Dear Baby #2

Dear Baby,

Grandma loves to run outside. This week is the first week that I can do that. I haven't been outside since November and this sure feels good. It's still pretty dark in the morning because of daylight savings time, but it doesn't matter, the moon and stars light my path. The fishermen are on the lakefront, making my run feel familiar. By the end of last years' running season they had familiar faces and we always said good morning to each other.

My run starts at work and I head through downtown to the lakefront. As soon as I take the turn along the lake everything seems to change. The city disappears and all I can see is nature and the heavens. And that's when I think of you. I imagine that you are in heaven watching me trot by. I talk to you like you're in the stars. I have always felt closer to God on my morning runs. And now I feel like I can be closer to you as well. I play music on my iPod while I run but for some reason, when I think of you I can't hear the music anymore, I can only hear you. There have been times when running is hard, like I can't wait to get through it but on the lakefront when I am thinking of you, it goes by so fast that I wish the run wouldn't end. It's a nice feeling to think of you.

I had planned a future running with you. At first with a stroller, then when you were old enough, you could run with me, side-by-side. I had visions of you winning medals as the youngest person to finish a 5K. We would spend Saturdays doing these races in the morning, stopping for breakfast where ever you wanted to go, then, swimming with grandpa in the back yard.

I had your little Nikes all picked out for you. I just realized that no matter what, you will always be runnng with me, forever and ever.

Dear Baby #1

Dear Baby,

Today grandpa hung new birdfeeders. One is for the finches and the other is a platform designed for the cardinals. There are 6 total feeders to fill now. Grandpa gets so much joy watching the birds in the backyard. He hoped for you to tag along when he fills the finch feeders with niger, the cardinals get safflower seeds, and the juncos get mixed bird seed. There is also special seed for the woodpeckers and whole corn for the ducks. I just feed peanuts to the squirrels. That way they just might leave the birds alone. It was our hope that you would someday appreciate all that nature give us, the beauty and grace of watching the birds is better than anything on television. It is important that you understand the delicate balance of nature and help do your part to preserve the wildlife. We want to teach you how important it is to do no harm, to cohabitate with the creatures living around us and make them a part of your life. Today it snowed all day so the birds really relied on the seed in the feeders. Grandpa was thrilled when 3 male and 2 female cardinals were in the new platform feeder.