Being pregnant has given me a new appreciation for my body. Our bodies are truly amazing, and currently, mine is working on giving me the most amazing gift I could ever ask for.

I saw a segment on the Today Show this morning (was it this morning?) on body image and how a mother's negative comments about her body can trickle down to her daughter and affect the way she perceives her own body.

I looked back on my life and realized that I have always liked my body. In high school and college, girls around me were always saying how "fat" they were (even though they were thin) and how they hated this or that about their bodies. I was lucky enough to be a normal weight and I just did not devote my energy to such thinking. And even when I was at my heaviest, I did not hate my body. Sure, there were definitely things I wanted to improve, but I never BLAMED my body for its imperfections. Instead, I blamed my mind and my bad eating habits for letting myself get to that point.

Even before becoming pregnant and especially now that I am, I've often thought about how resilient and forgiving my body is, despite how much I abused it with lots of calories, junk food and soda. When I worked hard to get into shape, it responded and rewarded me for my efforts. I realized that if I treat my body well, it will in turn treat me just as well, if not better. Yes, I would have liked to be a little taller. Yes, it would have been nice if my hips were a little smaller. My upper arms could use some toning. But I can live happily with all those things. My body is an amazing machine and it serves me well.