Updates from the Summer of Love

Today I am officially 37 weeks pregnant! This means that our baby is considered full-term & that, even if I go into labor now, I'll still be able to move forward with our homebirth, as planned. Our midwife is anticipating a big baby, he's already over 7 pounds. The baby is healthy, head down (has been for months), moving around a lot, has a strong steady heart beat. All is well. Me? I'm exhausted, still weigh a few pounds less than I did at the beginning of my pregnancy, trying to keep blood pressure low & protein intake high. And very, very excited to meet this little being. (And nope, he hasn't let us know what his name is yet.)

Why am I calling this post "the Summer of Love"?

Well, we began our summer celebrating the summer solstice, and my & Erik's 8th anniversary, in the midst of the lovely wedding of Erik's brother Adam to beautiful Melissa. Skyler got to wear a tux & be the ring bearer, get wild with his New York cousins on the dance floor & ride in the limo with the groomsmen.

We all got to watch Adam show how very in love he is with Melissa...a truly beautiful thing to behold.

We continued with a super busy summer. July was: beginning to get baby things together... teaching & tarot readings...Skyler working hard on his swimming skills...flying kites...canoeing...taking care of Torin & Zion, my beautiful nephew & niece...a few camping trips...some trips to the beach...long distance birthday wishes for Angelina's first birthday (that year went quickly!)...checking in on the continued growth of my nephew in the making...cleaning, cleaning, cleaning...getting rid of tons of stuff (how else will we fit a new baby into our crowded space?)...
oh yea, & being pregnant.

This all continued into August, when we were blessed to participate in our second wedding of the summer. Chris & Joy joined their lives & families in a powerful, weather-wild, wonderfully fun, ceremony in p-town. Skyler, now an experienced ring bearer, got to show off his skills again, & Erik had the profound honor of co-officiating the ceremony & actually, officially, marrying the happy couple!

Now, as summer comes to a close, we are spending labor day weekend getting Skyler ready for kindergarten, and completing the last piece of our household overhaul--Skyler's room! (I'm going to leave my feelings--read ambivalence--about Sky's going to school for another post.)
wave jumping chorus line...

So I think of this summer as the Summer of Love, spent celebrating the love shared in our amazing, extended & ever-growing family. I rejoice in the love our family has for this new baby; in the support & help from my mom & sister; the continued never-exhausted love, work, & support from Erik; the beauty & openness of my mama-blessing & my wonderful friends.

Mom & Sky 'fishing' @ the Basin

Again and again this summer I have been witness to the power of love and family. The power of love to bring two people together & vow to spend the rest of their lives with each other (WOW); the power of love to open to new family members (born, married, adopted, whatever); the power of love to send us again and again off the edge of the cliff, into the unknown, into trust and faith that somehow it will all work out ~ that we will stay together, that long distances or history or fear can be surmounted, that there will be enough time and money and energy to welcome this new being, this new family, this new relationship, this new hope with nothing but love.

Blessed be to you all.

Hope your summer was as wonderfully filled.