-endowed, so I wouldn't have thought that much would be different in that regard (for example, button-up shirts have always been problematic).  I knew they were bigger, but I bought new nursing bras in new brands and I'd been wearing shirts one size bigger anyway because of the weight I've gained.  I headed to my old usual dress size without really thinking and quickly learned I had to go up two sizes - probably one size for the extra poundage, and one just for the massive bosom (the word 'bosom' makes me giggle - makes me think of an Anastasia Krupnik book and the movie Victor/Victoria, simultaneously).

Now add to that the fact that I'm short, and you get dresses fitting me even less well than usual.  Still, I happened upon something!  It's a black dress, sleeveless, with a gold zipper that runs all the way down the front and a skirt that sort of flares out (thus hiding most of the stomach).  The zipper means I can unzip to nurse (and when it's zipped it's relatively high and I don't have major cleavage, another common dress problem for me).  It's not a particularly discreet way to breastfeed, so I'll have to cover or go in a dark corner or something and I'll probably nurse in a car beforehand to minimize such things, but the point is I won't have to completely undress to do so.

It's just above knee-length and it's got bare arms, so I got a little shrug and I'll probably wear black tights.  I know it's a little goth but I think I'll be able to pull it off since it's at night.  But let's face it, it was pretty much my only reasonable option.  As an added bonus it turned out this dress is only one size bigger than my norm, so it's got added vanity points.

Speaking of vanity, I almost never wear heels, and I picked up a cute pair... only to have the Yeti point out that they're not very practical for carrying Thumper.  Much as I'm loath to admit it - I even picked up Thumper experimentally - he's right, so I'm wearing beaded black flats instead (trust me, I'm clumsier than a bad Mary Sue character in a vampire series). I'm keeping the heels anyway.  Someday we'll go on a date without the baby, and those shoes will be ready.

And after I've spent all that time complaining about my even-more-ample figure, here's photographic proof that I never learn from any of this:

Man, those Girl Scouts saw me coming.  In my defense I bought a bunch with the intent of it being the final Scout cookie purchase of the season.  

Speaking of food, here's Thumper in contemplation: 

We'll pretend he's eyeing the cookies. 

I'm looking forward to the wedding (and I like this couple), but I'm slightly nervous.  There will likely be old friends there I haven't seen in years.  I didn't go to my ten-year high school reunion but this will be similar.  Also we've never taken Thumper to such a formal event.  The Yeti is prepared to hang out outside with him during the ceremony if needed, but still, I'm already planning to get new (quiet) toys to distract him, etc.  But wait'll you see the little outfit he has! Two words: bow tie.