Wednesday, September 30, 2015

We Are All Enchanted In A Most Normal Way


Let's just face it- there are going to be some baby pictures around here for awhile.
Okay, as long as babies keep coming.
I took that one when I went over to Jessie and Vergil's house today. Mr. Moon had brought over salads and gyros for everyone's lunch and when I got there, he was holding August. The joy hasn't worn off, has it?
August is being such a good little guy. I got to hold him too. He's very calm today, looking around and being sleepy and then waking up and wanting to nurse. He's very, very good at nursing.
Hey- not all babies are.
And Jessie and I talked about this and how the things they do at the hospital really do not encourage a good nursing relationship. No one really stresses to the ladies there that the first few days are the days when it is most important to nurse as much as the baby wants and perhaps even more, if it's a sleepy baby who needs to be woken up and reminded that it's time to eat. Not only is the colostrum, which is the first food in the breast, important to help clear out the meconium (which is the substance that lines the baby's intestinal track), it helps to bring in the milk. Simply, the more the baby nurses, the faster and easier the milk comes in. Also- all of the interruptions. And to be frank, the beds that they put mothers in are not conducive to comfortable nursing and of course the partners can't get in those beds with the mothers and babies so that everyone is happy and content which is what is needed more than anything.
While we were sitting at the table, I quizzed Vergil as I so often do. I don't know why I do this but I think maybe his engineer/scientist mind inspires me to it and he always answers me so seriously and thoughtfully that I love hearing his answers. So today I asked him, "What is your favorite thing so far about being a father?"
And what he said, after a little consideration, was that his favorite thing was watching Jessie fulfill the potential he had always seen in her as a mother and knowing that she was now experiencing what she has always wanted. He said that he felt like she was amazing during the birth, as he knew she would be, and that overall, for him, it had been a most wonderful experience, but sort of an every-day experience, not especially spiritual.
I told him that I thought that the every-day experiences ARE the spiritual ones. The holy ones. And Jessie agreed with that. I am not sure if he does or not, but I think he is right. There is absolutely nothing less unusual or unexplained or out of the ordinary than birth. It happens all the time. And yet...a miracle every damn time. Especially if people are paying attention.
When we finished talking about it all, I told him that in the book I'd been listening to in the car on the way over, a man had told his son-in-law this: "The day you fell in love with my daughter was a very good day."
And that I thought that was a most appropriate way to express how I feel about him.


A picture I got from Jessie's Facebook page. I think it says more than what I ever could.

I just hung out for a little while and then I went to the store to get my ingredients. I came home, put everything away, started laundry, cleaned up my own kitchen, talked to Lis on the phone. Cried.
I've been crying a lot in the last few days.
Birth does that to me. It opens and fills my heart to the overflow mark.
It is wonder-full.

Here's one more picture.


August has found his finger.
Is he not brilliant?
Well, look at who his parents are.

Tomorrow he goes to the pediatrician. I feel certain that his chart shall have this printed on the front of it in big red capital letters.

BRILLIANT CHILD!

And if that doesn't happen, I would suggest they find a more intelligent care-provider.

Thank all of you so much for your love and your comments and your loving comments in the last few days. I can't tell you how much it means to me to read them. To feel you all here, sharing in this joy. It means a lot to Jessie as well.

One more thing: The pope can kiss my ass. The very small modicum of respect I was developing for him has been completely erased.

Love...Ms. Moon

27 comments:

  1. A father with his alert little son. New worlds.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, the pope can kiss my ass, too! You just keep lovin' on little August! What a gorgeous head of hair, and that pic on his daddy's chest? Well, it made me plumb weepy! My kids are done having babies (and yes, for that I'm grateful), but I sure miss a few things about babies....the smell of their breath, that little dimply thing right above their lips, their eyelashes, their tiny fingers....oh, lord! Here I go again!
    Anyway, welcome to the world, Prince August of Florida!

    ReplyDelete
  3. My heart sings with you Mary. The joy and love e is palpable. Jessie and Vergil are beautiful and August is perfection.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ohhh that yummy baby! Can NEVER get enough! He clearly is advanced! Head of the class! And yes, Frank lost his cred there with the bible banger from hell...shame really, I was enjoying Frank leveling everyone down to zero...damn

    ReplyDelete
  5. He is so wonderfully perfect!! What joy!

    Oh, I just assumed the Pope met with her to tell her that she's wrong. I never imagined anything but that.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That picture of Vergil with August is just the best. The little one is incredibly alert and wise already.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I can't get enough of looking at little August's face. His hair, his fingers. He is so alert on his Daddy's chest. So very cute.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mary, here is another article that may shed some light - see the final six paragraphs for what I'm talking about:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/30/us/county-clerk-kim-davis-who-denied-gay-couples-visited-pope.html?_r=0

    I think this makes more sense than the HuffPost report, and it also correlates better with my own (and I think with your own) observations of the Pope so far.

