Poetry & Words

Hello, New Readers!

Hello, new readers! If you’re stopping by via Artsy Ants, welcome! I’m happy to have you here and hope you stick around. (Thank you so much, Sylvia and Simona, for the mention and the blog award.)

This morning, I’m extra tired. Baby Aveline fell back asleep this morning, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t. And so here I am awake, rubbing my eyes and downing decaf.

The sun is pouring in through the windows, which are closed tightly to keep out the heat. At 9:30 am, it’s already 80Β° F (27Β° C). The forecasted high is 95Β° F (35Β° C), with a UV index of 10+. And that’s on a scale of 1 to 10! Looks like the little miss and I will be staying indoors today.

gluten-free waffles on white ceramic plate, coffee in white and black mug, on wooden table
turquoise, white and navy floral fabric belt over chair back
gluten-free waffle macro/close-up image on white ceramic plate

P.S. Want the waffle recipe? They’re gluten-free!

Life in Photos

open windows

the windows are open this morning, and the a/c is switched off. Β there’s hardly ever a cool-down at night here, so the fact thatΒ it’s just after 10 am and still nice enough to enjoy open windows is really something. the hardest part of florida weather for me to get used to, besides the humidity, is the lack of a cooling overnight delta breeze! (you sacramento valley dwellers know what i’m talking about.)

bare baby feet - coral / salmon colored baby girl dress

aveline is freshly bathed, laying happily on her stomach playing with toys. and i..well, i just realized that i left my coffee in the french press.

off to rescue my coffee and thus the morning,
gina

Life in Photos

LIFE IN PHOTOS :: a beautiful sunny saturday afternoon

it’s just beautiful in central florida right now. as much as i miss norcal, i’m actually really glad i’m missing the pollen-infested allergy season. see this pretty flower? it wasn’t at all sneeze-inducing. at this time last year in california, both josiah and i sneezed non-stop for two months. here? nary a sneeze.

beautiful pink blossom in central Florida

we’re taking advantage of this beautiful weather as much as we can. this afternoon, we went out for a walk in the sunshine.

oaxacaborn and 26pm - crossing the street - skirt and sandals, flip flops with blue jeans

out little neighborhood is simply lovely. we’re so blessed to live in a place like this. i just love all the palm trees! and i love that handsome man with all of my heart.Β (aveline’s eyelet floppy hatΒ is from the children’s place; her dress is the sweet pinny from the pumpkin patch. it’sΒ no longer available but you can view it here.)

26pm holding daughter baby aveline near palm trees - daddy's shirt from o'neill, baby's clothes from the childrens place

and what’s a little walk without a detour for coffee? decaf, of course. aveline is enough caffeine for me. when it comes to keeping me up at night, she gives late-night shots of espresso a definite run for their money.

starbucks iced americano with baby in background

holding aveline near florida palm trees (baby's sundress and sunhat both from the children's place; mama's tank from target)

oh, i live such a blessed, beautiful life.

Poetry & Words

this wild life

black and white photo of iced coffee in mason jar with straw

i’ve taken to drinking an iced coffee every afternoon. i’m relying on the placebo effect, since it’s all decaf these days. but caffeine or not, there is just something so satisfying about coffee.

last week was a bit on the rough side. the wee one suddenly decided she preferred the newborn schedule of waking up every three hours at night. she also decided there was no need to nap during the day. by the time the weekend rolled around, i was ready to flop myself down on the floor and sleep for days. and glory be, on sunday afternoon i actually fell asleep on the sunlit bed, with josiah next to me surfing the interwebs, and aveline snoozing peacefully in her crib.Β  when i woke up two hours later, i was utterly confused at the foreign feeling of restfulness, but deliriously happy.

it’s amazing what a little sleep can do.

and now, it’s tuesday afternoon and she’s napping. napping, people!! (in this new world of parenthood, a baby napping is an epic joy — something to be celebrated. i’ve celebrated by showering and eating a proper lunch.)

and you know? this new life is beautiful. even the chaos is beautiful, because it’s not a chaos of strife or contention. no, it’s a beautiful chaos. like the lapping waves of the ocean, it’s constant motion; changing always yet the sound is a steady rhythm. the scattered blankets and washcloths and teething toys on the floor of the living room are like the stones and shells scattered across a sandy beach. there is no precision, but it’s all beauty. there is high tide and there is low tide, there is the scorching high noon sun and there is the charcoal darkness of the new moon. but it’s life, it’s all life, pulsating with love and punctuated laughter.

and we are sitting here, joy-filled, holding our precious baby and reveling in the spray of the ocean air. our hair is wild with the wind and the salt, our eyes looking onward, looking forward, our hearts firmly planted in joy and hope and peace.