Even thought it’s still quite warm outside, change is in the air. The college campus nearby is starting to buzz, the school supply section at Target is hopping, and last hurrah vacations interspersed with “first day of” pictures are blowing up every social media feed. It’s not yet September, but schools are in session, with more joining the ranks every few days.

As with so many mamas, I’m not yet ready to relinquish summer. There’s too much left of the sunshine, summer temps, pool days and popsicles to give it all up before Labor Day. And I think I’m hanging on particularly hard this time, as I know that saying goodbye to another summer season means saying goodbye to some other sweetnesses, too.

Summer blooms from the farmer’s market. We’re gonna miss them when they’re gone.

By the same token, fall arriving means some pretty great developments for our family, and it’s not a bad trade off to swap the long, hot days we love so much for the shorter, crisper ones we’ll enjoy as we stroll with baby in tow and warm lattes in hand. I don’t mind that thought a bit.

You feel like you’re so far away from something and then suddenly it’s stretching out right before you. This always amazes me about life and time and the big things we anticipate as we go along.

Today marks 35 weeks on the baby count, leaving five or so to go before we meet the highly anticipated little “bean.” If he or she is consistent with Henry and Eloise, we’re looking at closer to four weeks and not five, which doesn’t bother me at all. I hope that we’re snuggling the babe within the month.

I am feeling more and more like I could burst, and looking more and more like it, too. It’s not an unsightly bump (though none of them are). It’s just a significant protrusion from my short frame, and one that’s challenging my back and my balance to a large degree by now. Slow and steady from here on out–both with baby and with the days of summer I don’t want to kiss goodbye. I love this season where we live, and I love this season in our lives, too (even if I forget that in a painful moment here or there).

35 weeks marks a whole lot of good in these past (almost) nine months, with more on the horizon. I hope that I can honor the days, the sunshine, and this sweet time left with our two kiddos before the summer and this countdown run out of steam.

to everything, turn, turn,

mm