A Bookish Life

Four months

Happy birthday to my baby! You can see she's enjoying her 4 month birthday quilt already. And getting to spend the morning in her pajamas.

 

Delight

This smile absolutely does me in, and I felt compelled to share its beauty.

She's just so cute.

We are getting a little sleep around here. Some of us more than others, as you can see. You may also note the completed quilt Cate is laying on- finished just in time for her arrival. She also has a special blanket handmade from each of her grandmas, one a lovely green knitted throw and the other a sweet coral and yellow quilt with her name embroidered in the corner.

I don't quite have the words to describe how in love with this little munchkin we are. I know those of you with kids can probably guess how overwhelming it is. Brian calls her his peaberry, which is a tiny coffee bean that is prized in this house for its cuteness.

I have a couple sewing projects to work on- some for Cate, one for Eliza, and a few for my friend Larissa's wedding. I'm thinking this week, since I'm feeling basically recovered, I might pick up one of these projects during an afternoon nap time.

The littlest Daskam

March 11th brought us Catherine Ruth Daskam, the newest little beauty in town. Cate weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce and took a little less than two hours to make her entrance.

Pardon the short blog break. When we can actually stop staring at her, we're trying to sleep!

Getting in the spirit

Valentine's Eve has always been a ramping up in this household to the glorious, sublime festival that is Valentine's Day. I can't help but feel that this year I'm falling a little short. So, in an effort to mobilize the chocolate troops, I've been humming some of my all-time favorite low-key love songs.

The playlist includes:
Always Travel Light (My Love), Doug Burr
My Love, Amanda Leggett
This Bouquet, Ani Difranco
You Are My Only One, James Taylor
Love and Some Verses, Iron and Wine

I'm making a chocolate covered cheesecake with red sprinkles too. That's gotta help.

A big project revealed

It's no secret that I've been secretive lately about some of the biggest news to ever grace my life. It was all too new, too vulnerable, and too exciting. If I let out some of the excitement, it might have bubbled over and obliterated everything else.

It's completely normal, an everday occurence. Millions of women have been pregnant before me; millions of women will be pregnant after me. But right now, it's me!

Sweetness

Yesterday he told me:

"I am jealous that you're going to Paris."

"You are jealous?"

"Jealous, not envious. I'm not upset that you're going to Paris and I'm not; I am upset that Paris will have you and I won't."

I am the lucky one.

Today Brian and I have been married for four lovely, magical, romantic, and fun years. He left me this morning with a kiss, and I know I won't see him again until late, late tonight. Life sometimes has us running to the left and right when all we want to do is sit still and hold hands.

Tonight however, we're already planning to meet in the afterwards of whatever goes on today and drink a glass of anniversary port together. Maybe there will be dancing? Maybe there will be a raucous game of Scrabble? Certainly there will be love overflowing.

I've been waiting for this.

Happy Valentines Day! (shouldn't my blog be pink and cute today?) I have my red dress on and my date picked out (it's you, Brian. I choose you). We have our reading group tonight and I'm deperately trying to recover from a root canal, but I refuse to pretend that this is any normal Wednesday! Light the candles and chill that champagne, because today we get to celebrate love!

In Defense of Valentines Day

Please don't groan. Something in me is skipping because this is the last day of January. I like January, but I love February. Not all of February, mind you, but the days leading up to and including Valentines Day-- my favorite day of the year.

This day has always been my favorite. Like C.S. Lewis I can claim that it isn't my parent's fault that I became a romantic, it's just who I am. I like the sappy romantic movies and the red streamers and candy hearts. I like the candlelight and love songs. I like wearing red or pink.

Some object that Valentine's Day is only for the people who are in love. But I want to tell you that it's not! Valentine's Day is for people who love the fact that love is a magical gift that exists somewhere, even when it is not a tangible person with perfect arms and lips.

So, for all of you whose insides are skipping because it is almost the month that contains the day that holds the key to sweet delight-- here are a few things to be happy about.

Poems by Denise Levertov. I recommend Hymn to Eros ("Close my beloved with me/ in the smoke ring of thy power) or The Ache of Marriage (We look for communion/
and are turned away, beloved). 

A Sweet Pink Dress.

A foxy t-shirt.

The Everyday Valentine

More links and products and sweet poems to come over the next couple weeks! Please don't groan.