mommy's glamour shots

During the third year of grad school all the G3s had a photo shoot at the Salt Flats. We needed promotion images for our upcoming thesis concert, and most of us needed pics for our 'look at me world, I have so much to offer' press kits.

I was eight months pregnant.

This was the most flattering image of me and the baby bump. I would show some really funny ones of me trying to jump and do other things that heavy with child women shouldn't really be doing, but my vanity stops me.





The baby bump in the context of the group sometimes added some unwanted meaning.

For example, in this photo I could be the single mom who is reflecting on what a jerk her baby daddy turned out to be, while others seem to blissfully enjoy love and companionship.






And in this photo Liz and I could be a young couple braving the world, worried about bringing a baby into the the harsh desert wilderness where the sunsets are so beautiful, yet so very hot.

Photos by Luke Isley

As the professor of one of my classes sweetly and carefully put it, "Maybe once you have the baby and get back into shape you can take some more photos....

And that is what I did.




When I first saw this picture I was surprised at how scrawny I looked. It made me want to go eat a cheeseburger and fries asap. But then I saw the next picture and thought my arms looked fat. Ahhh, the joys of body image.




Dysfunctional body image aside, I must say that having a baby did help me get acquainted with my inner chub. This chub is involuntary, like a heart beating or lungs filling with air. I remember sitting on the sofa with baby Z, his feet kicking into my soft rolly belly, almost as if my stomach could completely envelope his tiny perfect feet. When I would jog with him in those early months things jiggled in a way that was almost intriguing. What are these new body parts, and in what culture are they sexy??? At times I was frustrated with my new body, at times I was motivated to get back in rocking shape, but most of the time I was just tired.


With time things did start to sort themselves and I decided that it was now or never to get some non-prego dance shots. I had such a good time, Chelsea Rowe did an amazing job, and I was only sore for about a week after.....











I know this is a bit of a So You Think You Can Dance crotch shot, but if I told you that I am wearing really expensive heels would you think me more classy?



Just in case, I'll end with this one.