Looking at her face fills me up with this rush of love. I want to hold her and squeeze her and kiss her cheeks and protect her from anything bad that might ever happen.
She's so impossibly perfect.
I knew that her arrival would not fill up the broken places in my heart, but I didn't fully understand what it would feel like when my heart expanded to love this baby, too.
I look at her face and I see her sister. But mostly I see just her--Caroline Audrey--the best baby I could imagine. Every day she amazes me and makes me laugh.
On the list of all the best things in the world, at the top of mine is the feeling of a fussy baby relaxing in my arms.
Sometimes a baby just needs her mama.
David said to me last night, "You're her comfort."
But the truth is that she is mine.
And it only gets better. There's nothing quite so wonderful as a big (9.035kg as of this morning's dr. appt.!) armful of little girl to squeeze and hug and snuggle and nom at the fold in the neck. One thing I hadn't been prepared for is how much my enjoyment of holding Gwen has grown with time. I'll be really sad when she starts spurning cuddles (hopefully not for a long time yet!)
ReplyDeletePerfect. Bliss. Beautiful family.
ReplyDeleteSo much love in your words. Beautiful family.
ReplyDelete"You're her comfort. The truth is, she is mine."
ReplyDeleteOh love! Love! Love! That is it right there. That is being a Mama. So happy for you Brooke.
What a wonderful post. I am due with my rainbow at the beginning of September and I just LOVE the way you have described your heart expanding to love her...it's perfect
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures - so much love and happiness just makes me smile <3
ReplyDeleteoh Brooke, I cried.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful post. I know I dont have a living baby yet, but I totally get what you're saying.
"I knew that her arrival would not fill up the broken places in my heart, but I didn't fully understand what it would feel like when my heart expanded to love this baby, too."
When I finally gave birth to Alexander, and came home, and his death really hit me... I felt how much my heart was bursting with love. It ached not being able to have him here to receive it. I had it all, but no one to give it to. When I think about the next baby... that's hopefully near in my future ... I can feel all of the love in my heart, and I just cant wait to have my child here to give it to. I can imagine it's a type of healing like no other.
So happy for you
You all look so wonderfully happy, and at home in your faces and hearts.
Sending love <3
That is a smushy, gushy, happy post. I love it! Beautiful pictures too.
ReplyDeleteYouve caught me on a really emotional day (damn pms -.-) so this made me tear up. Im so happy for you! (and you look great!!)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad for your happiness with your amazing girl! :) Oh, how I am so excited to feel my heart swell with love for another baby in my arms!
ReplyDeleteShe is so so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOh I love all of these pictures so much! Are these the ones Amanda did or did someone else do them? Love love love!
ReplyDeleteI agree, it only keeps getting better!
what is it about black and white pictures that just make them that much more powerful!? Those were incredible.
ReplyDeleteMore please.
I am so happy you have her.
This makes me extraordinarily happy.
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteI so love it when you said she is your comfort. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSo happy for you.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful. I LOVE when they relax in your arms and feel all heavy and warm. It's the best!
ReplyDeleteThis makes my heart burst with love for your girls. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos. You are a beautiful threesome!
ReplyDeleteAdd to the mush of all the above folks... wonderful.
ReplyDeleteShe's beautiful. You're beautiful. Life has lots of beauty in it. Your family is certainly beautiful.
Sooooooooo happy for you Brooke!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, she is precious:)
ReplyDeleteThis just fills my heart with love. I am so incredibly glad you finally get to feel the love of parenting a living child. It is absolutely magical and healing. When I say healing, I don't mean forgetting or sealing up the hole of Eliza's absence but the healing that love and joy bring to our worlds as a whole. The love of a mother and baby is so absolute and beyond words. Your pictures are beautiful. You and David's smiles are radiant.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful and so true! When Maxwell falls asleep in my arms the comfort and peace wraps around us both.
ReplyDeleteMiss Caroline just gets more adorable with every photo you share! Absolutely precious!!!
LOVE!!!
ReplyDeletethat last line...perfect.
ReplyDeleteit makes my eyes well up with tears when i think about how much i need and love my little girl. so i understand this post completely. your little lady is perfection.
Am so very happy for you & David. Glad that the love that you have been "holding on" to shower on your baby, has finally found an outlet. I can understand how different it is to love a baby you never got to know and, to love a living baby and be reciprocated by his/her cries/smiles/noises. I just get so excited when my puppy chases me to sleep in my lap. Can't imagine how it will be when we have our own living baby..
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics! Hopefully will have something similar to experience down the lane.
She is precious Brooke!!!
ReplyDeleteLove this post. And I mean LOVE!
ReplyDelete"I knew that her arrival would not fill up the broken places in my heart, but I didn't fully understand what it would feel like when my heart expanded to love this baby, too."
I just don't think you can know this until you finally land yourself on this side of the fence, the side of the fence where babies live and come home from hospital. I know this hit me like a tonne of bricks when Angus came home with us.
So glad you made it to this wonderful place, Brooke.
Your second baby girl is simply divine.
xo