Blessingway

I didn't want to have any baby showers with this baby because we already have most things we need. Since we didn't find out Virginia's gender either we are okay on gender neutral stuff, so even if this turns out to be a boy he won't go naked.

I liked the idea of a blessingway because, call me selfish, but I wanted to have a little celebration that was about me. It will be all about the baby soon enough, but between now and then I am going to do some pretty amazing things. I wanted to surround myself with the good wishes of people who are rooting for me.

I had a few friends over a couple weekends ago. Virginia and I made cookies and we had a few other snacks. It was great just sitting around and visiting with the ladies, but I did decide to do a couple of blessingway "things." I asked everyone to bring a bead, which I turned into a bracelet. It will be a great reminder for me of their support.

I also purchased some henna for belly painting. I had no worries about how it would turn out because I already have stretch marks, so how could my belly look any worse? I was actually fully prepared for something like graffiti, but the ladies did a lovely job. (When I told John I was planning to do this, he asked what would happen if I had the baby before the henna wore off. I told him "Shrinky dinks?")

The one thing I somehow didn't predict was that Virginia wanted henna, too. I wasn't real sure about putting henna on her skin, so my sister went looking through my cabinets for an acceptable substitute. Lo-and-behold she actually found body crayons! Virginia whipped her shirt off lickety-split and started coloring on her belly.

Everyone ended up looking beautiful.

Sometimes I wonder if I will be able to enter this labor with the same mental calmness I had for Virginia's. I think that was a large part of what got me through. My life was certainly crazy when I was expecting Virginia - living in my mom's house, no real job... But I had a lot of time to do yoga and meditate and get in the right frame of mind.

Now my life is still crazy, although I do have a job and we live in our own place. But I have very little time for yoga. And meditation? Well, my favorite mantra is "God is everything" so that toddler dumping milk on my yoga mat isn't a distraction, just another true expression of God. Right?

I do feel "blessed" by my friends and I thank them for helping me become prepared in the hardest way to get prepared.