A good friend from seminary said the following, sometime after her daughter was born but before mine was:
I never really knew how much my parents loved me until I had one of my own.
I remember hearing her say that and thinking, aw, that is so sweet. The love of a parent.
Then little she-who-is was born. […]

We just got back from the orthopedist, and Miss M will NOT need to wear a brace for her hip dysplasia!
The ultrasound showed that yes, the hip sockets have not formed exactly perfectly, but once again, the doctor was not able to get either of them to dislocate. So everything appears to be fine. However, […]

Great News
I heard this week that I was accepted to the writing workshop at Downtown Cathedral. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! I am absolutely thrilled. Now I get to figure out how it’s going to work, but after getting to know baby M over the last month I believe it’s possible, somehow. Of […]

Yesterday R and I had a conference with C’s preschool teacher. Once again I found myself so grateful for the preschool—it’s really about preparing the parents for “real” school as much as the children, what with all the permission slips, conferences, field trips, and assignments such as “bring in something that starts with D.”
I’m not […]

Dear C,
I don’t have time for a whole letter for you today—although you’ve given me much to write about lately. Maybe another time. For the moment, here is a very quick, very short scene from last night.
after dinner we cleared the dishes,
wiped the counter dry,
and fitted the sink with
a blue plastic basin.
you stood on a […]

Dear M,
You are four weeks old today, which can only mean one thing—another trip to the ped. You have grown another half inch, which keeps you above 95% for height (22 inches). But the big news is that you have gained almost 2 pounds in 2 weeks! You now weigh 11 lbs. 6 ounces, which […]

from the RevGals:

Sleep. All varieties, especially:
crawling into bed after an all-nighter, knowing you can sleep as long as you want because you’ve earned it;
getting up for breakfast, then feeling lazy and going right back to bed;
flannel sheets on a cold night;
and napping in a big cushiony chair with a baby on your chest.
Sleep is in […]

This maternity leave is the first time since high school that I’ve had no job or class to go to. It’s mostly nice, although you should know that life with a newborn can be mind-numbingly dull. It’s long stretches of the mundane punctuated with flashes of “damn you’re a cute kid.”
I’m what, two or three […]

I looked down at my young daughter, who was looking gratefully and hungrily into my eyes, and I knew instinctively that gone were my days of being able to barricade myself in my study for hours on end… it struck panic into me to think that my ability to keep up the pace of my […]

the school-mothers passed you
arm to arm, chest to chest; you nestled against
breasts that have nursed countless other babies,
they gasped over your perfect hair,
perfect skin,
perfect fingers,
they pressed their noses against your head
and breathed in a memory,
a singular sweet idea—
“Baby Smell,” they each nodded in turn,
eyes distant and drunk.
You were generic,
their Every Baby,
fresh and pristine as from […]

A quick update from Baby Central. How “quick” it is depends on the length of this nap currently in progress. You’ll know when the divine miss M has awakened because this post will come to a quick and abrupt en—
Just kidding.
So the other night I had that old dream about being in college, having signed […]

Dear C,
As you know, part of my work schedule at Suburban Pres. is to spend every Wednesday evening at the church. What you may not know is that I’m teaching sixth grade Bible study. I enjoy it most of the time, and as important as I think it is for these kids to connect with […]

Dear M,
Today you are two weeks old. We took you to the doctor today. You have gained back your birth weight and then some, coming in at 9 lbs. 8 oz. This puts you in the 90%ile for weight. You have sprouted up to 22 1/2 inches which puts you above 95%ile for height, just […]

I’d like to do an update on the Divine Miss M but there is almost too much to say. I’m taking notes and hope to post something soon. (Hey, this kid isn’t going to have a traditional baby book; the least I can do is an occasional post.)
In the meantime here are a few quick […]

I’m still here, cocooning with the RB. She’s eight days old, slept a six hour stretch again last night, and I’m wearing non-maternity jeans (albeit one of my larger pairs). Cheers! On the other hand, she insisted on snacking all afternoon. Jeers!
It’s amazing how soft baby feet are–and why not? No mileage.
When babies bend their […]

I have to work hard to calculate what day it is according to the calendar; all I know is that the divine Miss M is five days old. She is really sweet. Bright-eyed and rosy-cheeked. C is totally smitten with her. Nurses like a champ. She actually slept six hours last night and the night […]