“The most beautiful curve on a woman’s body is her smile”

I read that quote on a Facebook post the other day, and how appropriate that I happened to remember it yesterday as I stood in front of the mirror at the Macy’s department store, the swim suit department no less, and tried on what must have been my tenth swim suit. Oh the agony! Bathing suit shopping was excruciating enough pre-baby, but now with my post baby body…well, let’s just say the experience was trying, and funny, to say the least.

I had been avoiding the swim suit department like the plague, but I knew sooner or later I would have to muster the courage and plunge in, especially with the warm weather making its happy appearance and also because I love to swim and be in the water. I don’t usually go to the mall, at least not of lately, and on the few occasions in the past month or so that I happened to go with my mom, I would shyly glance at the swim suit department out of the corner of my eye.

Well yesterday I was feeling brave and decided there was no time like today, not to mention my mom warmly knudging me in that direction and telling me she’d take the baby with her while she browsed the clothes department. Oh how I wanted to run with her in that direction! So there I was browsing the selections and I should have known this was going to be an uphill battle because first of all I don’t buy swim suits at department stores, the prices are just ridiculous. I could get the new iPhone 4 for the price of what some of those swim suits sell for. But alas, if I was going to get a feel for my new body in a swim suit, might as well do it in a department store. Well I went straight for the one pieces, because let’s be realistic here, there is no way I’m starting this challenge with a bikini! I need encouragement not instant failure.

So I’m looking at the one pieces and I just about burst out laughing when I read this one brands’ claim that their swim suit will make you look 10 pounds lighter, mind you at the cost of about $170 dollars. I have a feeling they meant to say you’re purse would be 10lbs lighter. Seriously?! Target kept sounding better and better. And then some of the selections just looked so…matronly…and hey, yes, I know I’m no “junior” anymore but I’ve still got some fun in me and even though yes, I’m a mommy, I’m not quite ready to look like a mommy yet, haha! So that’s when I braced myself and went for the halter tankini’s. Oh my!! Where to even begin. There were times I had to cover my mouth to stifle the giggles ready to erupt from within me. Thank God for my sense of humor! I realized coverage and support are my two new favorite words!

Then somewhere around my 3rd visit to the dressing room, and as I was trying to pry my lovely self out of a too tight top and squeezing-in-all-the-wrong-places bottom, I heard some girls in the dressing room across from me (they sounded young) complimenting each other on their swim suits, and for a second I thought to myself, oh I bet they don’t have an ounce of fat in the wrong place. I stood there reminiscing about my pre-baby body and just as I was about to pout, God and reason intervened.

I may not be in my 20’s anymore, and quite frankly I don’t want to be, and I may never look the way I did before having a baby, and really that’s just quite alright, because instead (Thank You God), I have a loving and supportive husband and a beautiful and healthy daughter and so many other blessings to give thanks for. And I shouldn’t complain, because I’ve lost a lot of my post baby fat, except for those darn 10 extra pounds that appear to be nesting in my lower back/hip area and my thighs, instead of making their way to other areas where I would gladly place them – hahaha!

Is it going to be a challenge to find the swim suit that I’m comfortable in, sure perhaps. Impossible? No. So my next stop is going to be Target and I’m going to go in there with a big smile on my face and take comfort in the knowledge that I am beautiful just as I am.

Image courtesy of Google and Funny Times