Walking Grapes

I am just days away from purchasing a bridesmaid dress for a dear friend's wedding. The wedding is taking place just days before Christmas. Being a teacher by profession, it was either Christmas break or Easter. Of course, she's so starry-eyed over her fiancee that waiting until April was adding an extra eternity. I'm thrilled for her.

The catch is, I will be as big as a doublewide by December. I know this to be a fact based on my two previous pregnancies--and the nine-pound babies they resulted in. I never bothered to measure my abdomen (who wants to know???) This is turning out to be a mistake. When ordering an expensive dress with even more expensive alteration costs, not knowing what size to pre-order is proving challenging--and XXXL simply isn't an option in upscale clothing. Combined with extra fabric costs, major alterations could run as much as the dress itself. Ouch.

My friend was very generous in picking a dress. We went around town one day and tried on everything we could find (not much out there in maternity sizes). We found a couple that might work--nice, stretchy fabric. Ample room for the bust and belly. I'm hoping the style we eventually chose will be kind to my eight-month along physique.

The last hurdle happens to be the bride's favorite color. She has always loved purples--the last gift I got her was an amethyst necklace. We actually had a lilac kitchen in the apartment we shared in college. For the wedding she has chosen aubergine. Think just short of eggplant, with a little red grape juice thrown in to give it a slightly less deep shade. With my basketball belly and my florid face I should look exactly like a walking grape. Maybe if I add heels (ha! my cankles would kill me!) I could manage the slightly more elegant eggplant look.

All's fair in love and war, right? Even a pregant and purple matron of honor.