Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

Usually, when I take a photograph, I don’t realize the importance of it until later, when I view it on my computer. I don’t know that I can remember a single instance where I thought to myself before taking the shot, “this is going to be a meaningful photograph.”

The photo above is one of the rare exceptions. In fact, it might be the only exception. This is a photo of Genna’s old room/nursery (in our rented duplex) and it’s the last photo I took in that house. We had moved out the previous day and I had just finished cleaning. The landlord was downstairs waiting for me to turn over the keys but I ran upstairs, on the pretense of making sure I hadn’t forgotten anything, so that I could snap this photo.

The first thing to understand about this room is that it was initially a very pale pink. Before Hallie and I moved into the duplex in late March of 2011, my mom and I painted this room yellow because at that time we didn’t know if our baby would be a girl or a boy. When we moved in it had very little in it. Slowly, we started to fill it with baby stuff. Shower gifts, a dresser, a crib, a chair. Eventually, the room took on a life of its own when Genevieve Dolores arrived on May 7th, 2011.

The new house is far, far better in every conceivable way. It’s nicer, bigger and, most importantly, it’s ours. It also represents what is yet to come. The large upstairs room is Genna’s, but she will share it with her little sister. God only knows how many more children will live under our new roof and that is a very exciting thought. I have absolutely no regrets about leaving the duplex behind.

That being said, I can’t help but feel sad when I look at this photo. It will always represent the first year (or so) of Genna’s life. It brings back the late night feedings when she was days old, the first time she crawled, the times that I laid down on the rug with her on my chest and many other very specific memories. I really miss the yellow nursery, and I guess I also miss that first year of Genna’s life when every little “first” that took place in that room seemed like a miracle. But I don’t think that this sense of loss will last long. Genna will have many other firsts and she will do incredible things in different places. Plus, with Girl #2 just weeks away, we’ll be going through it all again very soon.

The day after I took the photo above, I emailed it to my mom. She completely understood why I found it so meaningful and responded with this:

“I can remember painting another yellow room, actually Dad did most of it. We painted it for a little baby we didn’t know yet either. Yellow was a good choice then, too. Beautiful and sunny and painted with so much anticipation and love. With animal curtains sewn by Grandma. Your room. It seems like it was just yesterday.”

The cliche holds true: it does seem like it was just yesterday.