There was a lot of breathing. There were hours of dreaming interrupted by contractions. There was self-doubt, there was gratitude, there was resolve and fortitude, there were the repeated prayers tumbling off my lips, the mantras. There were 21 hours of the body adventure; 21 hours of laboring and intense expectation.

And then there was her.

Our daughter.

Bone of our bones, flesh of our flesh, fruit of our love, born from our joy––! Nika Joy was born late on an October evening, and when she came her father and I wept for joy and whispered the words that had helped me labor for those long hours waiting to see her face: "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His lovingkindness is unto eternity." (Psalm 118)

Once she was a whisper,
and now a beautiful, laughing song.

moves and removes