The above photograph was taken today and then digitally altered in Photoshop with the Gaussian Blur tool.

It seems like just yesterday that I was getting my first son's "coming home outfit" together — and now it's time to do it all over again. Since they're both Sooner-born and Sooner-bred, the selection wasn't all that hard. It was just a matter of actually finding newborn items in stock this time of year! Much harder to do, we've found, when it isn't football or basketball season... But we wanted to make sure each son had their own cap and booties to hand down to their own children one day.

On Thursday I had my 35-week OB appointment. I'm already starting to dilate a bit and the not-so-l'il bugger is now weighing in at approximately 7½ lbs. Yes, that's SEVEN AND A HALF POUNDS with technically five weeks to go in the pregnancy. (Although a c-section has been scheduled for week 38, three weeks from today, thank goodness.) By contrast, I was born at 40 weeks and weighed in at 7 lbs., 11 oz. No wonder I'm so huge! My OB guesstimated he'd weigh at least 10 lbs. if he baked until week 40. Yowza! I guess we'll be providing OU with a quarterback and a linebacker in 2022-23.

Speaking of c-sections, can I just tell you how much I'm loving the "Dove Campaign for Real Beauty"? Unfortunately I'm allergic to just about every product they have on the market...but in this day and age of unachievable Hollywood 'perfection', what a brilliant way to connect with ordinary women! I literally cheer when the commercial comes on that features the pregnant woman and new mom in their cute little white undies. Imagine that — the c-section scars and stretch marks of motherhood being celebrated. On television! On channels other than Lifetime and Discovery Health! Which brings me to my PSA of the day...

I know the first time I looked in the mirror — I mean really looked in the mirror — when I got home from the hospital last February, I wasn't prepared for the emotions I experienced while adjusting to my new body (image). I'll be more prepared this time around. I think. I hope? But kudos to Dove for knowing and understanding that beauty comes in more forms than just 34-26-36.