“It’s been crazy but also strangely wonderful to have the arrival of my daughter and the release of this book coincide. I’ve spent the last few months in this wintry baby cave—spending all hours of day and night with this tiny creature, learning the exquisite rhythms of her being, her milk breath and shuddering sighs […]

I’m getting a late start on this, but Malcom Guite’s moving poetry seems to me an excellent addition to Holy Week.  His words cut to the heart – take a look for yourself. Sonnet for Palm Sunday

I think it was the second time we visited Jacob after I was discharged from the hospital.  I was still hurting a lot, even with more pain medicine that I was really comfortable taking.  My moods were all over the place.  We came into the dark, noisy (so much beeping!) NICU, scrubbed in, and walked […]

Ah, the things we learn from the wee ones. For those of you who have ever nursed a newborn (sorry guys!), you know about those precious little hands.  The ones you want to kiss and spend hours admiring.  And swaddle within an inch of their life so they will stop getting between the baby’s mouth […]

  “The family is the hospital closest to us: when someone is sick, they are cared for there, where possible.  The family is the first school for children, it is the unwavering reference point for the young, it is the best home for the elderly.  It is the first school of mercy, because it is […]

Jacob has been home two and a half weeks now.  His due date is in about a week…still a little crazy to think about. No weight update, unfortunately.  But it looks like I should stop trying to force him into premie size clothes.  Newborn, here we come!   He’s actually acting very much like a […]

“And at the same time that I saw this bodily sight, our Lord showed me a spiritual vision of his familiar love.  I saw that for us he is everything that is good and comforting and helpful.  He is our clothing wrapping and enveloping us for love, embracing us and guiding us in all things, […]

After 58 days, Lucy, Samantha, Clare and Issac finally get to meet their baby brother. No more afternoons in the NICU (and dropping the kids off at friends’ houses.) Since he came home Saturday morning, many of our NICU nurse friends and our most fabulous lactation consultant, who really held our hands through this whole […]

Today would have been 36 weeks.  On Friday Jacob will be eight weeks old.     We had hoped Jacob might be coming home today, but he had another “brady” episode (where his heart slows down and he turns blue) so the earliest we can hope for now is Saturday.  He is eating like a […]

  We’re all tired.  It’s been a long six-and-a-half weeks.  Falling asleep in the chair is no surprise.  The real question is: why is he holding earmuffs?