Gratitude

Yesterday, as we drove up the driveway to the "Farm" for a celebration of life (despite the sadness), I was grateful. Grateful for the woman we were celebrating. Grateful for the smell of the vineyards, the oak trees and the horses. I was grateful for all the memories that came flooding back to me even if I was only 2 or 3 years old when they were created.

But mostly, mostly, mostly, I was grateful for family that doesn't share blood but who shares life-

If you don't have family like that, you should finds some.

~I am participating in a gratitude photo project for the month of November. Everyday, finding something to be grateful for and about. Just a week into this project and I am finding that each day I can hardly sum up just one thing to be thankful for. My life is full and that is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

It's a....

I'm on a baby-high, be back soon!!!

photo by jojo

A Blessing (not in disguise)

Blessings don't always have to come in disguise. Sometimes they are right there, plain and clear and fully within reach, grasp and hugging distance.

This weekend was proof of that. I have some amazing women in my life and on Sunday they gathered to help me celebrate becoming a mama of two.

I laughed, I got teary eyed, I ate amazing food, I had my belly painted with henna and my feet soaked and washed with loving hands. What a special day.

(I wasn't the only one getting a little henna)

There was a lot of talking about being a mom, about our men-folk (and the daddy-day care that was going down at my house as we hung out at my best friend's place). We laughed at potty humor and potty training, and watched as Deuce did a dance in my belly just to show off that he/she knew they were all gathered because of the new life it is about to bring to us.

Thank you ladies, each and everyone one of you. Not only for yesterday, but helping to weave the web that supports, honors, and shares this wide world of mine. You all have no idea how special you are in my life. To have you in one room was pretty fantastic.  

As you can tell, I wasn't shooting these photos- So thanks to the gals for taking over my camera and capturing the process as Kim did her magic on my belly.

37 weeks

37 weeks down (actually 38 tomorrow, but who's counting?). 3 or 4 (or maybe less?) to go.

I am still feeling pretty darn good. Though it would be nice to be able to not grunt and groan as I try to pick something up off the floor or wipe up a spill that I (or someone else, *ahem*) has made. My morning sickness (just the nausea part) has come back and I have to take my morning food in at little intervals-actually it seems all food right after I eat makes me queasy. My right hip is still giving me a little bit of an issue (this started during labor with O and I am really hoping it doesn't give me issues this time around) and I am tired again, like really, really tired. But for the most part I am enjoying this time of *growth* and all the wiggles, stretches and blows to the internal organs I am getting from this strong baby inside.

Here is the run down from today's doctor appointment yesterday...

I have gained just about 25-30 lbs

My blood pressure is good, 'perfect' says the nurse
Baby's heart beat sounded right on track and healthy
And I am measuring, or the baby bump is measuring, just right for where I am at.

I am dilated 1 cm, the same as last week. Baby is still pretty high, but is head down.
Who knows, things could get started today or wait until 2 weeks from now.
Back next Friday to check progress.

This weekend I am having my belly hennaed (henna-ed?) and I can hardly wait.

Kim is an amazing artist and having her decorate and bless my tummy is so special. This photo was taken while Kim did her work on my friend J's belly a few months back. 

We are getting so anxious to meet this new little person. Daddy-O is ready for me not to be snoring so loudly every night next to him in bed. (this is the hardest part on him when I am pregnant, I SNORE super-duper crazy like...sorry dude). MrO keeps saying he wants to meet his new sister (I keep wondering how much this is JoJo's influence since she is rooting for a girl, tee hee). So 50% chance he is right on that one.

We have a few things on the check list left to do- mostly get our insurance stuff and phone numbers in the 'to go bag' and also get O's records from his current pediatrician to the one we are switching over to. Oh, and figure out who is going to watch the dog while we are at the hospital...

(Jojo snapped this as I was dropping O off the other day at her house before work)

I let daycare know that there are a few more people on O's pickup list that he can go home with should the baby decide to come and our usual pick up schedule is thrown. (We are lucky enough to have lots of family around and I just want to be ready should one person or another be off doing something when we head in). We are also going to move him to one day a week at school for the 6 weeks Daddy-O is home on paternity leave with me. I think it will be really wonderful to have us all home for those first few weeks. Plus, it will help save a bit of money in daycare too!
I think we have names picked out, but just last night I was skimming thru the name book again and found a few that I liked. I have one or two girl names that I wish Daddy-O would budge on, but I don't see it going down (booo). It seems like the middle name is hanging us up on a few of our choices, do we go with a family name or a combo of two names we just really like? Jeeze, it is such a huge task to give someone a name they will carry with them for the rest of their life. (and you know they will probably end up with some wack-a-doodle nickname and not get called what you choice anyway).
Maybe next week, for the full moon Deuce will decide to show up to the party???

A blessing...

This beautiful belly (which I have photographed before) is full of baby once again. I was honored to be a part of the blessing yesterday.



If you are interested in having any henna work done please contact me and I can put you in contact with Kim, the artist.She does more then just bellies and was recently featured in the Reno News and Review doing a bridal blessing. As you can see, her work is beautiful. And if you are interested in documenting the amazing artistic process,I would be happy to tag along and take pictures!