For Pearl on her Eleventh Week

This Child


This child must face out. She is drawn
by lights and a sun
carved into the mirror’s frame.

This child flexes her fingers,
a ballerina in her tiny hands. When she cries
there is always someone to reach out.

She coaxes everyone in
to love. She is new to traffic and wind
and restaurants where rude people appraise her parents

for the way they ornament their bodies
thousands of years older
than the way such eye-rollers worship

their gods. This child could never belong
to those who worship such a shallow god,
she is so safe, so unfettered

by concerns of the petty or the stunted.
This child is passed from arms to arms,
she demands to be involved,

to see. Egrets fall
like parachutes from the sky,
little stuffed giraffes parade in circles

over her bed.
This child suckles with an abandon
known only those willing to be sated,

milk-drunk, while we sit in an old circle
all around the bed, a circle as old
as stories of the parents of our parents of

their parents, as old as tattoos;
as necessary as family and laughter. This child
starts to remember dreams and flops

into slumber after a short, good cry.
She curls over my legs
as she goes limp into sleep and dreams new

faces or passages from the body
of her mother. Her eyelids flutter.
Best not to move her then. Just feel

her little breaths, watch her face
wrinkle and ease, feel
the little papump

papump papump of her holy heart.


-- Bob Vance

Pearl and her parents

Here are two pictures we took while visiting Clay and Kim and Mimsy and Pearl. We particularly like the shot of Pearl with her parents. We continue to talk about and gloat over what good parents Clay and Kim are. What a secure and satisfied little girl they are bringing into this troubled world. And with the presence and support of Mimsy, what more could Pearl ask for?

Our Visit

It was so wonderful spending time with you Miss Pearl and the rest of our family. We were with you when you reached 10 weeks, but you seem so much older than that. You are so secure and determined. We watched you be frustrated with not being able to communicate and not being able to do physically what you want. Don't worry little one, you will get there. We marveled at your openness to new things, like the beach and the ocean.

Your almost immediate attachement to Bumpa Bob and Nana touched our hearts. We want to be closer to you and are working on making that a reality. I have attached my favorite photo from our time with you, Pearl and Bumpa.

A Week Of Firsts

On Tuesday Pearl calebrated 9 weeks of life, since then she has had a whirlwind of excitement. On Thursday Pearl's Nana and Bumpa Bob arrived for their week long visit. So now she only needs to meet her Grandpa Bowman and her Opa. Yesterday Pearl had her first visit to the beach, and even got her feet wet in the ocean. The water was a little cold so she didn't like it too much, but she looked quite snazzy in her little beach outfit. Anyway, enjoy the video and pictures...

Two Months Old!

Today, my beautiful Pearl, you are two months old. I am not sure when we will stop counting weeks and months, but for now, we get excited over each new week and month. I can not imagine what one year will bring as yet. You have brought such beauty and joy into all our lives!
I will see you in 4 days, little lady.