Today I got some sad news. A woman I respected and thought very highly of and who always made me laugh when we would run into each other in between blood draws at the hospital had passed away after a long, hard battle with cancer. Dr. Reames was a classy woman through and through and always had a kind word and a warm smile when you saw her. She was quite a funny lady too. To say she will be missed doesn’t touch the surface. 

    So when I told my friend Zac about her passing today, he of course gave me his condolences but then asked me what I was going to do to cheer myself up after hearing such sad news. I thought about it for a brief minute and responded with, “I guess I’ll go see one of my Mom friends and play with some babies”. Because truly there is nothing that puts a smile on my face like baby cuddles or laughs. I had the day pretty clear as I had a doctors appointment this am to begin with so after it, I called my friend Karen who lives down the street and asked if she was around. She was and said to just come on over. Her son Mason is 15 months old and so loving. Don’t get me wrong, he likes to play, & play hard sometimes but he can cuddle with the best of them.

      So Karen, Mason and I set out on a day of errands. It was our last one that was truly magical. We stopped at a garden center and Mason was able to chase butterflies and play in the mud. He also found a tractor that captured his attention and just lit his twinkling blue eyes on fire. It was exactly what I needed for some good old fashioned “cheering up”. 

   I feel so lucky that I have so many Mom friends in my life with so many wonderful babies they are willing to constantly share with me. Anna has Sam and Sylvie, (the 2 and a half year old twins who live across the street) and I have known since they were in utero, Kate has Cameron (who is 6 years old, and baby Morgan, who is 2 months old). Janet has Nicholas, (who is 5), Julianna (who is 3) and William (who will be 1 in August) and I mentioned Karen & little Mason. I have MANY other wonderful Mom friends in my life as well who don’t live in my area but let me give my love from afar and I love each and all of you. 

   The thing about babies is they remind you that everything is new. It’s constantly changing and growing and they don’t know how to give anything but pure love. So today when the circle of life couldn’t have felt more real, it was nice to close it out with a big baby smooch and an open fist wave goodbye. I’m sending that same wave to you Dr. Reames. You were a REALLY GOOD woman. 

** I want to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to my friend Kara Friedman & her husband David & soon to be big brother Peyton on the announcement of her twin baby girls coming in September…no one does pregnancy like Kara & I can’t wait to see her put her spin on this one!!