More spring from behind the belly

Today I went for a nice long walk on the Tai Sophia campus landscape after taking a final exam. It is a beautiful, crisp spring morning and the air felt amazing to breathe in while taking in my surroundings.

Groundhog has cleaned out the burroughs for spring, both entry and exit sites, and even left a few prints for you to see, in the bottom right of the picture. You can also barely see, in the top right corner, a new Mullein leaf rosette emerging. This Mullein is growing right between Groundhog's entry and exit holes, and Groundhog has not eaten any Mullein, so it will leaf out and be a semi-permanent exterior decoration of home.

One thing I saw that confounds me is this tree. Some human(s) killed an older tree, processed it, cut it up into what we call lumber, and then nailed it to this living tree to form a ladder... so one can climb higher and get a view of Nature! There is certainly irony in this picture, to say the least...

I hope this finds you well, and enjoying the new season of spring. Get out and enjoy, and share what you observe! I'd love to hear about it.

In Good Medicine, mae

End of the Second Trimester...

As our second trimester is just ending, and our new, third, trimester, emerges along with spring, it is wonderful to feel Baby kicking and dancing very actively all day long.

I never seem to be this big while looking in the mirror - I guess what they say about the "camera adding ten pounds" must be true! WHOOOAH BELLY! :o)

Its hugeness is really amazing, actually. I am suddenly aware of more of my body. I have a lower back and it speaks to me! I listen closely now, particularly when outside gardening so I can protect it and nourish my body with what it needs. The holly tree behind me is miniscule in comparison to THE BELLY. :+) I adjust my movements for the newly added weight and my balance for the forward-leaning weight. This baby is helping me slow down even more, balance more, and be more aware of all that surrounds me. Lovely!

Wherever you are at in your life, I wish you the best of balance, reflection with this new season, and a spring in your step with the longer days. Enjoy the fresh air!!

In Good Medicine,
mae

Spring - From behind the belly...

A couple of weeks ago, the crocuses peeked out from under our mild dusting of snow. This is one of our first signs of late winter / early spring!!

The squirrels were still gathering nuts and seeds, but also fluffing up their nests not long after the crocuses arrived... Then - two weeks ago - the robins arrived! Our first sure sign of spring is the male robins outside hunting and preparing the way for the ladies!

And then, last week, the geese left their flocks and paired up for mating.... a sweet sign of spring indeed.





The deer are changing their patterns to their Spring trails and leaving their winter trails behind. They are choosing new lay sites and new paths to walk daily and nightly, and will follow these trails through this new season.

The skunk cabbage is up and preparing to bloom, the peonies have poked their heads out as has the coltsfoot, and there is plenty of cress to add to salads and soups growing about. The mugwort and early wormwoods are emerging again to assist any creatures that should need their healing powers. This is a wonderful time of new birth, resurgence, and great greens to sustain all of the energy that is returning to the Earth at this time. ENJOY!

In Good Medicine, Mae

To Little One

I wrote this next item in the wee hours of the morning during a period where I was waking nightly and reading for a few hours, then going back to sleep, I would say in my 18-19th week or so... These nightly wakings would happen for a few days throughout the pregnancy, and then my sleep patterns would return to (semi) normal. This middle of the night wide-awakeness has never felt strange. It has been a peaceful time to spend with the Baby and reflect on our changes. It is as normal as the rest of the cycle. For now, int he 21st and 22nd weeks, my sleep has been heavier and very restful. The beginning of the pregnancy held many active and vivid dreams and lighter sleeping.

Baby...

Baby, we'll find our way together

Together we find our way.

As you teach me to be Mother

I show you to do Human;

As you see with Wonder

So will I wonder at what I see.

Baby, we'll find our way together

Together we find our way.

As you move inside of me

I find myself making room in Life.

As you quicken your pace

I slow so as to feel every move.

Baby,we'll find our way together

Together we find our way.

As you dance in the warmth of the womb

I revel in the cool Air on my breast.

As you dance in me,

I dance in the Gift of you.

Baby, we'll find our way together

Together we find our way.

As your heart beats

Mine beats together wth you as One.

~ Valerie Mae Wright (copyright 2009)

This is Daddy feeling Baby move. :0)

In Good Medicine, Mae

22 weeks Big Belly

Back up in the Herb Garden with some snow to ring in the month of March... At 22 weeks the belly is here to stay and I am looking large and in charge! Baby is an athlete or a rock star or dancer and is constantly on the move. Every movement makes me smile and I am grateful that Dad and everyone around gets to feel Baby getting familiar with its ever-changing environment.

We got a "Noreaster" winter storm last night and it brought about 7 inches of snow throughout the night and this morning. That is a lot of snow for this part of Maryland (all at once anyhow) so school and most other attractions were closed for business. It was a nice, quiet, bright and beautiful winter day. Just this weekend it felt like spring was around the corner... and it is.... but the smell of snow was certainly in the air.

