Tuesday, August 3, 2010

gifts.

Our son turns one this coming weekend. One trip around the sun. 365 days of simple gifts...
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...the gift of pure love and nourishment. August 1st-7th is World Breastfeeding Week!

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Just this past week, W has begun placing little tokens in my hand...small pebbles, pine cones, blades of grass, food....I react so happily and he claps his hands in delight. This picture was snapped as I received my very first gift from my son: 6 small stones. I placed them in a fancy crystal bowl I had received as a gift a few years back. Not ever knowing what to put in such a delicate piece of china, it has sat empty for some time. Until now.
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Learning to delight in giving to others....W and his beautiful girlfriend, L.

...talk of gifts is commonplace when a birthday is approaching...yet, our piles of clothing and household items to be donated remains a heaping mountain...
I recall a beautiful song we sang in high school choir ten years back...the lyrics have never left me...they have escaped my lips in song or prose on many occasions...they are written in pen on the left side of my tired and worn burgundy Chuck Taylor sneakers....
'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.
-Elder Joseph

23 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday to your little man. Beautiful pictures! Thanks for stopping by my blog. It's lovely to find such a supportive community in the blogosphere!

    Stephanie :)
    www.simplicitymom.blogspot.com

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  2. Such beautiful pictures mama! I love that you have found such precious gifts for the crystal bowl. Happy Birthday to your little guy! It sounds like you all will have a wonderful time on his special day :D

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  3. A big happy birthday to "W". What a happy, healthy, handsome boy you have.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog. I was reading a few posts back and saw the one where your Mom wasn't too happy with you. You handled that very well. When you mentioned your son's weight I went and dug out my son's(he is 22 years) baby book, and you know what? At birth he was 10lbs. 11oz(I lived on pineapple and cottage cheese, seriously) and at one year he was...........19 lbs!!!!!! He put on most of that weight in his first 6 months, and after that just kept growing upwards.

    From what I see your doing a wonderful job as a mom. Go with your gut instinct for your son.

    I was told to feed a 10 pounder 2-4 oz of formula(tried breastfeeding, but not enough for my son) who was inhaling a full bottle at 2 weeks. Got chewed out by his doctor. Long story short, once I decided to do what I thought was best, he set his own schedule which worked for me, and we were both happy. Today he is a happy, healthy and handsome 5' 11" and 130 lbs soaking wet, LOL

    Blessings,
    jilly

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  4. oh, what a beautiful breastfeeding photo! *happy sigh*

    And, Happy Birthday :-) ONE! An amazing year to celebrate!

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  5. Yay!! I've been singing that song to my little lady recently, too..... :)

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  6. Very sweet, beautiful gifts! Happiest birthday to you both!
    I love your passion for breastfeeding awareness :)

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  7. A happy birthday to your little W! Mine just turned 6 last week. Anyway, wanted to say thanks for visiting my veggie blog...i have a waldorf inspired one too. It's always nice to find moms who have so much in common! Cristina :)

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  8. Your pictures are lovely. I hope W has a wonderful birthday and a glorious second year. Thanks for visiting my blog -I love my new sewing machine!

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  9. Ah, the simple precious gifts that keep on giving...and growing :-) Happy birth*day to you both!

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  10. Happy Birthday Baby and Happy Birthday Mama! My twins are 3 1/2 and is still a little bit of momma-milk left for them. :)

    ~carrie

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  11. Happy Happy 1st to him!! My son weaned at 20ish months because my milk dried right up (I was pregnant). Enjoy every moment- they are so precious!! xo m.

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  12. Happy Birthday to you both! That first year sails past far too fast. ..
    Thanks for the comment on my blog~ what a beautiful blog you have! I'll definitely be coming back. :)
    I had burgundy chucks in high school too, and they were written all over. :)

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  13. i love this refrain! we were just listening to it in my daughter's room a little bit ago. ;) happy birth day momma and happy birthday to your little angel!

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  14. Happy Birthday to little W. One of my sons was born 8/8/80... soon approaching his 30th trip around the sun... and I am still in awe of all the changes a year can make in his life!

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  15. beautiful! i love that first intimate photo. isn't nursing the most bonding thing? happy to meet you too!

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  16. I love that you kept and put those stones from your son in a place of honor. The photos are all so beautiful.

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  17. thanks for writing in my blog....ur baby is adorable...really gud blog....full of love and warmth. lot of blessin for ur little one.

    himadri
    www.mumpaintslives.blogspot.com

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  18. Happy 1st Birthday! The years do fly by quickly. Your blog is lovely! I love the gifts your son gave you. He is precious. Thanks for stopping by mine and introducing yourself. We seem to have a lot in common. I love your breastfeeding picture. There was a kerfluffle on a beach in my state recently because a mom was breastfeeding her child. Our state even has a strong breastfeeding law too!

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  19. Oh that is such a precious picture of you and your tiny son! I have loved that special relationship with each of my children! Thanks for the reminder about breastfeeding week, I had forgotten.

    Glad to have found your blog too! I found you first from Frontier Dreams and then followed you over from Marie's softearth blog! I'll be back often, it looks like a lovely, peaceful blog to visit!
    Rachel

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  20. Happy Birthday!
    I will enjoy chatting back and forth!
    xo
    alison

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  21. Happy birthday! Wishing another trip around the sun filled with love and happiness!

    Namaste, Nicole

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  22. Thank you for your lovely post on my blog. I remember my first baby's first birthday nearly 12 years ago. There is something so so special about that first one!
    Enjoy it, and happy Breast Feeding week.

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  23. Your closing poem is a song I sang in choir many years ago. The beauty of the words brought tears to my eyes then and it's not surprising to me that they do so now, all these year later.

    Thank you for stopping by my blog and for taking the time to comment. I'm so glad you did because now I know about your blog and can enjoy your beautiful posts. You are doing some lovely things here - keep up the great work!

    Warmly,
    Mari-Ann
    Counting Coconuts

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