FIBERGUY

Our friends, Lois and Rich, came to meet Juliette last week after we arrived home and we also got to see them again on the bon voyage for Adair & Ken. Rich was kind enough to forward all the photos he took and I thought some of you might enjoy seeing them.

Update: Sorry about that! I thought the public album at Facebook would work OK for those of you who weren’t members. I’ve changed the photo album application in my blog so I don’t have to rely on an outside host. The new album browser appears below.

This picture is a really good visual metaphor of how I’ve been feeling since Friday afternoon. Fuzzy and out of focus. I’m tired. So tired. Emotions right there at the surface, ready to burst forth at the slightest provocation. If I could get one good night’s sleep it would do me a world of good. I know, whine, whine, whine. Well, deal with it – that’s how I feel. And if I could just carve out about 3 hours of time somewhere to get caught up with two household tasks that I really *need* to get done (balancing my checkbook and getting caught up on paying the household bills), I would feel so much less stressed. Maybe tonight. Pray for a miracle.

Don’t know what a pram is? Pram = A conveyance for baby transport, “perambulator” in full

The warm air and breeze felt nice!

Her hands warmed up for the firs time since she came home.

This pram came as a gift from Harald’s parents in Norway when he was born quite a few years back. It’s pushed quite a few family babies since then, and the tradition continues!

Pictures from Tuesday

Tuesday was the day she got her belly button and her first bath before meeting great aunties and uncles!

Not a happy camper – little dumplin’.

Asleep in papa’s arms after her morning bottle.

Here are some pictures taken Monday night at the hospital after the entrustment ceremony and after we all arrived safely home.

At home in her crib after getting her jammies on the first night.

At the hospital chapel right after the entrustment ceremony ended.

Papa holding her at home for the first time.

Here are the first pictures of Juliette Rayne, born Saturday night at 11:13.  She weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long.  She’s got a cute little head of hair, and lungs that are working just fine, thankyouverymuch.

It seems as if everything is a go for the adoption to go forward.  The plan right now is that she will be discharged tomorrow, after a brief entrustment ceremony with all the parents and grandparents at the hospital.  Then we go into the period known as “legal risk” which, hopefully, will be all over in a couple of weeks.

This has been such a long journey, but I know it will end well now. This child is such a blessing to everyone.

How can you not love this elegant beauty? It’s from a small bit of peony taken from the Hall family homestead up in Lutsen. It’s really taken off in our yard and this year is full of blooms. We don’t know exactly what type it is, but then again we haven’t done a whole lot of research to try and find out. Harald’s mom says it’s probably at least 50-60 years old. And best of all? It’s a fragrant variety with a sweet, old-fashioned rose scent. Heavenly!

Update: After checking out several peony farm web sites, this peony looks amazingly like one known as “Gay Paree.”  How apropos.

As Harald so rightfully challenged me last night, it’s time to get some pictures after promising two weeks ago to do so. Even though I’ve been gathering pictures for several weeks, I am going to start with a picture taken just this morning. Sorry it isn’t clearer, but these are among H’s most precious additions to the garden and they are blooming particularly beautifully this year. They are Martagon lilies, a very old type of lily. Now, if you aren’t familiar with them, you wouldn’t know that the blooms are impossibly small – probably no more than a couple of inches across. Click here to read a good primer on Martagons.

I know most of you have been very patient with me over the last few months. Given the loss we experienced in early April, blogging just hasn’t been at the top of my list of things to get done. But spring has once again arrived in earnest in Minnesota and despite our near-total lack of rain in May, plants are busting out all over. Along with their beauty, hope itself has blossomed once again in my heart. I have been eagerly gathering pictures to share with you all. I’m not going to wait for August this time. I will post them with some frequency, but probably not everyday so as to avoid beauty-overload.

And thanks, really, for being patient with me. I do so appreciate it.