Self Portrait Tuesday - All of Me

This is my calf:

It is in better shape than it has ever been thanks to months and months - nearly a year - of bouncing on the birth ball, but note the stretch marks. They made their appearance while I was on bedrest during my pregnancy with Pearl. Stretch marks and pregnancy pretty much go hand in hand, and I expected to get them on my belly, my hips, perhaps even my breasts... but my calf?! It just wasn't fair. My breasts and belly and hips stay pretty much covered up, but having my calf stretch marked - and not both calves, oh no, couldn't be symmetrical about it or anything, just my right calf - was a real bummer. No more shorts or skirts, I would moan.

I don't care so much about the stretch marks now, though I still don't love them. I read about women who embrace them as battle scars, celebrate them as badges of motherhood, but I'm just not there yet. I'm still mourning the loss of my smooth, youthful skin, still despondent about the growing effects of age and life on my body. We'll see how I feel about shorts once it gets warm again. Until then, the stretch marks will be there waiting, under my pants.

More self-portraits can be found here.