Now Baby moves all the time, but specifically reacts most evidently when and after I eat (perhaps the sounds of digestion are more apparent to Little One), when I sit still for long periods of time, when I expose my belly to the bright warm Sun, and when I get back into bed and shift around after another trip to the bathroom in the night (those trips are ever-increasing!)... :0)

Tutu (which is Polynesian for grandma) took these pics today. She is just as excited as we are to meet our Little One in the flesh, and we are SO blessed to have an extended family where she can live with us and help us raise Baby in the old ways of Nature and Tradition.

In Good Medicine,

Mae

Belly at 20 weeks along

At 20 weeks pregnant in mid-February, on Presidents' Day, the herb garden at home is warmed by the winter sun. It is chillier than it looks but we steal a few minutes to take some pictures after my exercise while I am still feeling warmed up.

The weather is cool but the sun is nice. The herb garden needs attention, but you can see that it will thrive either way come Spring, because the plants have made up their minds.

The Baby has really begun to grow, and so has Belly! I swear it's not twins in there ~ just one! All-important fresh air of Nature, regular exercise, and prenatal yoga (which I've been doing since week 13 or so) help concentrate the growth to just the belly... I hope! :0)

Now Baby has been rocking and rolling for some time, and we can feel Baby's kicks, elbows, and dance moves regularly. Baby is sending out enough energy for Daddy to feel the movement on a regular basis, as well, with his hand on my tummy.

In Good Medicine, Mae

Belly Meditating at 18 weeks

Now this looks like a beautiful summer day if you simply look at my outfit and the fact that I am sitting outside in the sun... but if you notice the bare wisteria to my right (your left) you will see that it is actually still winter time! Here in this part of Maryland we gets bursts of winter snow and then we get really warm spring and summer-like days in the middle of the winter. This sometimes confuses the plants and animals, but most things seem to survive. Last year when this happened and then it got cold again, the daffodils bloomed in the winter and never came back because they were subsequently frozen and snowed upon.

On this warm winter day in the first week of February, I was out working in the office after a workout and then snuck outside to rest on the ramp near the door in the sun. It was so warm and peaceful in this nook I completely relaxed and listened to all of the animals and sounds of Nature around me. Baby and I meditated here in the spot our dogs always choose to sunbathe, and now I know why! The warm metal ramp and door capture and hold a lot of the midday sun's heat! This day it was warm enough that the bees were out relieving themselves and cleaning up their home, and I could hear them buzzing back and forth. One honeybee even landed on my shirt to check it out for a moment.

My husband caught me resting and snapped these pictures! During this 18th week of pregnancy, I can feel a lot of flutters and Baby movement, and as you can see my tummy has started to expand... :0)

In Good Medicine, Mae

Belly 16 weeks

At 16 weeks along, the bump has not grown too large on the outside, but much activity is occurring on the inside! The hike up these old hills in Leakin falls Park in Baltimore county leaves me a little more winded than usual, so I take my time and enjoy the changes. Just behind me, not quite visible in this photo, are prints from a fox on her way home from hunting just a few hours earlier, after about two hours of snowfall. The snow fell hard and fast this day, which is unusual for Maryland, and was isolated to Baltimore and a few other select counties. It did not last many days on the ground, as I am finding is also typical for the area. This snow was heavy and wet, and set a beautiful scene for Martin Luther Kng, Jr., Day in late January, 2009.

On the way home, since this park is situated on a secluded road that is not plowed, I, along with some other drivers, had a little slippery sliding action and had to take it quite slow. The roads were iced over quickly because the snow was so wet and the weather changed so fast.

Belly Pics 12 weeks

Here the bump is growing indeed! The end of the first trimester meant I needed more exercise to rest well in the evening and plenty of outdoor fresh air! The Maple out front had lost her leaves by now and we had a powder-sugar coating of fresh snow dust to cheer up the late-December air.

Baby and Mama are doing well here, and Daddy, too (who is unseen behind all of these pictures)... :0)

In Good Medicine, Mae

Belly Pics

This is at six weeks.

Belly bump in the autumn trees...mid-November in Maryland...

As you can see, I had a bit of a "starter belly..."

I didn't have much morning sickness or nausea; whenever I felt queasy, I stepped outside and breathed in the fresh air and I was all better.

:0)

I Good Medicine, Mae

Belly Through the Seasons...

Greetings!
This is my first blog post to my very own Belly Blog. The idea just came to me as I began compiling pictures of my first pregnancy through the seasons for a school project I am working on. As part of my Masters of Science in herbal Medicine program, I have a year-long project that reflects on the seasons. What perfect timing! I am 22 weeks into my first pregnancy; my husband and I are expecting our first child! We've been taking pictures outside in the seasons of my growing belly and it's high time I recorded the experience and put together all the pictures. So, a blog made sense. I am a beginner blogger, so any tips are appreciated.
In Good Medicine,
Mae