Introducing

Josephine Rose

Born Friday, January 22 at 9:26 am

7 lbs 13 oz

20.5 inches

Oh my goodness, it has been quite a week.  It started with many long walks, very few signs of labor, and what had become my longest pregnancy yet.  And then somewhere by the end of the week, one acupuncture appointment and many natural labor inducing techniques later, she came to us, gently, quietly, on her own time, in a tub in our bedroom.  Perfect timing, just like always.

I cannot tell you how curious I have been to meet this person, to look at her and hold her, and what absolute bliss it's been to be able to do exactly that for just about every minute since she's been born.  When her siblings streamed in after her birth to meet her, I was struck with the fact that this little one is being welcomed into a whole community of love.

Everyone, from Zosia, who prides herself in being allowed to carry the baby in a sling, to Lily, who has always had an intuitive knack for babies, to Hugo, who proudly announces "Newborns are the best!  They let you hold them, and hug them and kiss them.  Not like my two year old sisters, who say 'No!'" to Clara and Dorothy, who are absolutely obsessed with this baby.  They kiss her and bring her books and practice putting newborn diapers onto one another just in case they might need to lend a helping hand.  And then there are so many more family members and friends and all I have to say is that this is one lucky baby.

It has been a really wonderful week, one when I feel joy and relief and accomplishment and such very deep gratitude.  And I think for the first time since we moved from Virginia I had zero reservations about living somewhere else, because I have no idea what we would have done in that snowstorm!  Yikes! Instead, we had a California baby on a balmy January day, here in the city of Saint Joseph.  Our very own sweet Josephine.