Three cities and a baby

Being back in Brooklyn was at first a little bizarre--as if the past two weeks hadn't even happened. A fever dream in the middle of a freezing cold holiday flurry. My tan line and my deep sense of relaxation (and this blog) are my constant reminder that I really did just pick up and have a few adventures.

One of the ideas for the trip was to visit Frances in Capao as she prepared for her first child. I won't lie, pregnancy, labor, children, mothering, are all a bit frightening to me. Being with Frances and reading Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth while I was in Capao has at once exposed me to my own fears around childbirth, and the fears that many of us women in the US harbor--as well as help me overcome and address some of these fears. The way we pregnancy is represented in the mainstream media goes something like this: women is pregnant, fine, she is then overcome with labor at an inconvenient moment and often needs modern medicine to come to the rescue. The idea is that your body, your womb, your vagina, the whole kit-and-caboodle, can't really *do this*. You need help. Case in point (but this time men with guns to the rescue).

Luan

Frances and Diego were really beautiful to witness as they got ready for their new baby. A true inspiration. And guess what?? Luan arrived at 4:04am Monday morning. A home birth. A beautiful boy. Mama is recovering well in the sun of Capao. Congratulations family!

Now, I'm waiting for my cab to JFK to whisk me away to LA, the next leg of this here adventure. I'm deciding whether or not to take my laptop...the idea of traveling without it is almost too good to resist...