It really is...
I cannot find the words to express my happiness. We got a beautiful taste of Spring this past week, the birds were chirping, the sun was shining, the temperature was rising and you could smell Spring in the air. I walked everyday and the warmth inspired me so. It was a LOOOOOONG winter this year, it was dull, windy, dreary and grey. I don't think anyone will be missing it.
Aside from the first breath of Spring, Steven and I found out we are having a baby girl yesterday...what an amazing gift. I've always said I felt we'd end up with a daughter. I've had so many dreams over the past couple years in which we had a daughter and at the time I felt them to be intuitive dreams. I also had this little angel named for years! (Grace Izabela Murphy) Now we can finally refer to this baby as HER, not IT & even better, Gracie. When I was first pregnant with her, I wrote her a lullaby, an instrumental guitar piece titled "Full of Grace" and I was relieved that my guess of her being a girl was correct so I could keep that title. It just fit so well. I am literally full of Grace.
I never thought being pregnant would be so fabulous. I write and play daily more now than I have in the past 5 years. And I have time to truly pay attention to detail. My new songs are evolving and they have time to do so...I'm not rushing and preparing for shows and what not. I feel more content musically than I have in a long while. Being pregnant has also brought on such inspiration, I'm constantly dabbling in something new whether it be on guitar or piano...I don't know if it's because I have another life inside me or if it's a combination of that new life inside me & taking more time for myself at home but it's truly a gift.
I played at Sellersville theater with Stanley Jordan in March and there will be video coming out soon of songs from my set. I was 4 months pregnant at the time so someday I will be able to show Gracie the footage and let her know she was inside me for that wonderful experience.
I'm going to have the whole summer off!! I haven't had a summer off since high school. While we will be preparing here for the baby and finishing up a kitchen remodel, master bedroom and office remodel, I will have time and hopefully energy to do a few videos of things I've been working on...I'll also be swimming A LOT : ) So far I've had a very active pregnancy...yoga, pilates, walking, light weights and we just bought an eliptical which I used for the first time today and it was AH-MAZING. I will be stoked to add swimming to my list of activities. I want to be in the best shape both physically and mentally for this birth process.
I also want to record a CD of instrumental lullabies for Grace. Good thing I won't be working so I have time to do all these things! I saw her hands on the ultrasound screen yesterday and I couldn't help but think they may be creating beautiful music someday. I would never push or expect BUT I do plan to expose her to the finest art and music so that even if it ends up not being her path or passion in life, she will have great taste, appreciation and knowledge in the arts.
Cooking has been another pass time of mine lately. I've had time to experiment with new recipes and focus on balanced, healthy meals for Steven and I. When we have our new kitchen, I imagine my cooking ventures will be all the more exciting or at the very least, functional. I have been focused on a diet based on blood type & though I haven't been so strict with it yet, I'm already experiencing positive significant changes. It's really more of a lifestyle that thankfully doesn't differ much from my current food habits. I'm A positive (vegetarian based with certain high quality meats allowed such as chicken & turkey) & it's been so interesting to learn about the history of our ancestors and why they ate what the ate, how it evolved and how it ultimately has affected how our bodies processing food. It's actually pretty fascinating...to me anyway. I've long been obsessed with eating healthy and living a conscious lifestyle all around. I got my first taste of vegetarianism 13 years ago. I learned a lot about healthy eating habits then but what I'm learning now takes it to a whole new level b/c it's so personalized and I've finally found a balanced way of eating. It has put a lot in perspective for me. I've tried pushing Steve into eating all the foods I like and have found beneficial for a long time. His taste buds are so different from mine. It's been a struggle and now with this new knowledge knowing he may be a different blood type (I have a hunch he is O), it all makes sense now. I can't wait for him to find out his type so I can plan our meals with more efficiency.
So much to be grateful for now and so much to look forward to. I feel so blessed and I think a lot of new music will come from this time in my life. I will always be excited to share it with all those interested. Thanks for reading!!!
For your eyes...
