still going strong: a brief update
Our son is growing healthy and strong. I know this by the steady 156 heart rate the doppler records every doctor visit, the strength of his kicks in my side and the punches to my bladder. It is truly extraordinary. My body has been malfunctioning since I was 19 and here it is perfectly making a healthy baby. Almost 16 years of not trusting my body because of seizures, muscle weakness, mental confusion, and dizziness. Yet here I sit, the healthiest I have ever felt with my son wiggling inside my womb as I type. I am counting down the weeks until I get to meet our little Sammy Ray in awe. Both because I am excited and because I am growing increasingly uncomfortable. Mostly though, I am excited to hold him and watch him discover the world. Meanwhile, this summer is full of record heat and massive fires surrounding my small haven in the Sierra Mountains. The one blowing smoke into our neck of the woods is over 180,000 acres and threatening a neighboring town just 30 minutes from my hou