Holly's village

Hillary Clinton quoted a Nigerian Igbo proverb "Ora na azu nwa" in her book which was roughly translated as it takes a village to raise a child. Just a few weeks away from Holly's 6 month birthday has me thinking a lot about Holly's village which really spans the globe. We have friends and family in Chiang Mai, Doha, St. Andrews, Hamburg, St. Louis, New York, Springfield, Washington, Anderson and beyond who provide us with tons of support. Here in our (new found) home town we have so much support that it has often brought tears to my eyes. My colleagues who knitted Holly this charming ensemble to the left are just some of the examples. Here are just some of the many things that our village has done for us:

• Chelsea taught (and continues to teach) me tons including how to get Holly to nap during the day.
  
• My mother and sister took care of all the the things we needed while I was still holding Holly in my lap at the hospital---cleaning up our house, shopping for some last minute things at Target and making sure our cats stayed alive.
• Cathi (who cuts our hair) bought and delivered a swing to Tom at his office that kept Holly calm when she was at her fussiest.
  
• In addition to fashionable knitwear, my colleagues also brought us deliveries of food, made Holly a lovely quilt and helped get Holly on our insurance.
  
• Nicole came running over to fill our fridge and make us dinner when she found out I'd lost quite a bit of weight.
  
• Shannon has provided hours upon hours of counseling and support over the telephone and was the first to visit us at home.
  
• Other new mommies who bought or passed on cherished items including a magazine subscription to Brain, Child, books, playpens, clothes, baby tubs and more.
  
• Everyone I've already listed and more who have provided invaluable advice and support.
  

In other news, Holly can now roll front to back meaning that she no longer needs to fuss at me for this. She has taken to unswaddling herself and rolling on to her tummy when she sleeps at Chelsea's. We cashed in my Delta miles for gift cards and bought two new car seats for our cars where our growing babe can now ride in roomy style. Her favorite game now includes "slap-the-cat" and "giggle at strangers". As you can see from her picture, she's rather a happy child. I keep getting asked this so I'll answer it once and for all--- yes, she really is that happy most of the time. If you were her, wouldn't you be?