I’m 33 weeks now, which places me in my 8th month. Almost in the home stretch- but like Lenny Kravitz once said, “It ain’t over til it’s over.” I still have PLENTY to do before then.

Last night I played a wedding gig in Charlottesville, VA. It was a good 3 hour drive, followed by lots of waiting. It was held at the manor of one of our first presidents, so there was lots of exploring to do. They had sheep, chickens, roosters and peacocks, but I found them very unfriendly, so that didn’t kill much time. We did have some fun making up dialogue for the sheep as they chewed away on cud or some such thing, but the novelty wore off. For some reason, all of us went for the same accent for the sheep- 40’s movie gangster dialect, “seeee?”.

We wandered around a cobblestone path lined with hedges straight out of The Shining.

We came across a courtyard that had a game of cornhole all set up for the taking. After playing several very unsuccessful rounds, we gave up and just found a place to hang out and crack jokes til it was time to eat.

It’s been so interesting singing through all this. I mean, I’ve sung through every other major change in my life, so why should this be any different? It’s just that physically I’ve changed and I never know what each new day will bring. The biggest issue I’ve had so far is breathing. It takes me some time to re-adjust to my new lung capacity, but so far, I’ve been able to make it work. It’s not that my air is cut short. It’s all still there, I just have to access it in a different way.

I really don’t know until I start how it’s going to be. Committing to these shows has been decided on a complete “feeling” level, since we have to commit so far in advance. “Do you think you will be ok for late April?” they ask. I think about it and say, “I feel like I’m going to be fine.” Of course there is no way of knowing for sure until it is upon us. I mean, thank goodness my cellulitis problem wasn’t going on this week instead of last week! I’ve finally finished my antibiotics (14 days of 40 pills=exhausting) just yesterday. I’ve still got my eye on it, though, as I’ve heard it can recur easily.

So back to the story. It’s time to sing… finally.  Interestingly, and possibly a blessing in disguise, was the fact that the majority of the requested songs for the night were mainly the responsibility of our male singer, so I didn’t have to press on all night, song after song.

To my surprise, though, I felt even more comfortable singing last night than I did 2 weeks ago. No trouble hitting those long, high notes. No trouble going low. No stamina issues to speak of. I just had be very aware of where I was taking breaths, and be sure to fit them in wherever possible.

Perhaps the most rewarding part of the night was when a guest came running up to me at the break. She made it a point to seek me out to affirm what I was doing. We had a really nice talk and she gave me some excellent advice at a time when I really needed it. So thank you, wedding guest. You really helped me and didn’t even know it. It’s amazing how the universe works. You get your answers and messages in ways that you will accept them- and for me, a complete stranger approaching me is the best way. Thank you again.

The night was a success. I celebrated with a hot chocolate and laughs on the way home.

But….. it ain’t over til it’s over.

This coming Friday, I have my last gig for a while with my other band, Megasaurus. This will be a full-on, 3 set bar gig. This will be my biggest challenge at this point in my pregnancy, but I “feel” like it’s going to be great. I don’t foresee any problems, and coming off a successful night last night, my confidence will be up. Which is a good thing.

After that, I have to concentrate on finishing up baby preparations and other loose ends. I can’t believe it’s coming to a close (err, an open?). I hope I reemerge like a phoenix at the end of this journey. I “feel” like I will.  : )

And because it’s probably in your head already, here’s Lenny: