My Circle of Women

Bria, Ashley, Katrina and I at Ashley's Baby Shower 6/5/11

I spent this week hanging out with some amazing women. And it got me thinking how lucky I am to have these people in my life. Made me a little nostalgic and I wanted to think about all these women, and how we got to where we are today.

A few years ago, I was feeling sorry for myself. I felt lonely and believed I didn't have many friends, and I was missing my friendships I thought were lost. The beautiful thing about friendship, is that, if it is a true friendship, time can go by---months, years, marriages, children, relocating, new jobs...but when you reconnect, it's like no time has passed.

When I moved back to the westside of the mountains from Ellensburg a few years ago to start massage school in Seattle, I feared it was too late to rekindle my old friendships, so I set out to make new friends. I met two amazing women at massage school who I consider dear friends. One of them is my doula and will be my support during my labor with my second child. We grew up in similar families, and have the same sense of humor. She is quirky and has a contagious laugh. She is my breath of fresh air and a woman I am proud to call my friend. The other was such a wonderful support during my pregnancy with Lula. Her presence is calming, loving, and warm. You can't help but have a full and happy heart when you are in the room with her. I may only see her once or twice a year, but it doesn't matter. Our friendship has a special place in my heart. After meeting these women, I felt I finally created the friendships I have been missing. I am a better woman, mother, and friend because of them.

I hate this pic of me, but the only one of Allison and I.

Veronica and I

Then, slowly, my old friendships started to reemerge. My wonderful, can-do friend who I met in the 3rd or 4th grade at church came back into my life. Not only can we just hang out together and not do really anything of importance, but we have great conversations, and she has been such a wonderful support through ups and downs. My daughter loves her, my husband loves her, I love her, and I am pretty sure she feels the same way about us :) My sisters, who I lived in the same neighborhood with growing up...man, reconnecting with them has been such a blessing. One is a mother of two, another a soon-to-be momma in a few short weeks, and the other a world traveler and a hard working dental hygienist. They are friends who have seen me at my worst, loved me when I didn't deserve it, and welcomed me back with open arms after years of no communication. I am excited to see where our lives take us, and feel so blessed to experience life together. (see my sisters in the pic at the beginning of my blog).

Auntie Princess Tessa aka Ti Ti with Lula 10/31/10

I just recently reconnected with my highschool "other-half". She is the same down to earth, kind hearted, completely selfless person she was back then. We reconnected at a time when we were both in need of our friendship. It was God's way of giving us a hand to hold in a dark time. We are both so busy, and she is starting a wonderful new career, and I couldn't be more proud of where she has come.

And Facebook has been such a wonderful way to stay connected with friends who don't live so close. My sweet friend who lives in Portland...I wish I was in walking distance from her. My daughter and hers are the same age, and our soon to be kiddos will be the same age as well. She is a happy soul who listens, cares, and loves life. You literally see her heart beam when she looks at her little growing family. The friends I left in Ellensburg...I never laugh as hard as I do with them. They held my hand through good and bad, one stood next to me as I married my husband, and constantly give me the love through my Facebook world just as they did when we saw each other everyday.

Katie and I at my wedding 12/6/08

Kimmie and I during my recent Ellensburg visit.

To top it off, the women in my family are all so amazing and encouraging. My mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, aunts, aunt-in-laws, cousin-in-laws...they all enrich my life and build me up to be a better woman every day. They love me through mistakes, and are my biggest fans.

This sappy pregnant brain of mine is thrilled with the women who encircle me and I couldn't feel more rich. And, as I embark on my new adventure with a natural home birth, they are all cheering me on. How awesome. All of them inspire me to be the best mother, daughter, and friend I can be. I can only hope I make all of them feel the same way I do about them. That I can be there for them in the same way they have been there for me. I hope my relationships with my wonderful women are a solid example for my children as to what unconditional love is, and how important making and keeping friendships is. I am blessed beyond words, and really feeling the love. Thank you ladies.

All For The Cause...

Oi...this baby is already giving me a run for my money. I mean, I was nauseated with Lula, I threw up a couple of times. But this. This is like nothing I have ever experienced. All day long complete and pure exhaustion. Exhaustion to the point where getting up to use the restroom is too much and my eyes are trying to shut constantly (which isn't good while driving). I actually threw up in a massage session. Didn't even make it to the bathroom and just hurled in the trash right next to them. Thank God she is a regular who completely understood. How horrifying though, right? Nothing sounds good to eat except for cold fruit and even drinking water is a chore. It is amazing how vastly different each pregnancy can be.

So, along with not feeling well there is this wonderful thing called "guilt" that is starting to take over. The house is a disaster. The TV is on much more than I would like because reading a book to Lula is just too much sometimes. Lula has been eating PB&J's morning, noon, and night because I can't cook anything without puking. Guilt, guilt, guilt. Ryan gets home and I am too tired to talk, let alone help get Lula to bed. Emotional outbursts are much more frequent than normal..."I'm sorry I am such a horrible mother and wife! I am just so tired, so sick. Please don't get sick of me. I promise I will be a better wife soon!" Ridiculous. I am so blessed to have such a patient, calm, and understanding husband who picks up where I left off. The joy's of pregnancy...

I will say this. Through all of this sickness and exhaustion, I am already so in love with this little baby of mine and I can't wait to welcome him or her into our family. Watching Lula play with other kids at the park today made me smile because she is going to have a little brother or sister to play with, help with, and grow up with. What a wonderful thing. Isn't a growing family such a wonderful thing? I think so.