I remember when I was introduced to the world at its most beautiful. I was 31, peering over a bassinet at a newly minted manifestation of my heart. Lucy – a guiding light – shining pure and bright on a snowy night in December.
A few things have changed since my last blog post 😊 My husband and I welcomed our first child – Lucy Sheila – after an eventful delivery in December. I thought about starting this post by recounting the moments leading up to Lucy’s arrival, but I can’t imagine too many of you want to hear the nitty gritty of an induced delivery turned emergency c-section. Let me simply summarize: though the multi-day delivery was tough, my life was never in danger nor was the decision to deliver by c-section made in a frenzied state (though it was necessary). My sweet Lucy was simply in an odd, hard-to-deliver position, so with Christmas music blasting in an operating room, our amazing daughter was born.
What a surreal moment it was to hold her pressed against my chest for the first time, her deep blue eyes locked, almost unblinking, with mine. One of the lovely nurses – Cait – remarked that Lucy was staring straight into my soul. I think if my husband and I ever forget that there are glimpses of heaven on earth through the people we hold closest, we merely have to go back to that moment. What a gift Lucy is!
Lucy is now seven months old (!!!) and hyper-engaged with the world. She smiles with her whole body, pure liquid joy sparkling in her eyes, wiggling in her arms and legs, manifesting in adorable, incoherent babbling. My angel is high on life and entranced with the world. And I’m entranced with her.
Seeing the world through new, innocent eyes is a powerful blessing, especially since I can’t remember the first time I encountered the world and its infinite components. I have always just been, no sense of when it started or when I met my family for the first time. When a story starts a few chapters in from the beginning, it’s easy to forget the incredible beauty of that beginning, or that our mere existence, our tiny interactions with the world, move mountains within the souls of others. That is the miracle of babies – they redirect our glance to a place beyond the smog where we can so clearly see the heavenly nature of life on earth.
Because of Lucy, I take notice of the small, variable threads that form our gray couch and floral pillows. The morning grind is interrupted by the enthusiastic clatter of the windchime Lucy always grabs when I drop her off at daycare each morning. I catch myself listening to nursery rhymes even when she’s fast asleep, grounded by the classic bangers of “Frere Jacques” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider”. I am a new kid once again in this global school, everything so new and unexplored.
I often tell people that the time from bringing Lucy home from the hospital to now has felt like one continuous day, starting in the whispers of winter with a burst of light that will guide me through this world that I have noticed for the first time.
With love,
Anna
Gobsmacked 
Ahhhh how wonderful Anna! She sounds wonderful and I’m glad you took the time to write and keep us updated! May God’s blessing be upon your family each and every moment. Enjoy these days!
All our ❤️ love from us to you and yours,
Mark S.
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I always appreciate your kind words, Mark! Thank you so much for reading. Wishing you and the Sartori clan all the best. Sending my love!
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Hi Anna —
Congratulations! Welcome to the new universe called parenting! Thank you for reminding me (and other readers, I’m sure) of the preciousness of bringing that new life into the world! I’m so happy for you and your husband and baby Lucy!
This summer my wife and I have witnessed some events at the other end, if you will, of the parenting spectrum, with similar joy and amazement. My son Andrew, 26, was married on June 20th. His wife, Sarah, is wonderful–such a beautiful addition to our family and they complement each other so well. That wedding day was almost as magical to me as the day Andrew and Theresa were born. Theresa also had an incredible milestone this month! She was hired as a full-time special education teacher at Monadnock Regional School. What a journey she has had to this moment! From being a special education student herself, to passing standardized tests, to the grind of graduate school. She will bless many students in this new role.
Ann and I are so proud. The roller coaster called parenting is intense and when your children do well, you as parents can truly say, “All is well.”
Thanks for sharing and wishing you continued awareness of the preciousness of Lucy and all of life’s beauty.
Bill Derry
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Coach Derry! It’s so good to hear from you. What wonderful news about your kids. I’m so happy to hear all is well with you and your family, and I look forward to watching Lucy grow and evolve over the years as well. Thanks for reading and sharing a life update! All the best to you and your family.
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Anna:
I don’t want to invade your privacy, but if you are in the area I would love to meet the rest of your family and, perhaps, introduce you to mine. You know how to reach me. Still working at KHS and you have this email address. Let me know if that makes sense. If not, I look forward to your next blog post! Stay well and enjoy every moment with Lucy.
Peace, Mr. Derry
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