Heart-a-Tug, Kiss-Kiss-Hug...

With each grunt and squirm and kick

Baby grows up far too quick

With each kiss-nap-smile and tear

Baby’s closer to a year

With each bubble-bath and song

Baby’s growing big and strong

With each cuddle, hush-a-bye

Baby’s learning how to fly

Feed-burp-change and tweak of chin

With each dimpled cherub-grin

Pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo

Nighty-night and I love you

…with each slow-sweet snuggle-hug

Reach-crawl-bump, we feel the tug

With each skip-a-heartbeat, oh

Mother’s learning to let go

© Janet Martin

Photo Credits for the blackboard shots; Emily Curry

Photo credit for this last pic: Brittany Ruppert

Outfit credit for last photo: "Mimi'  Curry

Baby Grows...

 

A year ago my niece took Brantley's newborn baby pics...

Last week she took his first birthday photos!

Our baby is quickly becoming Little Boy

While mouths drip with lithe laughter and with riotous lament

While hearts grip love so tender, siring joy and discontent

While we prep then clean up; we fall apart and then regroup

While we devour hours like hearty potato soup

Baby grows

While we hope, hold and worry, wish and want, heart over-run

So happy-sad with what we have then had when it is gone

While we weather the weather whatever its will may be

And gape at moments untethered and shaping history

Baby grows

While we sometimes forget to treasure the measure of Now

While we work, play, hurt, pray, push-pull an intangible plow

While we are startled by the way a heart can break and climb

While we choose pinks and blues, pay dues to faithful Father Time

Baby grows

While we hug, cuddle, kiss, snuggle and weep with utter joy

That we should be so blessed by Darling Little Girl or Boy

While we think we have miles to go before they fly away

And Mr. Should convinces us Time grants many a day

Baby…

Baby?

Baby is grown

© Janet Martin

Someday when Brantley wants seconds and thirds of cake we'll remind him of this...

Brantley was afraid of his birthday cake!

A week or so before his birthday he attended a friend's birthday party and wanted no part of  blue and green icing! But we didn't realize how much he hated it until he saw his cake...

We sang Happy Birthday...while he began looking a little concerned...

then we served him a piece and dabbed  frosting on his mouth...
he pulled away as if we had placed a monster in front of him
and burst into tears!

'maybe he can't taste it' we say,  so we try a little more icing...

He gags;-)) SO funny.

Of course we didn't insist he eats cake:)

One more Brantley's First Year post here

Below; my favorite song by The Oakridge Boys...
my favorite line in it is; 'the nearest thing to heaven is a child".

Heaven in our Hands...

Although there was a lot of this last week at the cottage,

 ...leaving golf-courses lake-strewn

there was always this to keep spirits from getting very low;-)

Ah baby-child, pure innocence

Stranger as yet to sin’s commands

Kissable chubby, cherub-ness

A glimpse of heaven in our hands

And we oft, softly wonder-struck

By teeny toes and rose-bud lips

Know that we need far more than luck

On life's vast sea of sinking ships

'Where influence soon touches you'

Ah, pray God then to touch us first

So we know what is good and true

In a world, careless and sin-cursed

And pray God; guide our hearts-hands-feet

Lest we would lead a child astray

Where innocence so pure and sweet

Cannot and will not stay this way

© Janet Martin

Whether soldier, worker, athlete, etc.; to learn something or excel at it requires training...

A powerful word when applied to the raising of our children!

 Train up a child in the way he should go:

 and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Prov.22:6

What Happiness a Baby Brings...

…and so they grow

Grandson Brantley will be 4 mos. in a few days.

He loves to come and hang out at grandma's house with mommy, 

as they did today to while smile away a rain-dreary afternoon.

(but NO smiles for the camera:)

 (Brantley greeting daddy just home from work)

Praying God’s guidance and blessing

to young parents everywhere

in their new greatest mission;

parenthood!

What happiness a baby brings

The crown-jewel of common kings

Where lilied light of laughter rings

The song-bells of the heart

With love of loves and joy of joys

As weeny girls and teeny boys

Heaven’s magnum opus deploys

To earth, its purest art

God smiles into our hungry arms,

A miracle of dearest charms

Wonder, both young and old disarms

With mutual delight

Then all we want to do is kiss

And cuddle newborn baby-ness

Because nothing compares to this;

…a baby to hold tight

What sacred task a baby brings

God entrusts us with angel-wings

That soon entangle in heart-strings

As they learn how to fly

While we learn how to hold-let-go

And teach the love of ‘yes’ and ‘no’

And my, how fast sweet baby grows

Hush-hush and rock-a-bye

© Janet Martin