Part 1: Hope attended three births with me as a Doula. She was present as Leif, Adelaide, and Lily were born into this world.
Her ears were not developed at those moments but she did know something of their coming, witnessing their arrival. Part 2: I heard Hope’s heart beat on two occasions. The first- I lay on my back with three midwives over me. They experimented with a fetoscope but it was still too early for these fascinating instruments to detect this little heartbeat. Next they used the Doppler. With a little bit of goop on my belly, Ellie sifted through the different sounds and out emerged a strong baby’s heart, beating with life. I smiled. Then I cried from the very spot were this baby rested. The last heartbeat I had heard was Ari’s, the last heartbeat I had not heard was Ari’s. Relief, joy, sorrow- and yes hope. My midwives held me while I cried, holding the space for my tears to go. I felt a lifting at that moment- a shedding of past sorrow. I felt joy and anticipation fill those places. The second time I heard her heartbeat was with Brian beside me- it was a much more convivial moment. Brian and our midwives enjoying a moment that held nothing but love- simple love.
Part 3: The three Sommo girls decided it was time for a baby shower. Even though I was only four months along, many were home for the holidays- an occasion to celebrate our baby and my pregnancy. 
A dozen or so women came to our home in Union- the eldest being Whitney, the youngest perhaps was Emma. With full stomachs, we started in on articulating the celebration. We passed out short yellow candles, decorated with a sprig a hemlock and toile. Passing the light around the circle, we also passed red wool yarn, looping it around each wrist to form a bracelet. Candles were taken home to light when the baby was born and the bracelets were worn until the baby was born, creating a replica of the circle that was formed that day. Then we crafted messages for my birthing wall- a wall of womanly wisdom. Tissue paper, glue, scissors, cardboard circled around the room- talking, laughing, reminiscing, creating. This family of women soon left, leaving behind a few small presents, including a very small teddy bear with a purple bowtie picked out by my nieces Jesse and Adrianna.
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