Last Summer of Me

Today is the first day of summer. A year ago today I wrote about all I had accomplished on day one of summer 2012. This time around has been even more leisurely; this summer is going to be a little different than last because it's my last one as just me.

Today marks 24 weeks in my pregnancy. Baby girl is just four months away from making her big debut. Her room is virtually complete, just a few minor odds and ends to tie up. Invitations for both showers, one on this coast, one on the other, will all be out by the end of the week. We've signed up for birth class (to begin in August), and I'm taking my maternity leave paperwork in tomorrow to my midwife to have it signed. Aside from some small craft projects and the organization of our storage room, there isn't much left for us to do before she arrives other than enjoy these last few months as just us.

This morning I woke up with Big Red, had breakfast and lounged around watching the morning news. Olive and I went for a walk and then I did some yoga. I've got a book next to me that I might get into, Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, but I don't have an agenda of any kind. There are no goals this summer other than to enjoy the quiet and calm, and try to do some kind of daily exercise (yoga or the elliptical) besides the ritual morning walk with Olive. I've been craving a pineapple upside down cake lately and yesterday my trip to the grocery store resulted in a basket full of plenty of fruits and veggies, a couple of steaks, and the ingredients to make my cake. Pineapple has appeared throughout my pregnancy - probably the one consistent craving I've had. Fruit really. I have a hard time if I don't have access to fruit. Don't worry, I'm not complaining. I'm well-aware that this is a fine craving to have versus that of pizza or candy.

I can only imagine how my summers after this one will be markedly different and forever changed. Neither one of us is ignorant to this fact and it's absolutely beyond irritating when folks try to tell us how it's going to be. The full gravity of the addition to our family has certainly not yet hit us, and probably won't until she's here. We get that people, we get it. It doesn't frighten us as we know our normal will just become a different kind. As for me personally, I'm sure there will come a moment when a summer day with my daughter will seem as it always has been.