Letters to my unborn child - 40 weeks plus 4

 Dear child of mine, we are soon to meet! What a weird time this is just waiting for you to make your appearance. 

Your due date has been and gone - as has Independence Day which we were hoping you would redeem with a birth day. Our renovations are complete (hallelujah) and dad and I have been putting together your cot and changing table and getting everything ready for when we get to bring you home. 

I am currently tired and grumpy and quite frankly, have had quite enough of being pregnant thank you! But I also know that I should be treasuring this time when you are safe and warm inside me. This world is big and scary and I know it will hurt you sometimes. 

And then I remember that the world is also full of wonder - full of beautiful places and creatures; music; art; dance; books; sweet friendships and encounters with people who will change you forever. There is heartache but there is also such joy. There are ideas and people worth sacrificing everything you have for. And there is a lot of love to give and receive. 

I am scared of the labour to come but I know that it will be worth it for the meeting of you. I am praying for you every day. 

Much love, your mama.

Letters to my unborn child – 33 weeks

 

Well your mother has been remiss in keeping on top of these entries – not wholly out of keeping with her character it must be confessed. Since my last entry, FM has been released from prison – though not before she contracted Covid in that awful place. Mercifully she is recovering well and continues to speak up and out against injustice and oppression. Biden made it through inauguration so the world is officially rid of Trump’s leadership. Covid vaccines are being rolled out across the world- including right here in Zimbabwe where most healthcare workers have now received the first dose of a Chinese manufactured vaccine. Hopefully life will be able to return to some normality soon.

There are incredibly only 7 weeks of pregnancy left to go! I feel like surely my belly cannot get any bigger and yet I suppose it has to! Fortunately, apart from a spate of weird migraine auras, I’ve been feeling pretty good and have enjoyed this later stage of pregnancy.

Slowly we are getting ready for your arrival – nappies have been purchased, baby clothes unpacked. Next weekend we will have your baby shower where we will no doubt end up with more baby things than we will ever need. So many people love you and love your dad and I. We are blessed indeed.

Granny and Grandpa have also decided that our little rondavel needs a bit of extending. So your dad and I will be homeless for a few weeks – please don’t come early!

Today is your dad’s birthday – well sort of – it’s between today and tomorrow, our beloved leapling man. We’re celebrating in the Matobo hills. It is stunningly beautiful here among the rocks and trees. It has rained pretty much non stop since we arrived which is a bit of a shame but we’re making the most of it anyway. One day we’ll bring you here and show you this magnificent part of creation and debate its complex, messy history.

Stay warm and cosy in my belly!

Mother

Letters to my unborn child - 27 weeks

 Yikes! It's almost the end of our second trimester. Having felt like this pregnancy has lasted forever, it's suddenly all speeding up and getting quite real! Yesterday, your dad booked us into the hospital (so Granny can stop worrying about you being born at home!).

While you're safe and cosy in my ever-expanding tummy, the world out here has become pretty scary. In the last 3 weeks, Covid-19 has hit Zimbabwe hard and we now know a frightening number of people who have the disease. We're back in a hard lockdown (though compliance has been patchy at best), so we're all working from home and trying to keep as safe as we can. How weird to think that one day, this bizarre period will be something you'll learn about in History. 

January has also been an interesting one in global politics. We stayed up till midnight the other night watching the Capitol being stormed by Trumpites - he's been impeached for the second time by the bye. There are some truly baffling conspiracy theories on the rise - really, dear unborn child, I pray more than anything that you are granted the gift of discernment - boy do you need wisdom to navigate this crazy world of ours! (but heck, I could be the nutcase after all and Trump and in two weeks time, I might be eating humble pie before a crowd of MAGA evangelicals - who knows!).

Our dear friend, and your revolutionary auntie, FM, was also arrested this week and has been remanded in prison. Grandpa is working extra hard to get her out as soon as possible. I keep thinking back to our one night in cells last year and the strange comfort that came from at least being there with friends. I hate thinking of her alone, having to be brave in the face of such cruel and ridiculous injustice. I know that this won't defeat her though. She is strong and courageous and her fierce hope in a better Zimbabwe will get her through this. 

I cannot tell you how inspired I am by the women of this country. We know a few good men, you and I (a lot of them are in our family!), but my goodness, the women! There's the young, feisty, constitution defender, and the slightly mad, older lady with faith like a mountain, who rescues the discarded and sick and sees miracles happen, and the women who start soup kitchens and just keep serving, and the writers and artists who use their voices to speak for the silenced and won't give up hope. Learn from your sisters and aunties and grandmothers little one. They have so much to teach you. 

Stay safe, stay woke.

Mother

P.S the rain is pretty incredible this year. It has been a reminder that God's grace continues to sustain even when all hope seems lost.