Baby Momma Drama

We almost had major baby momma drama this week.

For a month, Benny and I have had plans to attend the Navy Ball. I thought it would a fun way to hang out with the Navy folks. I was extra excited when Benny said he needed to wear his formal white uniform. He hasn't wore that uniform since his graduation from Officer Candidate School in 2003.

After the initial excitement of dinner and dancing left, I remembered that I needed something to wear to this formal occasion. Orginially I wanted to order a black prego gown from A Pea in the Pod (expensive maternity clothes that I'm obsessed with, but haven't ordered from yet). I found a sale on sale for $150. After discussing this wardrobe investment, Benny and I decided that I would wear my brown bridesmaid dress from Tammy's wedding. Actually it was the ONLY formal dress in my closet that fit me ... and this was before I had a baby belly. To remember how pretty I looked in this dress in July, just click here.

All was fine and dandy until Columbus Day. For some reason Baby Volkmann choose six days before my big event to push out my belly. Is it huge? Not by any means. But it is round enough that my co-workers have noticed that I'm expecting.

I tried on the dress Monday night. I weighed Benny's reaction. His face said it all. This dress was tight. Much tighter than it was in July. Baby Volkmann was pushing this dress to its limit.

But solutions were limited. It's not like I can run to Dillards and buy a replacement dress. I visited an on-base dress shop and look at the 20 dresses they had. None of them were maternity dresses. Then I visited an off-base shop that caters to Americans. Again, no maternity dresses. But I did try on several dresses, that were either too tight in the pelvic zone or too loose in the back/chest area. Nothing fit better than the brown dress I had. I was back to plan A.

To add insult to injury, I couldn't get a hair appointment at my beauty salon on base. It was already booked for the day. Same goes for the spa, so I didn't get the pedicure I wanted. It was up to me to style my hair for this formal event. I can't even style my hair on a normal day. Saturday was going to be a challenge.

In the end, my flat iron was my friend. My hair wasn't perfect and not nearly as great as when my sister Colleen curls it. But it wasn't frizzy and it wasn't standing on end. That made me happy.

The dress fit well enough for me to eat two salads, dinner and two pieces of cake. And I truly had fun at this ball. The program was emotional, but centered on the Navy and its role on the war on terrorism. The speech was short and to the point. And the dancing was fabulous. I've never seen so many sailors on the dance floor. It was like "High School Musical" meets a Village People music video. Yes, I was the one who requested "In the Navy." I truly smiled when the guys in their whites were shaking their butts on the dance floor along with this disco song.

In the Navy ....