21 Comments
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Brenda Laing's avatar

This piece requires wide publication

It is beautiful and honest

You have a gift

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Belle Plaine's avatar

Thanks, Marmar! Hope you and Bumpa are keeping well. ♥️ Lotsa love from the whole family.

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Brenda Laing's avatar

All good here

You are raising an amazing human

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Fog Chaser's avatar

The way you blend these sober reflections on life and motherhood with your sharp humor is really incredible. I love it. This is such a great piece — very moving, and very funny.

"No. Everything was weird before too. This is actually better. Hands off the baby. Hugs by discretion." Spot on, and hilarious.

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Belle Plaine's avatar

Aw, thanks friend. I spent the better part of the evening just staring at the screen until I took some recent advice from writing group and didn't try to be "good", but reached for what was obvious. So it goes sometimes, hey?

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Fog Chaser's avatar

Well, it definitely worked!

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Denise Sweet's avatar

Beautifully written! This moment in time passes all to quickly.

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Belle Plaine's avatar

I am already nostalgic for newborns.

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Janice Haas's avatar

Awwe...I love this story and your wise and humorous perspectives. Loved our chance meeting the other day ( know there was a warm heartfelt hug wanting to get out but yes, times have changed ) Wished that sweet soul you have written so eloquently about would NOT have been sleeping ... but another time, perhaps. Motherhood makes you wiser and this story makes me envision a future book, perhaps titled,

" Notes from a Mother ". Haha!

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Belle Plaine's avatar

Ha! I love a concept. And you definitely check all the right boxes in the hug evaluation criteria.

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Mitchell Stirling's avatar

Our youngest is two now, and we still feel that first line on the nightly. We wondered when she was a few months old if she knew there were more people than the other three in the house. Everyone in the places around us two years ago were so near, yet so far.

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Belle Plaine's avatar

Are the “more people” ones she can sense but not you? I’m not ready to entertain that yet!

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Mitchell Stirling's avatar

She's a lot more social now, at childcare and interacting with others - there were just those few months that it was just the four of us!

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GRB's avatar

Such a well written Weather Report. You captured the emotional rollercoaster ride of being the parent of an infant perfectly. It's amazing how a smile, giggle or just sleeping peacefully can erase just how tired you are. My son & daughter-in-law also had a baby mid pandemic and are also facing the challenge of introducing their son to maskless faces and groups of people outside his family circle.

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Belle Plaine's avatar

Thanks, friend. It's quite incredible what his smiling little face can do for a tired mom and dad.

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Alyssa Johnson's avatar

So beautiful. Brings me right back into the nursery chair in the middle of the night. Sending love.

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Belle Plaine's avatar

♥️♥️♥️ snuggle those growing babes.

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Donna's avatar

Great piece! Love to you all❤️

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Belle Plaine's avatar

thank you! ♥️

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Carmen Vilness's avatar

Thank you again for this feeling I’m having.

On another note, coming from a family of awkward huggers it is nice to have an excuse. 😆

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Belle Plaine's avatar

Ha! Yes. If it eases the awkwardness I say embrace the excuse!

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