Sunday, June 14, 2009

baby, baby, sweet baby















Jennifer announced to us she was pregnant on the first night of our wine tasting trip last October. We were over the top excited for her and anxious, even then, to meet the teeny tiny somebody for whose sake she was guzzling sparkling juice instead of Merlot, Chablis and Cabernet like the rest of us. To say that for the following nine months Jen was a "trooper" would be an understatement. Since we'd seen her last, our dear Jennifer had endured months of bed rest, countless uncomfortable and intrusive exams and then finally an intense delivery, via c-section, weeks earlier than expected. Beth, Paige and I were desperate to help in any way we could. 


Two weekends ago, the three of, plus one Benjamin, packed up Beth's car and drove to Indianapolis. The Larsens (Jennifer, Nathan, their son, Owen, and now one Thatcher Finnegan "baby Finn") live in a way cool section of the city where neighbors take great pride in their historic bungalows and carefully manicured lawns. Jennifer's own charming house is drenched in warmth and character, in the same delightful, eclectic style she's brought to every dorm room and apartment she's ever inhabited. "Where are you going to put that big, red Lobster?" I asked her recently, when we were shopping for antiques and quirky, vintage home decor. "It will go great in Owen's room," she told me. And it does (see above). And I adore that she is completely unafraid to display what makes her happy, including the awesome crafty cut-outs she and Owen and our friend, Kara, made out of xerox copied photos of Owen's and Kara's (from a high school prom picture) heads attached to paper bodies. Aren't they precious?

Finn, well he's just the cutest little thing. After forcing Jennifer upstairs to rest and catch up on some sleep, Paige, Beth and I took turns rocking, changing, feeding and inhaling him - all seven some pounds worth of soft and dainty sweetness. It was wonderfully relaxing to be together like that, cleaning someone else's house, staying up late and talking. I hadn't realized how in need I was of a get away. I came home refreshed and determined to make some changes - changes I'll expand upon in my next post. We're growing always, all of us, always adjusting to new stages. There's always, every day, something significant to discover about yourself, your kids, friendship, love, and faith, of course faith - pulsating, woven tightly, in and throughout all of it. The older I get, the less I claim to be absolutely certain of.  Mystery, the Mystery, is bigger, broader, holier, more breath taking, more demanding, more incomprehensible and yet, at the same time, more accessible than I ever, in the past, ever, ever imagined possible. New life has a way of peeling back, just a bit, the cloudy veil of earthly now-ness revealing the brightness of what could be, what should be, what IS. 

3 comments:

Beth said...

When do we all get to go back without kids? Thanks for capturing our precious time together. Love you all.

jen said...

love your comments and observations on the larsen bungalow and bundle, molly...

Maridee said...

Oh, he is soooo sweet! Like there was ever any doubt in my mind that he would be, but still . . . to see the evidence in photos is just glorious! Congrats, Jenn, Nathan, and Owen! Thanks, Molly, for posting!