just dropped the Magister off for his trip to Italy. Hoping he has a fantastic time!

The Light Princess

Light Princess
from the album "Knowledge and Innocence"Words and Music by Terry Taylor
©1986 SnellSongs (ASCAP)

Hand to teary eyes
Brush shadows (I see it now)
Much to my surprise
A light grows (I see it now)

No, I could not hold
This child in my arms
So I let her go and she

Floated to Heaven
She's up in Heaven
A loss, a gain
God knows her name
'Cos she's up in Heaven

A gift taken away
From my world (I see it now)
No, she could not stay
In this world (I see it now)

I have few answers
I quit asking "Why"
Since she's lighter than air and she's

Floating to Heaven
She's up in Heaven
So near, so far
Another star
That shines up in Heaven

Mmmmmmmm........
I see it now, I see it now

No, I could not hold
This child in my arms
So I let her go and she

Floated to Heaven
She's up in Heaven
A father gives
The Father takes
A father gives
The Father takes
Her on up to heaven

Mmmmmmmm........

18 Days

Our friends on Facebook are already aware, as are friends from church, and our families, but I haven't yet posted here of our loss.

On Monday the 15th of February, just six hours or so after we met our child, saw her heart cells fluttering and gasped with joy, she was gone from us. We had 18 days to know that we had a child, that our love had created another soul.

Lots of consolation is offered and we appreciate it. It is hard, though, to hear story after story of "my sister had 1,2,3, some number of miscarriages and now she has 1,2,3, more healthy children." We are old enough to know that this hope isn't one we can hold, not one we can keep trying for (though, try we will, continuing to open our hearts and our bodies to the transmission of life). This may have been it, our only foray into parenthood.

I'm going to collect what we wrote and some of what was written to us to hold here.

I received a delivery of hypoallergenic roses. How wonderful! I also learned that they were arranged by one of the Magister's students.

(Update: turn out the card said hypo-allergenic. Izzy meant that the small arrangement of just roses and baby's breath and a few ferns, was unlikely to set off my allergies. He was correct, of course.)

wishes Coach K a Happy 63rd Bday and a great 1000th career game @Duke, and hopes scheduling Maryland for this auspicious day wasn't hubris.

just heard the ESPN announcer say: Goodnight from Chapel Hill, where Duke just beat UNC. I could listen to that a few more times!

& the Magister are headed out to view Part 3 of Jane Austen's "Emma" on PBS w/friends. Super Sunday w/no football, doritos or beer. Imagine.

wonders who actually composes the interminable, insufferable "lite jazz" one hears while waiting for a conference call to start.

What to Worry About when you're expecting

Thanks to Google's Auto-Complete feature, I can quickly ascertain the wisdom of the masses, and discover what others are worried about in early pregnancy.

This is actually a "good thing", as it narrows the focus of concerns. Even better than a Magic 8 Ball (R), it guesses what I want to know and supplies a portal for the knowledge.

Gotta review the soft cheeses info.