January 4, 1997 Happy New Year!! I enjoy being with you SO much. I want to write everything down, but I also want to stay in the present moment and just BE with you. The weather has been nice enough for us to take walks and even eat outside.
My journal notes say that before sending your cousin Jessica a certain poster for your 14th Birthday, I wrote down these words:
The Future (author: unknown)
My journal notes say that before sending your cousin Jessica a certain poster for your 14th Birthday, I wrote down these words:
The Future (author: unknown)
"Who knows the joys that lie ahead?
The secret smiles I’ll find
The friends I’ll meet
The memories sweet
The cares I’ll leave behind
Who knows the beauty of the days
I’ve never seen before
My only wish for life is this
The courage to explore!
Apparently it was something I simply had to have for my office at A&T many years before, and then felt the need to share with Jess. I bought it while I was pregnant, or before, and put it up as a statement that I was moving on :) At the time, of course, I had no idea that we would be moving to North Carolina, meeting all new friends, becoming a full-time Mom, exploring our new hometown and enjoying it so much!!!
January 23, 1997 - Our first visit to Bond Park with June, Jeff & Josh, Monica and Theresa.
February 11, 1997 - PieWorks with Mandy & Jess, Theresa & Monica.
February 14, 1997 Happy Valentine's Day, my love! I love how you remind me every day how important it is to walk quietly in the woods instead of always having to be with friends at the playground at Bond Park. Sometimes we just need to be alone together.
February 17th - Off exploring in Durham on Ninth Street. Fun! Especially at the children's bookstore, and at Earth & Spirit. The lady at that store was so cool. An astrologer who asked your exact birth date and told me all kinds of neat things about you.
Visited out friends in Virginia Beach, but your favorite thing was our walk on the beach at Sandbridge.
March 7th We flew to Connecticut since your Dad had to travel for business. It was a nice short visit. You are so flexible and adaptable, but of course it helps when I pay attention to what we both need.
The secret smiles I’ll find
The friends I’ll meet
The memories sweet
The cares I’ll leave behind
Who knows the beauty of the days
I’ve never seen before
My only wish for life is this
The courage to explore!
Apparently it was something I simply had to have for my office at A&T many years before, and then felt the need to share with Jess. I bought it while I was pregnant, or before, and put it up as a statement that I was moving on :) At the time, of course, I had no idea that we would be moving to North Carolina, meeting all new friends, becoming a full-time Mom, exploring our new hometown and enjoying it so much!!!
January 23, 1997 - Our first visit to Bond Park with June, Jeff & Josh, Monica and Theresa.
February 11, 1997 - PieWorks with Mandy & Jess, Theresa & Monica.
February 14, 1997 Happy Valentine's Day, my love! I love how you remind me every day how important it is to walk quietly in the woods instead of always having to be with friends at the playground at Bond Park. Sometimes we just need to be alone together.
February 17th - Off exploring in Durham on Ninth Street. Fun! Especially at the children's bookstore, and at Earth & Spirit. The lady at that store was so cool. An astrologer who asked your exact birth date and told me all kinds of neat things about you.
Visited out friends in Virginia Beach, but your favorite thing was our walk on the beach at Sandbridge.
March 7th We flew to Connecticut since your Dad had to travel for business. It was a nice short visit. You are so flexible and adaptable, but of course it helps when I pay attention to what we both need.
Your 1st Birthday March 21, 1997
We celebrated with a little playgroup party the day before, just the 3 of us on the actual day, and by opening the many presents you received from family and friends throughout the week. And! we went to the North Carolina Zoo with Monica Vermillion's family to celebrate your 1st Birthday, which was the same day as your cousin Jonathan's 16th Birthday on March 24th.
Our kitchen table on Easter morning included egg candles with gooey yellow "yolks" and a purple candle with a scent as close to the lilac scent from my Mommy's yard as I could find.
Your first wheels :)
May 16, 1997 Lots of "B" words lately, they seem to be your favorites :) Body, ball, bird, bubbles, bottle, baby, bye-bye, Baa (as in sheep). It is incredible to me that you so obviously know the difference between each one. Every day I am amazed at how fast and wonderfully you are growing. It is quite powerful to watch you learn new things. You are most certainly connected to your intuitive divine power and wisdom.
June 19, 1997 - We got up early and went for a stroll in Stonington Borough with Grammy and actually ran into Telli, the person who crocheted your favorite blankie, and of course you had it with you. She took a picture of the three of us.
finally added 10/9/2021 :)
Our kitchen table on Easter morning included egg candles with gooey yellow "yolks" and a purple candle with a scent as close to the lilac scent from my Mommy's yard as I could find.
