Happy 1st Birthday to Elise!

Oh, last year on this day we were all pretty excited!

I remember the feelings of nervousness. I was first worried about my own child, Maria. She had given us quite a scare when she had her first baby. I tried to not think about it but I admit it crept into my mind a bit. Thankfully, that particular drama did not occur.

I remember the feelings of happy anxiousness. I was so anxious to hold and touch and see and smell and love on that new little person!

She arrived and we did all those things!

We bonded with her, even though we really didn't yet know her.

I stayed the night at the hospital so Eric could take care of Cordelia at their home. It was a long night but so precious for me. I got to hold her a lot and I got to spend that night with Maria. I felt so honored!
I also felt so tired, but it was worth it.

This photo is my absolute favorite from the day Elise was born!

It is a year later already. We now know this little beauty as a spirited one year old, someone with opinions and ideas of her own. 

We know she has a great laugh.

We know she loves music and has some awesome dance moves. My favorite is when she throws her head back and forth and the long strands on top remind me of a man with a come-over that has gotten out of control. 

We know she loves balls and dogs and stuffed animals. We know she has a cute way of snuggle hugging that melts my heart. She loves to follow her big sister, play with Betty Sprinkles, loves being outside, blowing kisses to her Daddy...and she is just so cute!

We know there will be so much more that we will know by this time next year!

Let's Make a New Holiday - Santamas!

I have a GREAT idea!  Let's advocate for a new holiday and let's call it Santamas!  We can make it be about a chubby guy in a red suit that has reindeer to help him fly all around the world, delivering presents.  He can only deliver presents to children who earn them through their good behavior.

It will be FUN!  We can say that he slides down our chimneys.  Maybe we can make up that he has elves to help him make toys for children!  He can live far, far away... how about the North Pole?  He can be all about candy canes and we can focus on getting lots and lots of presents from him!

This new holiday can be appropriate for everyone as it will be quite secular.  We'll be able sing about Santa in our schools!  It will be so cool! We can make it clear that it is just for fun; that the story is just a story, loosely based on nice man who lived and died long ago.

THEN...

Let's celebrate another holiday, called Christmas!  We can focus it on Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God!  We can read about his birth from the Bible, including reading that his birth was prophesied centuries before it occurred.  We can imagine how it was for his mother, Mary, when she found out she was going to be mother to God's Son, and that her son would be The Savior. We can talk about multitudes of angels declaring his birth! It will be so exciting! Imagine the glorious songs we can sing in our churches, homes and even out caroling to shut-ins. Doesn't it just give you goose-bumps?

We can let our children know that it is a real story.

The story will be about giving, rather than getting.

It will be a story of joy and peace and hope.  

It will be just what the world needs.

It will be all about HIM.

It will be holy.

Blessings for My Grandchildren

Thank you for the positive reactions to my jewelry tradition idea.  And yes, EJN, I'd be honored if you used the idea.  I'm sure I'm not the only grandma to do such a thing.

Let me tell you my favorite idea!  OK, it isn't original at all.  Bible stories mention blessings being given to children.  While I'm not sure if my idea of a blessing is quite what they were doing,  I decided I wanted to do a blessing.  I am not smooth enough to do it spontaneously so I planned ahead and wrote it all out.  I carried it around in my purse for weeks so that I'd have it with me for the birth.  Even though I had it memorized, I read it off the paper to be certain I got it exactly right.

Nearly three years ago, moments after Cordelia's birth, I spoke (actually cried) these words...

May the Lord come near to you and call you his own.

May he give you a sure heart and a kind spirit.

May you always know him as your source of strength.

I wrote out a copy for her baby book and it is my intention to cross-stitch it for her someday.

On Tuesday, when Elise was so new she was still steaming (not really), I spoke this blessing for her...

May God shelter you with mercy and wrap you in love.

May he pour into you both courage and compassion.

May you always trust him to light your path and be your power.

On both days I traced the cross on each girl's forehead.  If anyone wants to copy this plan, go for it.  If you have trouble getting started, try reading scripture.  I found inspiration from the Psalms as well as other passages.  I didn't directly use any particular Bible verse but maybe you'd like to.  Also, is there any reason this couldn't be done for a birthday or any other special day?  It doesn't have to be on the day of birth.  I'd love to hear your thoughts or ideas of ways to incorporate blessings.

I took about a thousand photos this week, but this one is my favorite.  Maria was so glad to be reunited with Cordelia after being separated from her during the last part of labor and the sweet sisters were having their first face-to-face.  Although Daddy isn't in the photo, he was just to the side of his girls.

People, it just doesn't get any better than this.

Starting Traditions

I have become more and more aware of how precious tradition can be to the story of a family.  As such, I've got a few traditions I started when Cordelia was born; things I want to do for my grandchildren.

As I mentioned before, one thing I want to do is give each child some piece of jewelry that is mine but that they will inherit someday.  It doesn't need to be an expensive piece of jewelry.  I just wanted something that they see me wear, see in photos from the day of their birth, and something that represents what is important in my life.  I chose a ring with a cross on it for Cordelia's birth.

I made certain that I was photographed, holding newborn Cordy, with the ring in view.  I wear it frequently so that someday, when it is her's, she will remember it being mine.

This is what I have chosen for this next baby girl:

I've got it on and I am ready to go!  I think it will be soon! 

Celia's Link to My Grandaughters

I am getting excited!  Maria and Eric will be welcoming their new daughter next month!  That little baby is quite definitely HERE now.  Maria is looking "full of life" and she's at the point where we can even see when that new little grandaughter has the hiccups!

When we were waiting for Cordelia's birth I remember feeling like my arms just needed to hold her, just as I felt as I waited for the births of my own babies.  I'm starting to get that feeling again!

One of the things I did before Cordelia was born was that I chose a piece of my jewelry that would someday be her's.  I know that seems rather premature but my plan was to be wearing it in photos taken the day she was born.  I'm particularly proud of that idea.  I chose a cross ring given to me by my friend, Celia.  I wear it often and I hope that for Cordy it is something she will remember having seen on me. For some reason the photo cuts off the bottom but trust me, I was wearing the ring in this photo.

For this new little person I want to do the same thing, only different.  I want both girls to feel special and to know they are individually precious.  I am narrowing it down.  I am thinking about a cross necklace, also from Celia, that I will give to this new baby.  

I didn't know it at the time of Cordelia's birth but there is another link to this tradition.  When Cordy was about a year and a half old, Maria and Eric purchased the house where my friend, Celia, grew up!  So, those girls will always have a link to Celia as well.  Cool, huh?