Cuddling with Carma

Carma is a very snuggly baby (aren't all newborns?). Over the last few weeks, it's been so special to see the joy and comfort that she provides as she's passed around, and I've tried to record those moments. 

Here's a rundown of some of her visitors since we've been home and friends that we've encountered out and about:

Kara and Abram. Kara's go-to exclamation about Carma is 'she kills me!' (which I'm assured is a good thing) and Abram is soooo sweet and gentle with her. If only that would rub off on Jack a bit...

Karlina and Maren came over for such a lovely visit and baby-holding time. And as usual, Maren and I talked in great, scary detail about all sorts of baby/pregnancy/childbirth stuff but Karlina remained as unruffled as always :).

One of our favorite families stopped in for a visit; Clark was pretty intrigued by the wee baby. Carma will have quite the group of cute, slightly older boys to bat her eyelashes at in a few years...

I have so many sweet friends that have been so supportive during this pregnancy and their excitement about me having a girl has helped me be more excited about having a girl. Here are a few of them with Carma: Emily, Nicole, Kautri, and Paulina.

Okay, this made me laugh. Carma and I went in for my 3 week check-up and the amazing receptionist/office gal Jaiden (possibly not how her name is spelled...) promptly relieved me of Carma and had to be pressed to share her with the likewise amazing nurses, Bethany and Maria. Between the three of them, they kept her happy and loved and held all during my visit (minus a quick feeding) and Carma avoided being relegated to the car seat, lucky girl!

Carma has jumped right into the church routine and found plenty of friends both at Sunday meetings and out at the orchard a couple different nights when we went out to thin peaches (I sat comfortably in a chair and supervised... which is not that much different from what I do usually out there...). Left row, top to bottom: Dee and her sweet daughters Stormi and Kiki, middle row is Bishop with a photobomb by Dakota (Dee's son!) and the right hand row is DeArley and Heather.

Ohhh, these pictures make me happy. My wonderful Holly is in town and actually met Carma a week and a half ago, but I managed not to get a picture that day so I made up for it today when she came over! They snuggled and snuggled and Holly and I talked and talked and all was right in the world.

And now we get to the pictures that bring tears to my eyes - but simultaneously peace to my heart. I've talked about my friend Lara before; if you scroll down to the end of this post there's a recap of how our friendship started and if you scroll down a bit in this post you'll find the fun we had at Relay for Life last summer. Lara was diagnosed with colon cancer two years ago and embarked upon an incredible fight. She was brave and positive and used her diagnosis to educate others (here's a link to the news story she participated in - the story that precipitated my first late night visit to her house!) and spent her time with her beautiful family and not only did she 'get busy living' (the motto of a fantastic organization, stupidcancer.org), she was busy living meaningfully.

Lara is another one of those friends who has been so excited for this addition to our family - I still remember her smile when I told her I was pregnant last fall. In the midst of her bouts of chemo, she was always quick to ask how I was feeling. Shortly after Carma was born, Lara's liver began failing. Carma and Lara only overlapped on this earth for three weeks, but I will be eternally grateful that the Ames family shared some of that precious time with us:

Carma meeting Lara, Abby, Aiden, and Austin when she was 10 days old.

This next picture was the following week:

There's a line from a children's hymn that says "Some say that heaven is far away, but I feel it close around me as I pray." I felt heaven very near by as I watched Lara, with help from her incredibly devoted husband Austin, cradle Carma that morning. I consider it a privilege and a tender mercy to have witnessed the sweet interaction of these two beloved daughters of God, one who had just departed His presence and one who was being called home to it. 

[Here's a link to read more about Lara's life: Lara Marie Cawley Ames]

Babies are such an incredible gift - so sweet and cuddly and each brings such a special spirit. Carma's existence in our family and in our lives has already provided us with joy and peace and happiness and light, and I hope that ability to uplift those around her is something that continues throughout her life. I believe it will be.