Eating rice cakes while grocery shopping with Mommy at Hannaford, Cary Parkway and High House Road, Cary NC, April 1997.
Your first wheels :)May 16, 1997 Lots of "B" words lately, they seem to be your favorites :) Body, ball, bird, bubbles, bottle, baby, bye-bye, Baa (as in sheep). It is incredible to me that you so obviously know the difference between each one. Every day I am amazed at how fast and wonderfully you are growing. It is quite powerful to watch you learn new things. You are most certainly connected to your intuitive divine power and wisdom.
June 9, 1997 with best friend, Jessica Head
June 19, 1997 - We got up early and went for a stroll in Stonington Borough with Grammy and actually ran into Telli, the person who crocheted your favorite blankie, and of course you had it with you. She took a picture of the three of us.
finally added 10/9/2021 :)Friday, June 20th was a full moon, and of course, another "Busy" day for us with a visit to Aunt Joan's errands with Gram, mostly for your celebration that is coming up on Sunday. We stopped for coffee at Green Marble in Westerly, dinner with Daddy and Grandpa at Dylan's where both your cousin Jonathan and your Aunt Karen were working. We ended the day with a ride to Watch Hill to see the carousel and have ice cream at St. Clair's Annex - a family tradition. Not too surprisingly after all of that, my journal entry reads: "You were pretty much zonked out after that and fell asleep in the car on the way back. We took off your little shorts and sandals and let you sleep. Goodnight. Amen. xo"
Wow - re-reading my journals 17 years later, I am not only amazed at what we packed into a this particular trip, but also the synchronicity I did not really notice at the time. Saturday, June 21st was not only the Full Moon, but also the Summer Solstice and we were able to be with our "big family" - as Michelle calls it, and go to the Summer Pops Concert in Wilcox Park with many of your cousins. We did not end up staying for the fireworks. By the time it got dark, it was also to loud and crowded for you, but at the time that this picture was take, you were having a wonderful time.
Christening Celebration in Grammy and Grandpa's back yard. June 22, 1997
We read prayers by Marianne Williamson and christened you with bubbles.
Uncle Bob and Aunt Kerry are your Godparents.
Aunt Karen
Aunt Christine
Aunt Christine
September 13, 1997
Sometimes when we go to Connecticut to see family, we go to the beach even for sunrise. A journal entry for one of the days of this particular trip reads: “Do you think you could ‘sleep in’ tomorrow sweetie? Maybe until 6:15 or 6:30? I would really appreciate it. Thanks, Love, Mommy". The next morning you went for my piggy toes. Most mornings you've been just crawling on top of my chest and belly for a full body snuggle. One morning, you touched my cheek the way you give Daddy lovin' and Grandpa and the night before last, Grandma got one of those special touches and we all feel your love so deeply and appreciate it very much!
And here is another everyone who made that beah visit - Tracy, Gram, Caroline holding you, Uncle Ken, Aunt Karen, and Joey. You don't often let other people snuggle you, but look how happy you are here with Caroline and Uncle Ken!!
Let's see... what else has been wonderful about this trip? New words: "Happy" "seagull" "Grandpa" "Grandma" and "bummer" - I wish I could remember the context of that one, but since it is now Dec 2014, I am at a loss, but so glad to be preserving what I do have and do remember.
Apple picking at Holmbergs. A Law family tradition
Journal entry, later that same day, from what I can tell. "Today’s topic is change. Plans change, people change – and don’t, moods change, seasons change: LIFE. This is life. When I talked to Daddy last night, I found out his trip to Germany is back on. It is a 2 week business trip and he was supposed to leave 4 days ago which was why we extended our stay here at Grams but it got postponed so I had been feeling kind of guilty lately because we are here and he is at home in Cary and I hate to be keeping you two apart. It’s just that I was trying to do what was best for all of us by staying here longer when I thought he would be away on yet another business trip. So now he’s scheduled to leave this Sunday for two weeks which would mean all of us being apart for more than 3 whole weeks. I feel so sad with either choice, but I changed our flights; we’ll be going home Saturday so that way can see Daddy for one day before he has to go away L I’m sorry honey. I wish things with Daddy’s job were more predictable so we could be together and you and I could go on our “explores” too. We’ll keep trying."
10/15/97 Things you've started saying : Red, orange, my clothes, Elmo, a shoe, green." Intrigued by the sewing machine I've had for many years, you look even more like the "old soul" that you are in this one.
I love this picture, and the fact that you ate raw carrots nearly the entire evening, right up until Jackie Kelley started mocking me and insisted on giving you candy. You loved being outside at night, with your friends, ringing people's doorbells just to say "hello"and sharing your JOY!
