A beginning so strange,
so pure and innocent.
A sweet baby
lying on its back
feet up in the air
a perfect button nose
evident in its profile-
A picture that changes
so quickly, it is like
a stretched-out cloud
that holds its shape
only until the next
breeze blows by.
Perhaps it was
a cloud I saw,
and not a baby.
Both are strange,
pure, and innocent.
And if a cloud can remind me
of a precious baby, well,
Therein lies another mystery.
Your sweet
Sunshine
Giggles
Your bright
Cotton candy
Pink swing
Dad and Papa
Standing near
One in front
One behind
One pushing
One catching
Flying only high enough
To reveal surprise
In your sky-blue eyes-
Simplest moments
Soul-reaching joy
This girl! Even when she doesn’t feel 100 percent, she still has a smile. And I think she likes her swing. 😉💖
Stuffy nose
Tiny cough
Little rattles
Lacing
Your breath
Fussy cry
Flushed cheeks
Finally asleep
Mom and Dad
Cautiously
Creep across
The floor
Standing
Perfectly still
Holding
Their breath
Until seeing
The rise
And fall
Of yours-
Feel better
Little one
I will never forget watching my babies sleep, especially if they were sick. Seeing my son and daughter-in-law care for Emi brings those memories rushing back. This week, she is not feeling well. And, of course, they are taking great care of her. It is hard work deciphering signals from a sick baby.
Little hands
Being held
Little hands
Holding on
Pulling, stretching
Twisting, turning
Muscles growing stronger
Until…Suddenly
She lets go!
Finding herself
In a new position
With a new perspective
Her world
Growing bigger
With each turn
Each smile
Each Way to go!
And We love you!
Keep rolling
Baby girl
We are watching
You probably guessed already, but sweet Emi rolled over! We just happened to be on a video chat at that very moment. What a fun celebration! Roll, Emi, roll! ❤️
I am sure time has passed exponentially faster since I became a Gigi…
Yesterday fades
Into the light
Of tomorrow
Hellos and
Goodbyes
Echoing
All along its
Colorful trek
Remembering
Without
Looking back
There is little
Room for
Looking back
Only for living
Within each
Change of color
Quietly guiding
Measure by measure-
Yesterday fades
Into the light
Of tomorrow
Greeted
By today-
Time spent with Miss Emi reminds me of the importance of being present. Taking it all in. Not simply for remembering but as part of living. This weekend was filled with baby noises, eating, playing, napping, and lots of family! Oh, and just a tiny bit of shopping. 😉
I am grateful. I am also beginning to understand why my mom always said the house was too quiet after one of our visits with our kiddos. ❤️
Bright eyes
Focused
Little hands
Reaching
Tiny fingers
Learning to grasp
Such hard work
Heavy eyes
Fussy cries
Fighting sleep
Afraid of missing
A single minute
Held close
Rest comes
Giving in to
Sweet dreams-
I wonder
If she knows
She’s holding
My heart
As she sleeps
What a joy to have our family all together. We laughed, cried, and ate lots of good food. And, of course, our little granddaughter was the center of attention. I was thankful for the opportunity to hold her and get her to sleep. There is nothing like the sweet weight of a sleeping baby. Well, listening to her coo is pretty sweet, too.
Sitting in a rocker in front of Cracker Barrell in Alma, AR, I almost wrote 1993 instead of 2023 at the top of my journal page. This spot between Tulsa, OK, and Little Rock, AR, has been our family meeting place for years. I was waiting for my brother to drop off my mom this time.
Many a summer or spring break adventure started there. Sometimes, it was our kids going to spend a week with grandparents. Other times, it was me having some extended family time. And when you have as many cousins as me, extra time is needed.
So, what took me back to 1993? It was an eventful year for us! We were married in May, moved in July, and had a baby the following December. And that’s when it all started. Traveling the highway between Arkansas and Oklahoma, sometimes stopping in the middle for a drop-off or pick-up.
And this time, the end result was great-grandma meeting great-granddaughter for the first time. 💗
Five tiny fingers
Wrapped
Around my thumb
Eyelids heavy
With sleep
Let it fall
As I hold you
Little one
And dream
Your dreams
While I remember mine
We closely watched
As our children grew
Each part of us
Each their own
A continuation
Of family trees
With roots and branches
You and I will never know-
We’ve heard stories of
Transplanted roots
Broken branches
Colorful leaves
We’ve watched
More than once
As one season ended
And a new one began
Love and joy seeded
Along with pain
And heartache-
Seems strange
Speaking of them
In the same breath
Yet, here they are
Wise falling leaf
Innocent Spring bud
Quietly encouraging me
To embrace this current season-
Do not look too far ahead.
Do not look too far behind.
Do not hang on so tight,
That you miss
The peaceful wind
Blowing thru your hair.
Sweetly swaddled
Snuggled in tight
Outside noises
Muffled
To protect
Tiny ears
Eyes remain
Sheltered
From the
Bright sun
Not yet ready
To greet this world
Until suddenly
Both protected
And protector
Are thrown into
A realm full of
New sounds
New feelings
New sensations
Why should we
Expect anything
Less than tears
And awe
And wonder
Once again, I am thinking about this life and its comparisons with butterflies. We often focus on the result. A beautiful new life in living color, floating thru the air. But we immediately forget the struggle required to get there.
Exactly one week ago, we met our sweet granddaughter. It was about an hour after she was born. Her feelings concerning the previous few hours were clear. Her cry was strong and sweet, heartbreaking and reassuring.
A couple hours later, the grandparents were ready to hold her. She was swaddled tight and sleeping. The only problem occurred when it was someone else’s turn. She would start crying every time there was a shift.
How dare you hand me over to someone else! I was comfy and just beginning to like you!
I had not given prolonged thought to the shock mamas and babies experience. And then I saw it from Gigi’s point of view-not dwelling, simply acknowledging. 💗
Piano Girl 