38 weeks and the way has been blessed

On Sunday, Sage and Heather co-hosted my Blessingway at our place. If you're not familiar with Blessingways, they're traditional ceremonies intended to celebrate becoming a mother. Mine was a very intimate gathering with the most important women in my life (minus my mom, other sisters, and other best friends who are out of the area of course). The night before, Sage came over and made a cast of my belly:



We did a few rituals including a very luxurious foot-washing using warm water and essential oils. It felt wonderful, and we used the baby tub which was adorable. At the end, Heather decorated my belly with henna. As you can see, she's really talented!



Now, 4 days later, I'm still rocking it:



It felt so special to be honored that way, and it got me thinking. Making the transition to motherhood is really the biggest change in a woman's life and I am thankful to have had this rite of passage. I know it's going to be the biggest transition in my own life, by far. I've been through lots of changes through the years but none quite like this. I guess the difference is that through all previous changes I've remained pretty much the same person. But I know that motherhood will change everything. This pregnancy has given me a headstart to some extent and I am thankful that I've had 9 months to prepare myself...though in some ways I still feel ridiculously unprepared. Everyone assures me that caring for their newborn is more or less intiutive, and that you just do what you have to do until it starts to come naturally. I really hope that's true!

According to babycenter.com:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)