First real Halloween 
scrapbook page added 10/9/2021
November 13, 1997 The 13th of each month is special to me, and to my Mom, but November 13th, flying home to see her, what a perfect way to open the day!! I am so glad you enjoy flying. Our trees were just beginning to turn beautiful colors when we left, and the ones in New England are already bare, due to rain and wind of last weekend. Oh well, we aren't here to visit the trees anyway :) The entire "Law" Family gathered at 28 Lester Avenue, Aunt Joan's, for Gram's Birthday, but you, Shelia and Patrick had had enough of that many people and decided to play under the table instead.
11/14/97 We spent a quiet day at “home”until we went out to dinner, a Friday night “thing” for Grammy and Grandpa. We then went to Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Bill's to celebrate Wendy's 16th Birthday. We often did do way too much "visiting" while in Connecticut, and then struggled with nap times and everything that took us away from our usual routine. You enjoyed your time simply BEing at Grammy and Grandpa's, sharing "pop-a-corn" with Grandpa, and hanging out with Uncle Ken and his daughters, your cousin, Jess, Caroline, and Tracy.
11/17/97 We walked to Grammy TT's a nice long walk of a couple of miles :)
11/17/97 We walked to Grammy TT's a nice long walk of a couple of miles :)
November 21, 1997 Back in our own home after our trip "Biddy" was talking up a storm" "Biddy sewing". "Biddy pull blanket, I feed Mommy, The light turned on, Bless Biddy - after you sneezed :)
"Mommy move away" <- exerting some independence "Biddy home now" Biddy fly plane. Juice empty. Play park..."Good job Biddy "Falling leave" - Mommy even caught one :)
(looking at the ceiling fan) “turn ‘round round,” “I hear choo choo,” “a choo choo bye”
Dec 10, 1997 When you woke in the morning you said: “Mommy come in” and “Mommy rock now” – In the last week or so you seem to have replaced the word “please” with the word “now.” But when you said “Mommy hold ” it really doesn't matter. How can I possibly resist your sweet voice?
7 am Thursday, December 11, 1997 - Another milestone, nearly a week has gone by with no bottle. My baby is growing up. I feared our evening routine would change rapidly without the bottle ritual, but my fears, as they often are, were unfounded. We still did "rock and read," and per request, Runaway Bunny and Goodnight Moon. Then you reach for your blanky, pulls it around you to get that "special spot" right up to your nose and play with it between your thumb and finger and off you go...
My Mom told me that he could hear in my voice that the "trick" I'd discovered after some frustrating bedtime dramas was "that I had gotten settled myself first - found my center and relaxed." That is exactly how I felt and how I get through whatever struggles come up at bed time. I go within and find my center. I pray. I pray the Serenity Prayer, Hail Mary and The Lord's Prayer, because I know those by heart.
We had a wonderful week of Christmas fun!
1997 – Joy to the World! At Flower Cupboard in Downtown Cary, NC
Sunday, December 14, 1997 - Drove to Reaford, NC to see Bobbi, Bruce, Mikki and Amanda. Mikki and Bruce were both very quiet and I kept thinking about what we could give to them as gifts in the future. Dave and Bobbi did get a chance to talk some, which was good. We exchanged gifts and everyone seemed pleased with what they got, I guess. I wish we knew them better, but it's hard unless we spend more time together and since we don't have very much in common or share a history, we don't have much of a relationship. It's a particularly sad "catch 22" since we are all family. Dave being the common denominator and the least practiced in such things, "only as strong as our weakest link" comes to mind. He's never been one to keep in touch, even with his children, it seems his entire life he was pretty much taught and trained to be quite the opposite. We all keep trying and practicing...
The weeks before Christmas 1997 were truly a season of wonder for me, as I watched you glow right along with the Christmas tree lights and seemingly endless stream of packages and parties. Even our pasta was special this year - Christmas tree shaped! :)
Kevlyn came to baby sit so we could go to the Tangram Christmas party on the 19th, but you were very tired and didn't want Mommy to let go. Daddy suggested we sneak out while Kevlyn and you were playing and watching a video. Later, Kevlyn told me you were only up for about 20 more minutes before asking to go up stairs, read books and then bed, but I still didn't like the sneaking out part. The party only lasted about 2 hours so we agreed to do it again sometime soon...
Not exactly the big party family – you barely napped today, so we went to bed early. I talked with my Mommy for the last time in 1997, then got us some dessert, but watched TV separately since we wanted to watch completely different things. I fell asleep by 10 pm, knowing I'd be up early with my baby.
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