Some happy news for a change...I had a blessingway!

My best girlfriend just gave me the most beautiful blessingway this past Friday and I thought I'd share it with you!

This is my 5th baby, but my first planned homebirth, mostly b/c I've always had pg complications in the past that have prevented it. And unfortunately, I've run into some complications again in this pg (high blood pressure and swelling), so I've been feeling pretty down in the past week about my chances of a having the homebirth I've dreamed of for so long. I'm 31 wks. along right now.

Anyway, she brought over her whole family (herself, her DH, and two kids, plus the two girls she nannies for) to join mine and we spent the whole afternoon celebrating homebirth and Sophie's upcoming arrival.

She had big 4x6 notecards and had each child (there were 8 of them there! ) AND each adult draw/color images of birth on them. Then she taped them vertically, 2 to a candle, onto tall round glass candleholders with white candles poured in them, so that I would be surrounded by positive images of birth during labor.

The pictures were great, sooo individual! My DH made one which made me laugh so hard -- it was supposed to be a picture of me gestating, but instead, it looked just like HIM, lol -- blond hair, big nose (I have red hair and a small nose ) -- and the strangest breasts I've ever seen. Hanna made me look like an angel, complete with wings and resplendent gown, and Kieran drew a picture of all the kids peering up over the side of the birthing tub, watching me with big eyes. My gf's DH drew a picture of a house with a sign on top that said, "Babies born here!" Cameron drew me a T-Rex b/c "you might need to growl when you have the baby, Mom."

After this, we all made a big WELCOME SOPHIA! banner and decorated it, so we can hang it up while I'm in labor and afterwards, on our front porch, to let the neighbors know our happy news.

Then she helped me do a belly cast (my first, how fun!) and took pictures of the various stages, while the kids played and the husbands chatted.

Finally, to cap off the festivities, we all gathered round the TV and watched a homebirth video she'd brought along, with the older girls (7 and 10) inserting commentary on their own experience with homebirth for my kids, since they were present for my girlfriend's second homebirth and so, of course, were the experts, lol.

It was the most wonderful gift and was so special to me; I can't imagine a more perfect way to honor this baby or my hopes for her birth. This is also the girlfriend who will be here with my children when I go into labor -- she's really a fabulous friend and she cheered me up immensely!

Guin