Today starts 39 weeks. I have only one thing to say....READY, willing, & able.

I have a hunch baby boy might come end of this week. Now whether it is really a hunch or a hope we'll have to see.

Will he be an Aquarius or Pisces? Asks the impatient Aries.....soon to be mom.

Photo: Leon Borensztein

Babies & Wombs.

It might be because I am going to give birth any day to any week now that everything is about the baby and the womb. This is a random leaf we found on our walk the other morning. Tell me it is not a baby in a womb?

The other thing that happened on our walk is there were two new mothers and their babies of 4 weeks old chatting along the path. When they saw how pregant I was we all started talking. I was complaining a bit at how ready I was. They told me that they didn't even remember being pregnant and any discomforts. WOW really? That is why no one told me. Ok they were younger than I was but maybe it's true? Maybe after you have your sweet baby in your arms all your pregnancy discomforts fade into the past. That would make sense with why people do give birth again.

I thought I'd use some of my waiting time to detail the things 12 things I loved about being pregnant and ok, just 12 of my complaints. So I can look back and remember this.....or maybe not?

Loved.
1. Feeling him move inside me.
2. Feeling two people's energy blended as one.
3. The way it deepened / expanded my relationship to Eric, my husband.
4. Having Eric take over cooking and take such good care of me.
5. Eric reading to me almost every night birth stories and birthing information.
(all the pregnancy books always ended up on his side of the bed)
6. The community of people you have and meet that are so happy for you!
7. Buying tiny little clothes for your little person.
8. Having my cat Yuko curl around my belly and purrrrrr.
9. Rubbing my tummy. Some people say it's like a cat licking her kitten.
10. Trying to image who your baby will be, what will he look like?
11. Loved when Eric told people "that it had been so fun being pregnant." (ha!)
12. Knowing that your baby is finally coming!

Didn't love.
1. Gaining weight & having to carry it around all the time. (I felt like I was losing my elegance.)
2. Getting bigger & BIGGER & BIGGER. (especially my swollen legs)
3. Having baby push on my tailbone most of the pregnancy (ouch!) and having my right ear plug up and couldn't hear, well maybe 8 of the 9 months. :(
4. Having to buy clothes I'll never wear again.
5. Having my mind loose words, thoughts, and even know what capable of anymore.
6. Not having some friends understand what you are going through or even asking.
7. People telling me up through 8 months that I didn't look pregnant. (?)
8. Sometimes it scared me having him move inside me.
9. Nausea and food. I wasn't a happy eating pregnant woman.
10. Looking down and seeing new spot on my shirt that had dribbled down on my big belly sticking out.
11. Not being able to sleep on my back and having my pelvis ache while walking.
12. Having to pee ALL the time.

It truly is amazing a woman's body can do this! If you can believe it, it is still hard for me to believe there is a baby inside me. I can't wait till I can touch my toes again.

Any day.... any day....soon we'll meet our son!
My new mantra.

38 week...update

So 'we' had some interesting shifts this week. I went to my naturopath this week and had an acupuncture treatment to start the process of my body getting ready for birthing. I came home and was getting ready for my opening at my gallery the next day and could hardly stand and felt very strange. When I woke up the next day I felt extremely cramping and achy. I called my naturopath and she told me I was experiencing pre-labor. I called in my gallery manager, Ahna to work for me and I slept for most of the day, feeling unready for this event but tried to surrender and stay calm. Eric was running around getting ready for the opening, taking care of me and then installing things in between. I think he was trying to channel that energy of the birth maybe coming soon! At 4 pm I went down to the opening and greeted the artist + a room full of clients. It was surreal talking to them about the show and having parallel thoughts of that I could be giving birth soon. Leave it to me to have my last opening and go into birth that night.
Well that didn't happen. Things have subsided a bit but it was a good dress rehearsal. I can feel my body making some significant changes and so he maybe coming sooner or maybe it's nature's way to shift in my body and my mind to sloooooow down. All I know is I am getting more things off my plate this week & packing my bags for the hospital.
Hopefully he'll give me a week and I can be more ready and more relaxed but I guess I don't get to decide. He does....tomorrow starts my 38th week. He is officially full term!

Baby Blessing Party 01.24.10

We had a Baby Blessing Party a couple of weeks ago~given to us by family & friends. It was big & wonderful to see our community show up for this momentous event. We hosted it more like and open house with yummy food. We are not ones to exclude and it got quite big. But it was wonderful to see everyone and I was happy we invited women, men & children. I'm not so into the traditional baby shower. We love our friends & family. So nice everyone could turn out!

As I got dressed in my black maternity dress, one of the only things that fits me, I felt like I was getting ready for my second wedding. It felt that huge, a celebration to pass into parenthood, to welcome our baby boy!

Everyone who came got a beautiful porcelain candle made by Eric's mom, Carla, with a candle to light when I go into labor to send us good vibes for the journey. I joked that everyone must stop what they are doing when they get my going into labor email and run to their candle. ( he.he. ) It was a funny vision.

We are feeling more & more ready to meet you baby, it won't be long now....3 1/2 weeks until my due date. My doctor says baby's head is down, he has dropped and I am feeling ready. Well almost....it could be any day.

Here is the drawing Eric did as a thank you card & the text I wrote to our friends & family:

Thank you for being a part of our Ohana Community!

In Hawaii they have a word for extended families which is
also part of Hawaiian culture. 'Ohana' means family in an
extended sense of the term including blood-related, adoptive
or intentional. We feel fortunate to be surrounded by such
wonderful creative individuals and look forward to having our
child meet you. We are both very inspired and respect the way
each one of you have carved out an individual life and feel that
there is a wonderful group of people around us to influence
our child.

We believe it takes a community to raise a child. No obligation,
only an invitation. Thanks again for coming to our Baby
Blessing Gathering either in person or in spirit! We feel even
more inspired to bring this child into the world knowing you all,
our Ohana, are out there!

with love, April & Eric + 1