Gioia

Sofia

I hope you look back at this photo and remember today. Many things will change over the coming years but you are our greatest joy.

Never Say Never

Sofia

Watching you grow, develop, learn, change and challenge fascinates me more than I could have imagined.

 

Motherhood - one of the best, late, forget-that-I-used-to-say-never, decisions I ever made.

 

August 2013 photo.

Fiori

Sofia

It's one thing for a girl of three to pick wild flowers from the fields as we walked around Aunt Marina's home, a red poppy, something yellow, another white and a smattering of something blue.

It's another thing for a little girl to present her Aunt, her grey hair still growing back after the chemotherapy, with those flowers exclaiming 'Marina, these flowers are for you!'

Sometimes I think you are a gift brought to heal some of the illness and pain within our family. It's not just your lovely face that melts hearts but more your innocence, generosity, childish charm and kindness.

I will work hard to ensure that you retain these qualities. For now, you should know that your Aunt has pressed those same wild flowers between the pages of her favourite book.

Your Nana's Love

Sofia

 

We had a surprise visit from Nana, Grandad and Margaret and Derek this morning. As the adults drank coffee and chatted you ran up and down the hall, full of energy, occassionally dropping into someone's open arms for a cuddle and a snuggle.

After they left you busied yourself in your room. You now have a lot more free space to play in your bedroom after we reconfigured the furniture yesterday. We sold your baby change table yesterday so the last of the baby furniture is gone.

I found you enjoying the new space, with Nana's hand made ABC cot quilt spread out on the floor. You were using another of Nana's quilts as a sheet, throwing it up to billow it out like mummy does when we make the bed together. Mummy's old Jemima doll was propped up in the breastfeeding pillow. Nana made both of these as well. The Jemima doll was lovingly made in the mid 1970's her orange woollen hair pulled back in a plait, her face created with Hobbytex fabric paint. Nana made the breastfeeding pillow in 2010 following your arrival. It was much used, and always appreciated.  Under your head was a little pillow that Nana gave you one year for Christmas. It was made using two washers crocheted together.

 

After you had everything positioned just right you picked up a Christmas story and started reading to Jemima. After I took this photo I realised that you had surrounded yourself with a collection of objects hand made by your Nana. Your grandmother has always sewed, knitted and crochetted. She is always busy with a number of different projects. More often than not these days one of those projects is focused on making something for you or one of your cousins.

 

While I don't have the skills that your Nana does after a life time of practice I hope to one day have the time, patience and creativity to be making beautiful, loving things for my extended family.

 

 

Lip Action

Sofia

Kissing is a big deal: affection, love, connection. We have always shared kisses on the lips with you, even with daddy's scratchy beard. I guess you've never known any different.

 

As a preteen I remember deciding that I no longer wanted to kiss relatives on the lips, instead turning my head to receive pecks on the cheek. I wonder if you'll do the same.

 

For now you seem confused whenever someone tries to kiss you on the cheek, always offering up your little puckered lips, carefully placing them delicately for that moment of shared affection.

 

We are greedy for your kisses. You give them willingly.