The birthday of my life is come

I have always loved Springtime so much that I felt a tiny bit cheated because my birthday was in February.  It felt like it should be in April or May, because that's when I feel like I really come to life again each year. 

Getting married in April felt right for the same reason.  I love the way this poem describes the awakening and anticipation and re-birth that comes with finding love: "the birthday of my life is come/ My love is come to me."  Being married has been like being awakened.  Every year when our anniversary comes around, I feel like I am celebrating another year of my REAL life---the life I began with Sam ten years ago---and which I hope to continue forever.  It's been more exciting and interesting and surprising and silly and fun and hopeful and challenging and exhilarating and satisfying and delightful than I ever could have imagined it would be.

from A Birthday
by Christina Rossetti

Raise me a daïs of silk and down;
Hang it with vair and purple dyes;
Carve it in doves and pomegranates,
And peacocks with a hundred eyes;
Work it in gold and silver grapes,
In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;
Because the birthday of my life
Is come, my love is come to me.

We didn't have a digital camera back then

I had the good sense to say yes twice

Portland

Our finest hour—the twuggee!

In

Out

Circumstances haven't allowed us any wild and lavish celebrations this year, but having another sweet baby join our family seems like a fitting way to observe such an Occasion. I can't wait to embark on the next hundred (years, not babies)! 

Love you, my Sam.  Thank you for making every day Springtime.

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Beautiful

I find this little one so beautiful---I could sit and look at her all day.  Of course she is darling when she sleeps, but she is so serene when she's awake.  Her little eyes are interested in everything, but she has a peacefulness about her, a lack of that "what's-all-this-then?" bewilderment I've seen in some of my other babies.  It's very calming.

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Easter, etc.

I think Malachi loves Juniper the most (he always has had a soft spot for babies and other tiny things).  He runs in to see her first thing in the morning, wants to kiss her goodnight before she sleeps, and is just generally always interested in where she is and what she's doing.

Children with Easter Bunnies (Juniper is the same size as hers).

What tiny person could make tiny Daisy look so BIG?

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Colored Bubbles

We got these bubbles a long time ago (Christmas) but had forgotten we had them been saving them for the right time.  Finally a couple weeks ago we had a nice day to get them out.  The bubbles were beautiful against the blue sky---Abe's were pink and Seb's were blue.  Amazing how novel and special they seemed because of being colored!

It was alarming, because the bubble solution dripped everywhere and was SO dark and color-y, like ink.  I was so afraid it would stain everything it touched.  But then it just evaporated completely.  The color disappeared like magic.  So cool!

I like how hard Seb is working for this one tiny bubble.

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Happy day

Hooray, we have another baby girl!  We thought maybe baby was waiting for the rain to stop and Spring weather to really come before making an appearance.  But when the weather refused to cooperate, maybe this sweet girl decided that a beautiful sunrise would suffice.  And finally getting to meet her made even the labor, all five days of it, worthwhile.  We wanted so much to know who she was.  SO happy to finally have you here, baby dear!

Juniper Lark Nielson

6 lbs 10 oz.; 20 inches long

April 21, 2011

Two hours old.  Sideways.  Interested in the world.

Tiny!

Daisy is not sure what to think, but knows this thing is delicate.

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Pinewood Derby

Or "Fine-ma Derby" as the boys inexplicably call it.  Abe's car got second place!  We could hardly believe it.  He was quite pleased (but rather than basking in the glory, just kept asking me when he could go get some of the nachos they were serving).

Abe's rainbow car at the starting line.  The other cars had names like "White Lightning" or "Flame Rider."  Abe said his was named "Zoomy."

Great concentration

Watching the race like a big person

In the lead!

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Hike, Tiny, Faces, Found

Here we are hiking to the "Y" Sebby made for us

Ky drinks a tiny, tiny cup of cocoa

Sometimes I don't know what her expressions mean

And sometimes she tries to hide her smile

Brownie was missing for two sad weeks---he finally turned up inside the Cake Stand box (we'd had the cake stand out for awhile and found him when we tried to put it away). Sebby told us that Brownie had called on the phone while he was gone, and Seb tried to ask him where he was, but all Brownie said was, "I don't know   . . . somewhere dark."

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Early Spring

Even with the cold and the snow, there IS a difference in the air and the trees this time of year.  I was saying to Sam the other day, the bare branches of the trees seem like they should look the same as they do in November---but they don't.  They are softer, maybe, or more hazy with almost-yellow color.  It's hopeful, somehow. 

Naturally, Rilke says all this better than I do.  [He was a German poet.  Don't let the "Maria" fool you into thinking he is a woman, as I did for some time.  Although interestingly enough, I read that his mother called him "Sophie" and dressed him in girls' clothes until he was 5 because she had had a baby daughter die earlier.]  So, a Spring poem for you:

Early Spring
by Rainer Maria Rilke

Harshness vanished. A sudden softness
has replaced the meadows' wintry grey.
Little rivulets of water changed
their singing accents. Tendernesses,

hesitantly, reach toward the earth
from space, and country lanes are showing
these unexpected subtle risings
that find expression in the empty trees.

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Marshmallows, Pinecorns, and a Nice Day

We have had a few days where we remember that it might be Spring soon.  (I have protected myself against disappointment by pretending that real Spring doesn't come till May.)  We went to Red Butte Garden one day, where we were treated to a sight of the very rare Marshmallow Tree.  Oddly enough, it only blooms one day a year, on April 1st!

Ky is holding a pinecone on his forehead, like a "pinecorn" (unicorn)

I asked Seb why the marshmallows only came out on April 1st.  He seemed perplexed.

I think he's still wondering about it here.

Everyone ran down the hill.

Even this tiny girl.

But mostly she carried her blanket around and looked serious.

Resting on some Resting Rocks

At one point we lost track of Sebby.  Of course we found him here:

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