How is it....

that I was just in my mid-twenties giving birth, loving, nursing, and mothering my babies, and now just the next day, it is my girls doing the same thing. The time in between; the milestones of walking and talking, learning to read or ride a bike, graduating from high school and then college, engagements, and weddings; these all pale in comparison to seeing my daughters as mothers. They seem to know so much more than I did as a new parent....how did I possibly raise these two wonderful creatures when I knew so little? It seems they taught ME as we went along about what they needed and what was best for them. And now they are learning those same things from their daughters. Sarah has conveyed to Erin without words over the past eight months what she needs from her mommy; and little Charlotte, who is not yet a week old, is letting Meghan know what is necessary for her to thrive. Somehow the beings we bring into the world let us know first what their bodies need, and then, as we go along, what their spirits need from us until they can be out on their own. We learn with fits and starts how to meet those needs and hope that what we have done was the right thing.

As infants and children we easily let others know what we need but somewhere along the way we lose that ability. We are taught that it's not polite to ask for or demand what it is we need. We subjugate our own needs to the needs of others, and often have to relearn those skills. Finding out all over again that being assertive and asking for what we need is not impolite or selfish but is necessary for our souls to survive. We need only look at babies to know that. If they didn't ask for what they needed their survival might surely be in jeopardy. Anyway, before I get any more philosophical here are some pictures of my babies with their babies....


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She's Beautiful

Charlotte Ann Ryan has arrived and I have fallen in love! Meghan did a great job bringing her into the world at high noon on July 1st. Just as with Sarah eight months ago I was in the delivery room and watched her make her way into the world. This little family of Ryans was surrounded by family as Charlotte was born -- Aunt Deedee (Erin) was on the cell phone listening as she made her first sound, Great Aunts, Lori and Dana, were just outside the curtain waiting with cousin Sheri, and Grandad. Grandad had Grampa Tom and Grama Karen on the phone so they could listen for the first sounds of their first granddaughter. Charlotte's birth was definitely a family affair. And she is beautiful.... see for yourself!