Oh, snow! Thank you, thank you Brother North-wind!!! A million small blessings, falling on my face in the front yard, in the morning light. The most beautiful thing to wake up to.
[Pirouette, and flourish.]
All gone now, but nevermind. It was glorious.
There's a very small, very adorable baby dressed in a pale pink kimono onesie and oatmeal-colored tights lying between my legs under a crocheted blanket here on the chaise lounge. She's looking up out the big windows and talking to herself and kicking me in the stomach, which is one of my favorite things. She has long conversations with me and with herself and with the sky as she kicks and makes funny faces and balls up her fists and shoots out her arms and laughs at little things only she understands. We've been here for hours and hours today, wrapped in quilts and corgi and bottles and cups of tea. Sometimes she suddenly sleeps, or requests her bottle, but mostly we talk, and look, and sometimes I watch Christmas movies and surf Pinterest for ideas for window seats and her big-girl room (extremely fun). The furnace kicks on and goes off again. The sun comes out and disappears. The UPS man comes and goes, causing the poor puppers to lose her mind with anticipation. He often stops at our house, and brings her a treat; when he goes to someone else's (his truck is quite distinctive, so we know the second he turns onto our block) she can hardly believe her ears. We spent the weekend at parties, one ours, one our neighbors' for us, surrounded by friends and families. In the wake of such a long, sad week, it felt good to stick together and stay close to everyone we love. Under the evergreen boughs and the Christmas lights, listening to the old carols, remembering my dad and the ones who aren't here anymore, I held my baby girl in my warm arms and kissed her big pink cheeks and told her all sorts of things I wanted her to know. About good people. About snow. About good things. About joy. About love. Always about love.
Snow! You are so lucky. We haven't gotten a drop here in Connecticut. Love your Christmas cards with Amelia on them.
I feel my heart lift a little every time I read your beautifully written posts! Simple, sweet, gently spoken....dreamy. I thank you for this, as the CT tragedy has us all feeling insecure and unsure about this world. Is it even possible that Amelia gets even more beautiful every day? She is a doll!
Beautiful.....your post and your little baby girl.....God Bless you.
gloria g. Hemingway, SC
I wish I could turn back the clocks and spend more time rocking my babies. Thank goodness you will not need to make that wish. =)
I was hoping for a new post today. You are right, it was such a long sad week. And it's still sad, but your beautiful posts really do help lift my spirits. I have been working a lot on my winterwoods sampler this week- I am more in love with it every time I pull it out- what a wonderful project for a day when you need a little something cozy and cheerful. I am jealous of the snow though, we are in New England and I think it's going to be another green Christmas.
Dear beautiful mama of a beautiful baby girl. Thank you.
How lovely to sign your holiday cards with all three names of your family, Alicia. I remember the first year I was able to sign like that-each card came with a tiny shed tear as my eight-week-old laid in my lap and helped. Blessings, my blog-writing wonder woman.
Snow here in Olympia, too, and it stuck. White roofs everywhere. My girls and I are listening to Bob Denver and the Muppets Christmas, making apple bread and the 7 year-old is writing a Christmas song. Love indeed.
Ahhh...I enjoy sharing your Winter Wonderland! I'm in Texas so...you know. Also, the crocheted blanket, tell me more, please. I want to make one just like it.
Blessings and peace.
SC
Ha! John Denver :) Although Bob Denver and the Muppets may have had a certain value of its own.
Oh Alicia, your blog has always been one of my favorites, but these latest entries chronicling your babymoon? I love them. So, so much.
I remember reading along as you made little girl clothes for months and months. I remember thinking about the sweet little dresses and sweaters waiting for the little girl who would wear them.
The world is not all bad. Good things happen too and there is still so much to be thankful for. Your happy heart does me good-especially now. Keep telling Amelia-and all of us-about the good things.
Oh, Alicia, I love your closing lines of this post. So true. So dear. I still rejoice in the happiness you, Andy and Amelia have found.
A very lovely post, Alicia. :) AND SNOW!!! Yea!
Love the color of that blankie!
How well I recognize the stitch on Amelia's blanket! Using your pattern, I am working on two of them now. One in the softest blue, the other the softest pink, vintagey colors. Soon I will be holding twins, my first grandbabies :)
Alicia, I thought of you tonight while watching the evening news and the snow in Portland. I said, "I bet Alicia is so happy with the snow!" ;) I would be happy too. I live in Central NY and I'm hoping for snow this weekend.
Your posts are always very thoughtful and uplifting. Today I needed a little sunshine and this fit the bill. Thank you! xo
I think that's what I have always liked most about your blog. It's always about love. xo
Just like your first commenter - no snow in Ct. yet - only foggy and rainy.
Beautiful post Alicia!
oh alicia, snow. i so want even just a few flakes. fun flakes and parties and little conversations with little people...such nive moments...and even in the worst of times, there are always tiny tiny moments of comfort, peace, love and hope. she is such a beauty! and that liberty dress...oh my.
I was hoping for a new post today. Yes, it has been such a sad week. I taught kindergarten for 12 years and as a teacher you fall in love with your students, even the difficult ones. Prayers for Newtown.
Beautiful post, thank you. I have been feeling so sad, thank goodness for babies to lighten the mood!
I work with babies everyday, they are so pure and full of love. You are blessed.
Meredith
made me cry again...beautiful words strung together perfectly...alicia...i have another pretty sky to share with you.....when you're not too busy come have a peek xoxo
And there might be more snow tonight and tomorrow- the perfect way to release my students for Christmas break and drive home and hunker down and... breathe...
Thanks for the great shots of Amelia. She looks so content.
Alicia, I'm sure you've answered this somewhere before, but do you use a filter on your camera? The light in your photographs is so warm!