A conversation I could have lived without

This morning I had the luxury of going grocery shopping minus the kids. It is not until you are a parent of two or more that you fully start appreciating this as a luxury.

So I decided to go two different places. Instead of just getting my produce at Safeway (which honestly I am often not thrilled with the quality of the organic so usually end up with conventional) I decided to visit the local fruit stand. Our local farmers market opens this Friday, but I needed things before then. This fruit stand is small & locally owned. The manager has always been friendly. It is a no-frills place with a limited organic section but I like seeing what is coming in season in WA and supporting a small business. But I am going to think twice about going back there.

When I entered the store this morning the manager was talking outside it to someone. He saw me go in out of the corner of his eye probably. So when his conversation ended he came into the store to greet me. But his first words were not "hello, how are you?" they were "wow!" pause "wow". I could guess, but did not want to make assumptions, so innocently said "what?" His response started off a bad chain-reaction of a conversation "you are pregnant. Really pregnant!" pause "when are you due?" My standard response is "not for a while still" because really, why would strangers need to know more than that? And does the actual date really matter unless it is something like, tomorrow? So I gave him my standard response. But he felt the need to follow-up with him "how long?" so I told him Sept 3. He said "oh, that is a while still. I thought you must be due really soon". I continued to try my best not to be annoyed or offended as I selected my fruits and vegetables and casually ambled away from him. But he piped up with "it must be a big strong boy!" Seriously sir? Was that necessary? "No, its a girl" I say. And then because I was feeling defensive I said something like "its my third kid so my body knows how to grow." And his filter must be completely broken because he says "are the other 2 boys?". "No, they are girls as well". And his final foot-in-mouth "you gonna keep trying until you have a boy?" Now some of these comments or questions could have been innocent. Some I get from people I know. Maybe I was being an overly-sensitive pregnant lady, but I felt like he crossed the line on more than one of these. He was probably just trying to be friendly and have a conversation based on the obvious fact that I am pregnant.

I have been looking at my baby bump lately and thinking "it could stop getting bigger at any point now!" But I know it won't. I will find out at my next appointment, but I can guess that I had a significant "growth spurt". But I do not think it is so extreme that strangers would think I was due any day now. But of course I am paranoid now.