"You're Pregnant? I thought you were just fat!"

There are a lot of odd things that happen to you when you are pregnant...and I don't just mean with your body (more on that in a later post). As I come upon the home stretch of my pregnancy, and I begin to waddle more than walk, I have noticed that people act much differently towards you when you have a bun in the oven. Not only are they much nicer to you, but I feel like I have even gotten special treatment as of late...

For example, when I went to purchase lunch while doing a trunk show at a fancy department store last week, not only was I given the employee discount (of 20%) I was given an extra 30% off my purchase of a delicious chicken salad sandwich. The gracious woman who rang me up just winked and said "I'll give you a little extra off too," and I beamed back at her as I lovingly rubbed my protruding belly. When I told the employees and fellow trunk show vendors they were astonished!

When in line at my local butchers yesterday I was asked by all three employees behind the counter what I wanted, when there were 3 people in line ahead of me! Of course I declined their prompt service, and told them I was in no hurry, and that there were 3 patient people waiting ahead of me...but in 4 years of going there that has never happened to me!

While in line at the register to purchase some large tupperware bins at Target last weekend, I noticed that one of the tops had a crack in it. I paid for my entire purchase and asked if I could run back and get a new lid - the cashier said "normally we would have you leave your purchases here, but you can go ahead and take your cart with you." After I exchanged the lid, I just bypassed the registers and walked out of the store. Now, I am a very honest person, but if I wasn't, I could have put anything I wanted in my carriage and walked out of the store without paying...Was this because I was pregnant? Or just because the cashier was an idiot...It could go either way :)

Doors are being held more often, chairs are being offered, I can take a golf cart when they aren't allowed on the course - I was even able to use the employee bathroom at the Gap the other day! WHAT? And all because I am pregnant. It is still amazing to me how pregnant women are looked upon as these heavenly beings. Yes, the fact that we grow inside another human still blows my mind (and creeps me out a bit) - but what makes a pregnant woman more important than a woman that decides not to have children? Shouldn't we be this nice to everyone all the time? Not that I am complaining at all - I am taking full advantage of all these positive happenings. And I know, I have a precious being growing inside of me, and need to take care of myself now more than ever - I just wish everyone was this nice to me all the time.

And then there was the group of Irish gents in front of my friend and I at last weeks PGA tour stop in Norton, MA. One went to light a cigarette in front of me and I said out loud "I can't stand here if he is going to smoke." He then drunkenly slurred, "Fine. I will stand behind you so you can't smell it." I then explained (although I thought it was rather obvious) that it didn't matter either way, I was pregnant and didn't want to inhale is cigarette smoke. He proceeded to yell at me "You're pregnant? I just thought you were fuggin' fat!" I wasn't sure whether to punch him or laugh - so I just blankly stared at him in shock. In a matter of seconds, he went from a shit-faced rude slob to a doting, overly-friendly man, who turned out to be the new father of twins. And then he tried to touch my belly - that was our queue to move to the next hole!