One of the biggest revelations to me through out the gift of pregnancy was how this baby is birthing myself, our family, and a deeper level of community than I have ever known. Himay and I have such a great group of friends that are like our family, that we refer to as the community, or familia.
I was probably only 30ish weeks pregnant when I started feeling a lot of anxiety relating to our financial ability to have enough time off to bond with our baby, buy all the necessary items, and everything else. Himay would assure me that everything would be alright and I envied his calm reaction to the situation. He and I are both self-operating/employed artist types. He moreso than I, merely because a Healing Artist is also a health practitioner. Its the amazing balance of science and heART that I love! :)
Anyway, to avoid the potential ramblings of my post-acupuncture mind-state at the moment, I am going to jump to the point.
Himay encouraged us to openly communicate what our needs and hopes were to our beloved familia. One of our friends, John Brown aka JB, hosted a potluck "family benefit" party for us. We asked friends to donate their used items vs buying things if possible (reduce, reuse, recycle!) and let them know that any cash donations would go towards maternity/paternity leave.
It didn't take long to realize how supported we truly are. Some friends had already been compiling funds to help us have what we want most for our family- time together. At the potluck we were showered with many gifts, and nearly all of them were used. It set in quickly that part of the beauty of having our friends' used items was that the love they had for their children was imprinted in every piece of clothing and crease found in the book bindings. Its special to be able to harness that energy and pass it along. :)
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Heidi Jae's Mother Blessing & Baby Shower
Jan 2nd, 2010
I think it was this summer when I first told my dear friend, Lori Tindall, that I was pregnant that she offered to host my baby shower. I was elated! I have been inspired by Lori for many years as a healing artist. We met years ago when I found myself in her modern yoga studio downtown called, e7 yoga. I soon started working out of that space and sitting intentionally with Lori, learning about yogic practices and later studying Universal Life Energy and completing my Reiki Mastership under her.
It was such a beautiful event! Her house has the same modern, Asian flare that the yoga studio did and was a beautiful setting for a gathering of women to come together and offer blessings to my newfound motherhood and shower me and the baby with abundant love!
Lori is studying wholistic nutrition so the food was delicious and very healthy! We had gourmet sandwiches, a curry/coconut squash soup, salad, and the yummiest punch ever!! It was pineapple juice mixed with coconut milk and cut with mineral water. MMMMMMMM my mouth salivates as I think of it now! My friend Casey O'leary, a bad-ass urban farmer, brought some pickled green beans... dilly beans! And Mama V, soon to be Grandmama V, loved them as they reminded her of her own mother's dilly beans. Also Heather, an incredibly talented baker friend of mine made the yummiest organic cupcakes. I'm so disappointed we forgot to take a picture because they were as gorgeous as they were delicious! I later learned that her grandmother who shared the same name as my beloved grandmother Hazel, taught her how to bake. It was also at the table gathering goodies that my friend Teara realized she was standing right next to Casey O'leary. Casey's parents were Teara's godparents. I absolutely loved all of the connections that were being made, yet how deep the seemed to run as well. :)
My favorite part of the Mother Blessing/Baby Shower was sitting in a circle with friends and family. Some friends I'd known for most of my life, others not even a year, but the bonds are all unbreakable. We began by calling the wisdom in that we each brought to the circle by honoring our mothers and naming them outloud. We went around the circle and named ourselves, our mother, and grandmother(s), and some even great-grandmothers! It was lovely to hear the creativity and heritage of the elder mothers listed.
Everyone at that point had a chance to share their heart with me and I with them. It was so touching. The Divine feminine energy, Shakti, was warmly swirling in the air and so richly through my heart and soul. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life and I know I will never forget it. It was one of those moments/events that you can feel being etched into the fullness of "who" you are. My heart feels expanded beyond any "bounds" even now, just thinking about it.
I left with the deepest sense of love and gratitude I think I have ever known. Even now, all I have is G R A T I T U D E for all the women in my life that, even if they were unable to attend, support and love our new family. Such a blessing!! :)
Here are some photos (thank you dear sweet Brandi Gidget for taking these!!) More to be photos to be uploaded... eventually. :)
This is me getting a shoulder rub, a foot rub, and even though the camera didn't catch it, I was being fed a cupcake! :)
This is the inside of the belly cast James and I made. I had everyone write little messages to our little bambino!
Teara, a life long friend, drove up from Utah to be there! :)
This is us enjoying food and prizes.
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Papa James, Himay Bear's Father Blessing
January 6th, 2010
I was SO thrilled when one of our familia members came to the house one night to pick something up from Himay. He said, 'I think we should have a mens gathering like the shower Heidi is doing for you Himay.' Immediately I was like YES!! How rad! He deserves it and what a classy group of men to honor another and hold space for him like that!
So just a few days after my Mother Blessing/Shower, Himay had his father blessing!
Many of the men commented about how gathering together like that to share was what life is all about and many of them were just as touched as Himay was through the whole process.
All I can really say of this event is from my own perspective, but when Himay got home at nearly midnight, we talked for a couple hours about the event and how it touched him. We knew we had a midwife appointment at 9 the next day but couldn't water down all of the excitement, wonder and beauty.
I think that event touched Himay's heart in a way that neither I or his family of origin, could ever touch. I have seen a light in him since that I have always known is there, but it usually comes out when we have a chance to sit intentionally in spiritual practice with our sangha. But now, its there all the time. It shines through in little offerings of love and touch and a gentle nature that is infinitely powerful.
I think I recognize it because of being able to see it within myself now too. Maybe it was our separate blessing experiences, but I know better. Its the blessing that is growing now in my belly and so deeply in both of our hearts.
Thank you Creator, Spirit, Love, God, Light...
Thank you for the abundant blessing that is coming into our lives and our world.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om
<3 <3 <3
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