Awkward conversations, part 2

In the past several days I have had a number of awkward conversations each involving my "belly."  My belly (or lack thereof) is the cause of much consternation in my life these days. First off, the progesterone I've been taking to induce lactation has been causing me to gain weight.  To my dismay, very little of this weight is going to my breasts where I'd expect it to go.  Instead, it seems to be settling around my midsection.  Therefore, I've been doing situps each night to try and ward off the beast.  However, on the flip side, I clearly do not have a pregnant belly...and this keeps coming up in various unexpected conversations with strangers.  For the record, here is the non-pregnant belly in question.

Let me set the first scene.  My MIL and I went to Baby Gap this weekend to use a 40% Friends & Family discount.  She was itching to buy baby clothes, and who am I to refuse, right?!  As we're in line to checkout, the conversation with the 50's something cashier ensues as such:

Cashier: "Would you like a gift receipt?"

Me:  "No thank you."  

What I should have said:  "Yes, thanks." (This would have stemmed all further questioning.)

Cashier: "Oh, are you having a baby?!?!"

Me: "Yes in December!"  (See where I went wrong there?)

Cashier: "You don't even look pregnant?!"  

Me: "Mmm...hmm..."

Cashier: "I look bigger than you do..."  *somewhat suspiciously* 

Me:  "Mmmm..."

Cashier:  "I just can't believe how little belly you have!"

Me:  "Mmmm...."

(This continues for an agonizing 10 minutes as my MIL signs up for a Gap credit card and the woman begins to pummel me for every detail including what we're naming the baby.  I keep giving her the "Mmm...hmmm..." treatment.  She doesn't really take the hint that I'd prefer not to chat more.) 

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Then today, N and I are at our second daycare interview.  This time there were two other couples there with us.  The daycare owner makes us all tell the group when we're due, whether it's a boy or girl, etc.  Everyone else was due in just a short time period (like next week/next month) and so I thought I'd be off the hook with eyes darting to my stomach.  But when I said we were due Dec 3rd the conversation went like this:

Her: "OMG, you don't hardly have a belly!"  *she eyeballs my stomach suspiciously*

Me:   Mm.....yeah.

Her:   "That's unusual." 

***time passes talking about the daycare, and as we're about to leave***

Her:  "Well, the next time I see you, you'd better have a bigger stomach!"  *eyeballs my stomach again*

Me:  "Umm...well my stomach is skinny b/c we're using a surrogate."  

Her:  *dubious awkward stare* 

(This was all the more uncomfortable because N and I really liked this daycare a lot.  And I didn't like to be put on the spot in front of strangers.  The other couples looked awkward at the exchange, and I just wanted to exit as quickly as possible.  N simply suggested that I start wearing a prosthetic belly.  Ha!)  

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Add this to the fact that I am now getting requests from LONG distant facebook acquaintances to post pictures of my belly on Facebook.  I am ignoring them instead.    

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Having a baby via surrogacy makes for lots of awkward conversations.  And unfortunately, I'm one of those people that gets uncomfortable easily, especially with a crowd or strangers.  It's not that I don't want to tell people, but I don't feel the need to get into the whole thing at a store, for instance....or make announcements to people I knew "way back when" on Facebook.  But the constant threat of baby belly keeps rearing it's head.  I never really thought about this aspect of the process.

I know I shouldn't complain, and honestly, as thrilled as I am about us having a baby on the way(!), I'll be glad when feeling uncomfortable around strangers is over.  Hopefully I won't be this awkward once I actually AM a mom.  :-\   I'm crossing my fingers!  

On a fun note, here are a handful of the outfits we got from Baby Gap this weekend.  Shopping for baby girls is fun b/c everything is so cute!!!

(Polka dots + Stripes!! OMG!  And that dress?!  Adorable!!)

(Can you tell I have a thing for polka dots and florals?!)

(Stripes again!!)

Anyway, words of wisdom or encouragement are appreciated.  Thankfully everyone has been super great about the whole thing.  I've had very little actual negative response to this process.   Just lots of dubious or awkward encounters.  Also on a side note, the people at Babies R Us, didn't ask any questions and were awesome.  Maybe it's because I was dealing with male sales representatives?