Babies

I have had two different babies on my heart lately. Their birthdays are almost a week apart and they are very very special to me.

Music has such a strong memory recall for me, everything from singing along to "Christmas Don't Be Late" by Alvin and the Chipmunks for the thirteenth time on the way to Grandma's house to watching my dad bliss out to 'Hey Jude' in high school. Music is how my family communicates with each other.

At work tonight, in my flu-y, allergy clotted stupor, The Scientist by Coldplay came on. I had to stop and marinate in the memory for a bit. It made me think of my sister's wee little, wonderful son who's watching over her. I wrote about my sister's pregnancy for my Creative NonFiction class and immersing myself in the breathtaking memory and heartbreaking story made his third birthday this year just a little more melancholy than usual.

And then today, literally the cutest, funniest toddler I know turned one today! Little Ansel Luke is Matt's godson and every time I see a picture of him or hear his mom tell a story about him, I burst out laughing. He has such personality, and so much of his parents in him. He has the cutest little expression, little curls in his brow when he's skeptical or a huge triangular mouth that smiles with glee as he pushes other kids at daycare out of the way for the water

table.

And then Matt and I went to Van over the weekend and went to a wicked, wonderful church that we love a lot. I am very moved by that church and I cry every time we go there. Obviously, the Lord reaches me there. They did a baby dedication on Sunday and I cried through the baby dedication! I have never cried through a baby dedication before...but I did this time. The pastor talked about how married couples are given a unique and intimate privilege to imitate God in the act of creation. That's what got me. I thought of Beau; I thought of Luke; I thought of the little one in my heart that will have my husband's long eyelashes and hopefully his gorgeous, fierce spirit. I thought about how breathtaking and simultaneously terrifying it will be to create life.

Easter is in two

and a half weeks! I LOVE Easter. Have I said this? More than Christmas. It is beautiful. I love this picture. I saw it on Flickr and I thought it was soo cool. I've only dyed eggs once for Easter and I thought it was no big whoop. But my cousin did drop his eggs in from standing height and after that there wasn't any dye left. Maybe that's why.

On another note: my wonderful, gorgeous best friend gets here in four days!!!! OmmmmmmmG! That is four sleeps.