Baby Heaven

Yesterday was a good for the soul kind of day. The morning was business- laundry, barn chores, dishes, workout, bathe, make potato-great northern bean soup, croutons, corn muffins, cookies...yadayadayada. Then, noon came and my day was now mine, and the sweet, snuffling adorable little won ton of a baby girl that came to visit. She was wracked when she arrived, and when I spoke to her, she grunted a bit, moved her head around (chin first, like Rodney Dangerfield) pulled her eyebrows up like she was trying to open her eyes, but, no dice. She sacked back out. So, I decided to talk to her mother.
I missed seeing my friend, Kara. We ride together, but this time of year is for foxhunting, indoor arenas, and bareback bounces through the snow, whereas we are jumping and dressage buddies. She planned wisely in having her baby in November, so she can be back in the saddle again this spring. And, that is, indeed the plan. When I had babies I took a little time off riding (12 years), but not Kara. She's already popped up on one of her mares for a deep snow bareback jaunt (finding out that cesarean incisions and bucking horses are no match). So, because the little lady was having a serious snooze, I decided to set for lunch with Kara, and do some catching up. You know, the horror-of-it-all delivery-in-the-trenches account (completely necessary and cathartic for all mothers, and there is a direct relationship between how awful it was and how many times it needs to be recounted in order for the scars to heal. Kara's gonna need quite a few repeats). The recognition that the stories of "how beautiful and natural delivering a baby will be" often is complete bollocks, and that when you live through it, there is this amazing experience waiting to be fed, burped, changed and kept warm. Then, being who we are, we talked horses.
Eventually, corn muffins down, soup scraped from the bottom of our bowls and a few mugs of Yunnanese tea later, my joy woke up!
Hungry!

She is so little! Smaller than any of my babies when they were dragged into the light.

Then, I got to spend the whole afternoon smiling at her, holding her, smelling her soft head. Baby Heaven. She was a very content little thing, so I only got her to cry a little bit once or twice, but, still. Loved it.

I kept wearing her out, though and she would sigh and make adorable little snuffles and off to sleep. But, I've got a good chest for sleeping on, so couldn't blame her.



Afternoon from my POV.

 "There is an end to everything, good things as well." 1300's English proverb
If the morning was business and the afternoon was baby-mine, the evening was big ol' truck. The bus dropped off one of my grown babies and then another, and I was off in the monster truck ferrying kids here and there from 4 until 9 pm. But the glow of baby holding is lasting within. Thank you baby! Thank you Kara!