    That baby looks so much older in just one day, doesn't he?!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Correction - the final SEVEN paragraphs, beginning "Some analysts argued that the meeting was less about same-sex marriage and more about Francis’ uncompromising support for conscientious objection ..." and continuing to the end of the article.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh yes...the fingers and so much more! Just so happy for you up here. XXX

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a wonderful past 24 hours. Something to always lovingly look back on.
    Carol

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yes, the Pope can just kiss my ass and BITE me.
    You, on the other hand, have such a beautiful grandchild. I'm in awe of how wonderful your family is.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dear Ms Moon, it has been such an honor and a pleasure to be able to share in your family's happiness! I have had teary smiles, happy reminisces and such sweet joy from this most ordinary and special miracle. So I thank you for your sharing and the way you make the sharing a story worth reading, even if it is 'just mundane living'. That daughter of yours done good. Hugs, Carroll,
    PS Autumn moved in up here as well, the leaves a changing and the weather too..!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Just had to come over here to see if your baby was born and he was!!!! You know how I feel about home birth.

    Blessings and love to all of the extended Moon family and for Boppy for crying. He is a dear man.

    Love and kisses,

    Beth

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have just spent a delightful, quiet time catching up on the last three posts and feel so privileged to have been able to share vicariously in these precious moments. My children were born by C-section, in a hospital of course, and my experience of their birth was nothing like Vergil, Jessie and August's. To be surrounded by so much love and for everything to be allowed to proceed so naturally...what an incredibly wonderful start in life...just perfect! Such beautiful pictures of you all, too. Congratulations and best wishes to the proud new parents and to their adorable baby son, may he live a long and happy life.

    ReplyDelete
  16. So gorgeous! I know I said it already, but congratulations to you all. What a delight to read it all. Couldn't get here sooner because my baby was sick etc. x

    ReplyDelete
  17. What wonderful men you have around you, from Mr Moon on down to little August. What wonderful women you are. Hug those babies for me. And keep the pictures coming! Love.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Congratulations to everyone...such a beautiful little guy...XO~

    ReplyDelete
  19. A- Yes. Absolutely!

    Catrina- Prince August of Florida! I love that! There is much to love about a baby, isn't there?

    Leisha- The love IS palpable. It is a beautiful thing to be around.

    Linda Sue- A Plus on August, right? And on his parents, too.
    Yeah- why did the Pope spend even one second with that woman? I really don't get it.

    NOLA- I don't care what he told her. For him to go stretch out her fifteen minutes of fame was ridiculous.

    Elizabeth- He's the bee's knees, isn't he?

    Joanne- Every minute I'm not with that little babe, I feel like I'm missing something!

    jenny_o- I am going to respectfully disagree with you. I can't believe he took the time to go and see her, period. I think he got some really bad advice on this one. I believe in conscientious objection but there are so many other examples of that which are far less hurtful to people. I can't figure out why he did that.

    Camille- His fingers and toes are just the best. I swear. I want to eat them.

    Carol- Perfectly, truly true!

    Allison- We are incredibly lucky in love.

    Big Mamabird- I'm so glad you are here and sending us your love. I just feel so much love and it means so very much. The small and amazing miracles!

    Beth Coyote- I thought of you throughout the entire birth. I feel as if all the midwife goddesses are connected. The spirit of midwifery lives in all of you. It is strong and it is good. Thank you!
    Love you too!

    Desiree- We who were able to have our children in the natural way are the lucky ones. I know that. And we do understand the great blessing that it is. But in the end- the baby is the thing. As you know! All of our experiences are different, but how lucky we all are to receive this gift of a child.

    Mwa- NO! Is your baby okay? I hope all is well.

    Angella- Try and stop the pictures from coming! I love you!

    Young at Heart- Well I think so. Of course. Thank you.

    Sue Johnson- Thank you! So much.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I feel your joy all the way across the country.

    Yeah, I wanted the pope to be president. Now I'm voting for August.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Baby is fine. Just normal sick and in need of hugs and kisses. Nothing to worry about.

    ReplyDelete
  22. oh yeah, the miracle of life, of birth. seeing and smelling that brand new incarnation. I always like to look in their eyes, sort of a pathway to beyond the veil from which they have just emerged.

    and the Pope, well, he is a catholic pope after all. why did any of us think he wouldn't be?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Please post many, many more baby pictures! And ones of Owen and Gibson. I feel like I know these children and the pictures always make me smile.

    ReplyDelete
  24. August has the most intense little big dark eyes. This child will be a thinker, I think.

    Listen, people, you know that phrase, 'Is the Pope a Catholic?' Well, hey, he's a good pope - better than his predecessor, no question. But he's the Pope. He's not going to stop being Catholic just because he has some moderate views. Nor should we really expect him to. It would be miraculous if he came out in favour of gay marriage, but that's really not his job.

    ReplyDelete
  25. August is clearly brilliant - just like the rest of those grandbabies of yours. The finger-finding picture is perfect.

    And the pope - I am so sad.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I am liking the photos of little baby August. His name reminds me of William Faulkner's book Light in August--One of my favorites from him. I am happy that things are going well.

    My wife reminded me that the Pope is head of the Catholic church which needs more members. I just thought he was a good grandfatherly type. I still think he is good, but reality strikes and there you go--he is still the head of the church who believes in no birth control, minimizes women to a degree, and wants everyone to procreate and become catholics. What was I thinking? Oh well--Barack Obama remains the coolest person on Earth to me. Just sayin'.

    ReplyDelete

Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.