39 Weeks

Every morning I’ve been waking up to the chirping birds outside our window. It definitely feels like summer now that we leave our window open while we sleep. A surge of electrifying excitement circuits through me as I realize it is morning, and I am awake. I want to spring out of bed like it’s Christmas or my birthday, in anticipation of the joyful day ahead. In this case, the thought that my baby could arrive today! 

39 weeks 

Savoring my baby bump everyday.

Any day now! 

Any day now I am told. This week I am 38 weeks and baby is due to arrive July 6^th. I am savoring her every move in my belly. The many distortions of my belly as she makes bigger moves amazes me every time. Sometimes it’s a tickle I feel and imagine it’s her little hands or fingers, at other times, it’s a strange gauging. I’ve been feeling many braxton hicks contractions everyday throughout the day. My belly tightens up like a rock! I am so grateful for the innate wisdom of my body to prepare for birth and trust it and my baby fully when the day comes. 

I sense she is ready to come out and be with us because the other night she moved so enthusiastically in my belly, like she was dancing, and my belly was just shape-shifting with her every kick. It was so magical to see. Jorris and my beau pere (father-in-law) were sitting on the sofa so they were able to see it too. I’ve been feeling great overall, except just the tired feet who want to be rubbed all the time. My usual walks up to the village have also become more challenging as I feel the weight of my belly and become more out of breath easily. I am happy though it is feeling more like Summer, finally. I can wear dresses and skirts now and work in the garden under the blissful sunshine.

Pink Avocado-dyed swaddle blanket. 

Homemade Elderflower Syrup

Decaf cold brews and my elderflower syrup make for tasty Summer drinks, which we have been enjoying. I am so proud of how my elderflower syrup turned out. It was a perfect occasion to finally open a bottle and chin (toast) when Magali and Laurent came over last Friday after my maternity photo shoot! (More on that later) But, my favorite part of making a good something, is the enjoyment it brings to others. They loved it, so I sent them home with a bottle.

Nesting and organizing all around the house, car seat & clinic suitcase ready.

I have been feeling more grounded and peaceful with the arrival of my sweet beau-père. We’ve always enjoyed each other’s company. He is so helpful around the house, cooking, working on home improvement projects. He can build anything with his hands, including a guitar for my 30^th birthday last year! The way he plays guitar is also so soothing. Good for baby too to hear her O.pa’s music and voice. 

I’m taking the days slowly with little nesting projects here and there, organizing little corners of the house. Yesterday, it was our pantry shelf. I got tall glass jars to store our grains and legumes in. No more paper bags so we can now see everything we have! It feels good to be organized and have the house ready and tidy for our special new guest’s arrival. The other days it was organizing the cupboard below the bathroom sink. It feels so good to have things tidy, a purging of sorts. 

Mostly, I’m focusing on cultivating good energy and conserving my energy for birth. I feel ready and excited for the experience! I want to be strong and present for every breath and every moment in mind, body, and spirit. Becoming a mother is such a transformational experience. It’s all about balance though. I have to remind myself that while it is going to be a most special day in my life, our lives as a family, and in my sweet baby girl’s life outside of my belly which she’s called home for nearly 9 months now, it will also be just another day. I think it’s important to see it both ways, to enjoy and marvel, but at the same time, to not put so much pressure on it being a certain way.

Natural Dyeing Swaddle Blankets: Left (Avocado skins), Right (Nettles)

I’ve also been working on creative projects which feel so good, taking the edge off of the oh so big, yet beautiful, changes to come. I’ve always loved working with my hands and my latest obsession has been natural dyes. I love the science behind it and the surprise of what will become. Prolonging the life of something also feels so gratifying somehow. My first project was dyeing with avocados. We fully appreciated those avocados, which I made guacomole from for a Summer party at our neighbor’s Lolita and Dorian’s who live by the river down by the bridge. I saved and dried the pits and skins and made something beautiful for my baby. I had come across a video on youtube about dyeing with avocado pits and the beautiful pink colors it creates. So, I thought how perfect would it be to save these pits and make a project to dye one of the white swaddle blankets I had purchased for baby. At first, I wasn’t so keen on the result, but it really does look beautiful now that I look at it again. I am happy to have made a little gift for my girl. Today, I will experiment dyeing with nettles and the avocado skins, both I have read and seen create beautiful colors. Nature offers us so much, and I am humbled every time I discover something new of her.

Always dreamy to be here.

One of our apiaries on the Lavender fields.     Photo: Pap

Father and son take a break.

The weather has been better this week, full sunny days rather than the half sunny half rainy ones we had been experiencing. Jorris has been super busy like his bees, moving hives to the plateau of Valensole where the lavender grows. Our bees are working on the lavender flowers making delicious lavender honey now. On Sunday we went to check on them and add honey supers. It was a gorgeous day. My beau pere enjoyed working a bit with Jorris and I enjoyed the smell of lavender and clary sage blowing in from the car window as we drove through the rolling hills of purple and green. I always feel like we are driving through a painting when I am there.

Cold dip into the Lac de St. Croix.     Photo: Jorris

Lunch by the Lac de St. Croix.    Photo: Pap

Lavender Fields....still forever.      Photo: Pap

We took time to have lunch by my favorite lake, Lac de St. Croix, and I lived my dream of taking a swim before baby arrives! I had a brand new maternity swim suit and quickly put it on, keeping in mind the time limit since Jorris had much work to do that day. So I jumped in quickly and though it was quite cold, my body felt suspended in heaven. My belly, lower back, feet, ligaments and joints had some moments of freedom and lightness. I felt so happy, especially introducing baby to swimming. I think she felt relaxed too. 

As they worked at the apiaries, I found shady spots under the trees to read, nap and journal. It was so relaxing to be in a different atmosphere of nature, sitting on grass and relishing in the new scenery. It was just what I needed, to step away from home a bit and feel happy to come back at the end of the day. For me, our little trip to the lavender fields marked the beginning of a new season of my life, a new summer of so much excitement to come, in a place where it all started many summers ago. I couldn’t be more grateful for it all.