A Belly Casting, or Belly Mask, as they are sometimes called, is a plaster form of a pregnant woman's stomach. (Actually, a woman's breasts are often included too.)It's a heartwarming way to capture what the mother's tummy looked like while she was pregnant with her little one. You can purchase a kit for this project, or you can find out how to make a homemade belly casting by following these instructions.



Some mothers choose to create several belly castings throughout their pregnancy. This way, they can preserve- in plaster forms- the changes that took place as their baby grew. Or, you can just make one homemade casting around the eighth or ninth month of pregnancy to show what your tummy looked like.

I believe there comes a time in every mother's life when a change has to come or she'll lose her mind.

For me, that point came when I was three months pregnant with my third child. My son was three and my daughter - two. I was working full time at a casino; on my feet for eight hours; getting home at 3 in the morning and up at 6:30 to 7:00 am with the kids. My husband worked dayshift and was gone before they woke up so sleeping was not an option.

I would feed them breakfast and try to sleep on the couch while they played and turned the house upside-down. I was a zombie - in and out of sleep until lunch and nap time. Then back to getting ready for work. Every night I would drive home, dozing off at the wheel. It was terrifying and I was miserable.

One day while visiting with my sister, I just broke down in tears! I was so exhausted and unhappy. I wanted some time to myself, some time with my husband...some time to think. She said something to me. A simple statement that I think she will never know the impact of. She said, "You know I used to feel the same way. I just prayed about it and God gave me the revelation that I need to just embrace motherhood in order to be happy."

How could it be so easy? Of course! Instead of dwelling on what I'm missing out on, or what I can't do because I have kids; I need to embrace these moments! A lesson we are taught our whole lives. Even more, I began to understand that in life there are seasons and cycles. There will be a time for playing, a time for dating, a time for parenting and then a time for "playing" again. My husband and I chose to get married and have children while we were young. We wanted to be financially stable which led us to get the jobs we did. We made decisions that got us where we were so how could we not be enjoying ourselves?

These years of child-rearing are only going to be for a season. It would be a shame to let them slip past us and be glad to see them go just so that life would be easier. I love my children. I didn't want my children's memories to be of me asleep on the couch. I wanted to give all of myself to my family so that when they grew up they would have the warm memories of childhood that my parents gave to me. I knew it would be rough getting there, but I knew where I wanted to go.

I love being pregnant. I love the way a pregnant body looks, the anticipation a pregnant woman gets, and their glowing faces. I love the miracle of life and want to always be able to celebrate it. Having said all this, after this pregnancy had taken such a toll on my body, I decided there was a better way to enjoy these things rather than being pregnant all the time. The same belly casts that I created during my pregnancies, I would sell and eventually I will create a hub of information and excitement for pregnant women and moms.

Instead of sleeping on the couch, I made myself get up and start researching and building my dream into reality. Yes I was tired, but surprisingly not as tired. I would take a nap with the kids in the afternoon, get up and sometimes make a quick dinner or just order pizza. Slowly I was able to put together my website. I named it MomNLuv. I chose this name because every mom should be in love - with their children.

The most awesome thing of all is that I really began to apply this way of thinking to every aspect of my life. Every trial that I may go through, every season that may pass in my life, I will Embrace It! I found playgroups to join to create memories rather than having them sit in front of the television. That gave me the adult interaction I thought I would miss so much. We are silly and give "sugar hugs". We smile and laugh and most of all, I feel the peace of God upon my life just like I prayed so hard for.