emily'smommymakeover

It has been quite the journey. Over ten years ago, I was pregnant with my son, and so excited to be a mom. I had always had an athletic, slim figure, and didn't believe I could be one of those women who would struggle with her weight. Being pregnant gave me the green light to eat anything I wanted whenever I wanted. (I was notorious for late night stops at Sonic.)

And sure enough, after gaining seventy pounds during that pregnancy, my body was never the same. Oh I exercised, and I dieted. I could count points with the best of them, and Jenny Craig was my nemesis. But even after losing most of the weight, my body was never the same. I was more conservative with my second pregnancy and getting the weight off wasn't as hard, but my breasts and my tummy were simply those of a happy mother – not those of a young woman.

And while there is certainly nothing wrong with having that body, there's no question that it affected my self esteem. I wish I could say otherwise. I wish I could be one of those women who feels beautiful even with a little elephant skin hanging over her belt. But I couldn't. I always imagined that I would be lucky enough to "have some work done."

If you've been following this blog then you know what I've been through. And you're starting to see how this wonderful Mommy Makeover has changed me. I've enjoyed sharing my journey and truly loved getting the feedback from women out there who are also considering plastic surgery. Your comments have meant so much to me. Ever since starting this blog I have always wondered, "Isn't this a little self-centered? Writing a blog about a tummy tuck and a breast augmentation? Seriously, who wouldn't think I was conceited to do such a thing?" But my friends and supporters have shown me that there has been value in this endeavor and I thank you for that. My husband and best friend decided that we should celebrate all that we've been through by having a "reveal" party. He thought it would be nice to invite our friends who have been following the blog to get together and have some fun (and maybe he just wanted to show me off just a little bit). Even on the way to the party last night, I asked him, "Is this silly? Throwing a party for me because I had plastic surgery?" He responded in the way that he always does, "Who cares what other people think? Your friends will be there and we'll have some fun." He's right of course. For once, I did something for myself and it's been a wonderful experience. He' reminded me that it's okay to put myself first once in awhile.

So let me tell you about the party. No wait. Let me tell you how I feel.

I feel beautiful and confident and sexy and powerful and brave. I feel like I did when I was twenty and I believed anything could happen. I know that a few hundred ccs of silicone in my chest and a tight tummy shouldn't have that much impact on how I feel about myself. But it does. It just does.

All the embarrassing pictures of me in that green bikini, and the pain of the surgery (not that much surprisingly) and the sleepless nights – it's all been worth it – a hundred times worth it.

And I can't thank my friends enough for their support. I know how I would have felt if it were one of my friends getting all fixed up while I sat there in my post baby body. It would have been easy for them to be jealous or judgmental. But the support has been amazing. From helping pick up my kids from school on the day of the surgery and the flowers and the meals, to picking up the gaps I left at the PTA and as Den Mother, my friends have been awesome. And for them to come out and support me at my reveal party was wonderful. Thank you all for everything. This journey wouldn't have been the same had I kept it a secret. Your participation and friendship has meant everything to me.

And to Dr. Hynes, you took such good care of me. You treated me with respect and kindness and you made me beautiful. You are "the man."

Thank you for helping me get back to me.

Comment by Dawn:
CUTE, CUTE, CUTE! Love the pix. :)

Comment by Jen:
Emily, I want to thank you for the blog and for sharing your story. I am getting my mommy makeover done on Thursday and I am quite nervous about it. I mainly worry about what others are going to say because I don't want my boobs to be the topic of conversation at the next play date. Although, I'm sure they will be, seeing how I live in the most conservative state - and I am fairly sure the most gossipy one too.

But I don't care too much because I am doing this for me. It has been years since my husband has seen me naked in the daytime because I am too embarrassed by my mommy body! He's just excited to do it with the light on AND on top of the covers! (I hope that was PG-13 enough). And I want to feel like I like the way I look and not have to hide it all of the time. I just hope I made the right choice with the size and that it looks good. I didn't want stripper boobs - just boobs where people will look and say, "Did she get those done or is she just wearing a really great bra today?" Your blog has made me feel better

about what I am doing and made me quite a bit less nervous about what to expect. Thank you so much for sharing this! =)