so many blessings

Our freezer is full of grass-fed beef and gourmet frozen meals. Roses sit in a vase; "we're sorry you have to wait," said the friends who dropped them off.

The L.P.'s crib has a hand-made crocheted shawl draped around it; next to the bookshelf is a basket full of hand-knit booties, a pair for every day of the week in every color of the rainbow. She has two handmade sweaters, a handmade quilt on its way, and onesie after onesie. She has dresses made by a great-great-grandmother, carefully passed down; a box full of clothes she won't be able to wear for months yet...and so much more.

We've received a child care manual, recommended by a mother of four; a pampering home-care pregnant mama book, an organic baby book, a DVD on communicating with infants. We have boxes of chocolates waiting until after the baby comes, a pot of very rich skin cream, lavender soap, fancy talcum powder, diaper rash cream. We've gotten card after card, call after call, email after email; "I can get you groceries," one friend said. Another recommended a pediatrician and told me not to hesitate to call at two in the morning if I ran into problems.

People tell me they dreamt about us. "She was beautiful," they say, and all I can do is nod and hope that it will be so.

We've gotten support from our families, excitement from the friends that don't have children, wisdom from those who do. Our neighbors, in this small town we've been in for just a year, are beyond kind.

So many good thoughts for one little baby, when babies are born all the time all over the world. I wish that every mama-to-be could have some of the love that surrounds me on all sides.

(yep. K.'s building, inside second floor. Isn't the brick beautiful?)