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"Congratulations…?? For what…?"

As my sweet Bearded Wonder is celebrating the week before my birthday, "counting down" if you will, we went to National Harbor since it's kind of "our spot". We had our first date there, he considered proposing there, we've had swing dance events there… It's been a pretty special place in our lives together.

So imagine my surprise when some random stranger almost managed to completely ruin our date night tonight.

We walked into this cute gourmet kitchen store that had food samples, kitschy dishes, fancy jams, etc. One sales associate was at the front of the store and greeted us, and we went about sampling the various spreads, oohing and ahhing over the different flavors.

We meandered up front, and the bright-haired girl looks at us with doe eyes and says "Congratulaaations!"

She had "aww there's a baby" face. I knew what the "congratulations" meant, but we both responded with "…For what??"

Her doe eyes oblivious, she responded with "You're having a baaaby!". 

Uh.



Who? Us? Us who are super not pregnant and not intending to be pregnant for quite some time?


"OH! NO. No. No no no. I just like to eat a lot of food <insert awkward belly rub here>."

She mumbled something awkwardly, and I have a vague recollection of saying "Do I look pregnant??", but I tried to keep my calm and just walked away to some random display of stuff. My heart was crushed. My self-esteem was deflated. The 7 pounds I've lost in the last few weeks felt like a heavy weight lodged in my stomach.

She tried to ask us a question a few minutes later about living in the area, and as the blood was still rushing to my ears, I kept walking and ignored her. Mature? Meh. But for goodness sake, there is a code amongst women to never say something about pregnancy unless she is crowning.


We made friends with some girls at a tea shop, and when I told them the story, one said "THAT'S AGAINST THE WOMAN CODE!"

See? Total stranger. She gets it. (Granted we're now besties. She gave us free tea that's changed my life.)

You can guess which one is me and which is The Offender.
Well, I cried a little on the sidewalk, I won't lie. Beardy was really sweet and understanding and shook his fist in faux-rage in the direction of the store we had been in. He prayed with me while I cried, which meant a lot.

We walked around Charming Charlie (which is full of mirrors), and I found myself checking out my winter geared self (it was cold!). I didn't look pregnant. I'm still not a small girl, but I do not look pregnant. I will say, dancing around with new friends and my husband in the tea store gave me the boost I needed, and here we are.

Emotionally, I'm somewhere in here:




So that's that. My pride's still a little sore, but nothing some of our tasty new Toasted Almond tea and snuggles with my hubby and pup can't cure. 

xo
A Redhead

Comments

  1. Ugh. I had that happen to me several times, and I still remember each one for the assault it was. It would have been easier to have been pregnant and to have had a joyous bundle to explain the weight, I can guarantee. T

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