She's Gorgeous

Ta da! Finally. It took a little poking and proding but Ash finally let me get a picture of her and the baby bump (who I'm still referring to as Captain until a more suitable name is determined).

Mommy-to-be and baby are doing great as you can clearly see from the picture.

What's next? Our Seemantham. What's this you ask??? Good question. Here's a bit of a breakdown. Its also called a "bangle" ceremony. Google it. Don't worry, I had to too.

"According to ancient scriptures, the soul enters the baby in the womb around the 20th week of pregnancy or so. Seemantham is a prayer for the arrival of a good soul into the womb of the mother and for her and the child's health.

From the day of formation in the mother's womb, a child grows in different steps, each within a stipulated timeframe. According to the Vedic scripts, the birth and death is a pre-planned one by the almighty. And as pre-planned, the child grows in a way that is linked to many factors, which include genetically considered factors such as features, intelligence, height, weight, etc.

Accordingly, though brain formation occurs much earlier, the memory cells are said to begin activities after the completion of seven months of pregnancy. Then onwards, a child can record the sounds and vibrations from the surroundings and hears every sound around it.

So as to format the brain in a fittest condition, they used to perform Vedic recitals of relics and verses named "Udhagasanthi" or "Uthakashanthi" Japam, a soft but powerful mantra recital for about 1 and a half hours. This specific function of Japam is to give a solid state of mind for the child to be born, a positive vibration from the recited Mantras that give enough strength to the child in the womb, and to create an atmosphere conducive to the earthly possessives on his / her birth.

This also increases the mental strength of the would-be mother, encouraging her, through the supportive gathering members blessing the child and mother for a normal delivery."

And what about the father? Dad gets no shout-outs. Proof again that women are clearly the more important sex.

Guys... we're playing second fiddle to a human being capable of creating life. Kind of makes one really feel inferior.