A chance to fall in love again
Introducing Eva Grace 🌸
“Inside everyone is a great shout of joy waiting to be born.”
— David Whyte
Hello there! And welcome to Dandelion Seeds, an illustrated newsletter that’s hand-painted and hand-lettered, from my desk to yours.
This week, Jose and I celebrated our first Christmas in Belgium, complete with chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and matching family pajamas. But there was something else that made the day even more special.
Elena’s little sister, Eva Grace, arrived just over one week ago, so it was also our first Christmas as a family of four.
Eva’s arrival has meant a sudden return to life with a newborn — to the weight of a tiny new human in my arms, and her tiny head resting on my chest. It has meant a dozen diaper changes a day and feedings at night, when Eva and I are the only ones in the house awake.
It’s during those quiet midnight hours, as I stare down at the scrunched little face of a person I’m only just beginning to get to know, that I’ve found myself with time to think. And I’ve been thinking about some of the biggest journeys I’ve been on in my life so far.
My journey to become a writer and to make a living from doing what I love.
My journey of falling in love with Jose and learning how to build a life together.
And my journey of becoming a mother last year and slowly figuring out our new rhythms as a family, when it was Elena’s tiny nose and fluttering eyelids I would stare down at as the rest of the world was asleep.
I’ve been thinking about how much angst I felt during each of those unfoldings; about how hard it was for me to hold the uncertainty, and to trust that it would all work out.
And I’ve been thinking of a post I shared a few weeks ago, “What if we only get to do this once?” which was inspired by this moving essay by
.I wasn’t sure if new motherhood was a journey I would only get to do once, but now that Eva is here, I find myself with the privilege of welcoming another new life into the world.
It feels like a gift, like a chance to fall in love again. But this time, I want to try and have a little more trust.
To be as present as possible, and to fully enjoy — and find even more joy — in this journey.
Congratulations Candace. Beautiful news and love the pictures. Enjoy your newborn bubble and don't feel pressure to post.... we will wait, your family come first! ❤️
You’ve been busy, young lady. Congratulations!
P.s. I hope your hubby was watching out for bull kudus on his way home from the hospital, because I wasn’t and in my reverie, ended up getting both fenders on my car smashed when one jumped over my hood. The kudu trotted back into the bush as if nothing happened, and I drove on home as if nothing happened. Even a marauding kudu bull couldn’t dampen my new dad joy.