From Cooing to Confetti...

Once January passes, the mourning pigeons can be heard cooing and my mind goes back to being pregnant and how the last trimester felt. It's so vivid. I remember roses, daffodils and rain lilies that I would see on walks that March, the dogwood trees and their flowers, and the moist, fragrant air. I was fortunate enough to have had a very blissful and uneventful pregnancy. It was a very introspective time and I didn't share much, except for a few selfies here and there. There was so  much joy I was feeling and nothing I could say or write would capture it. I am thankful for a few selfies, my smiling eyes say it all.

I would watch a French documentary called Babies, over and over and listened to a lot of David Bowie and Elo as I worked on a birthing playlist.  I had a 400 page book that I wanted to finish on attachment parenting. I did manage to finish it the week before she was born and felt ready. As if that book held all I needed to know. There was a lot of list making in a notebook, not so much the  nesting. 

The weeks that led to motherhood were both lazy and jubilant. I did a lot of stretching and walking and other low keyed exercises. I remember eating sweet potatoes and drinking lots of smoothies. August is a huge veggie lover and I guess it came from what I ate during pregnancy. She cannot resist fruits, vegetables, cream or Indian food. Not much of a sweet tooth or cheese lover and those are things I didn't consume too much of. I had an aversion to potato chips, any sort of chip and later chocolate.

Each February the wave of memories begin and give way to what came after that Spring. This is the time of year I pick up a crocheting or knitting project for her. That year I made her the sweetest little top and a muslin swaddling blanket with pink crocheted trim. It's the time of year when I make Pavlova's and take walks with her. Every day after school, we  must take our walk and collect sticks to paint and unusual  rocks.

It is interesting how traditions and rituals come about. So much of what we do together we have always done together, we have been walking and enjoying the flowers together a full nine months before she landed in my arms. We cannot resist a celebration, however big or small. This past year it's meant more than ever.

I remember the curmudgeon in our life who was completely uninspired by us, and really disliked our tiny confetti and whipped cream festivities, our fun, foods and decorations. We can't stop being who we are. We just celebrated Candlemas and before Valentine's Day is the Lunar New Year and how can anyone just gloss over that? January still feels like Christmas to us. February has always felt like the start of the new year. I believe it got started with the cooing, forever the sounds of a new start.

Celebrating needs music, it's time we got a piano.