blessed and celebrated

We're feeling so richly blessed by our amazing villiage of friends and family. Last weekend we had a celebration brunch with our community. It was beautiful and amazing.



And last night I gathered some very very special women together for a special Warrior Blessing to prepare me for labor and birthing.







YES! That's a cake in the shape of a birthing woman. Beautiful isn't it? Marcela is quite the cake artist. That's a "chocolate turtle" mowak on top of her head too....

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Chickadee continues to toss and turn and give me lots of reassurance of a healthy baby growing inside. Speaking of growing - the skin on my lower belly is finally splitting open. I was wondering when it would happen. I feel like a mama now - warrior marks and all! I've been ravenous the past week or so. Chickadee is fattening up daily. I can feel it! Still lots of hiccups and new "grinding on my pubic bone" sensations. Those take my breath away because they're so sharp and so random. Good practice for labor!

I'm checking off the never-ending to-do list. Having fun finishing last-minute sewing and crafting. Here's a picture of my finished Birth Warrior Breast Plate (some of you will remember I started this at my Birth Warrior Weekend Retreat back in May). I'm thinking of adding a couple strands of lapis beads - a la Inanna....






Still lots more crafting ahead while I wait for chickadee to arrive.

And finally, here's some belly pictures from about a week ago ~