Love Thursday: Crummy Pictures and Funny Stories

Today’s picture makes me laugh any time I look at it. Why? Not only is the picture itself less than stellar (check out all that unnecessary head room!) and not only was the Munchkin positively uninterested in photography that day but, oh, D and I had a conversation with the photographer that will give us a lifetime of laughter.

We showed up for pictures together in May of 2005. I was pregnant with Nicholas. D was pregnant with Joey. And the Munchkin wanted nothing to do with any of it. Two year olds are like that, of course. Since this was my second pregnancy, I was already showing, hence the big flowy shirt. D also had on one of my maternity shirts that made her look more pregnant than she did; we wanted to remember why we got the pictures taken in the first place!

So, here we come, waltzing into the photo studio, two pregnant women holding the hands of a bouncy two year old. To be honest, I would have been curious as well. I just don’t think I would have been so forward.

As the photographer walked us into the back studio, she asked us who was the Munchkin’s Mom. I always balk at this question, look down and clam up. True to life, I did so this time as well. D fielded the question by saying that we both were. The line of questioning that followed was amusing.

Photographer: Oh! I see you’re pregnant now! *points to my belly*
Jenna: Yes, so is D. *points to D’s belly*
Photographer: *looks* *blinks* Did you guys both get artificially inseminated?
Jenna: No.

And I left it at that! You could see the gears turning in her head and overheating a little bit. Instead of thinking of us as two Moms in an open adoption, were thought of as two Moms in a loving, commited relationship. I like D and all but blondes are not my type. HA!

Looking back, should I have used it as an opportunity to educate someone on open adoption? Oh, maybe. But why? I don’t have to educate the entire world. At that point, I wasn’t entirely comfortable with my title of birth mother either, at least in public places. She wasn’t someone involved in my life so it was a matter of privacy rather than secrecy.

Plus? This version of the story? Made our husbands laugh so hard. In fact, they still laugh about it. I do, too. Even if I chickened out of discussing our true relationship, we had a funny moment. Sometimes funny is good for the soul.

Happy Love Thursday!

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