I can’t describe how much joy I’ve gotten from looking out the windows of the little blue house this past week. Everything gets greener by the day, and the colors everywhere are just bursting with life and Springtime and cheeriness on our block. Maybe it’s that I’ve never spent so much time at home on a daily basis before, but having the same perspective out the kitchen and living room windows each morning has given me great appreciation for the freshness of things all around me. We planted Korean spice bushes in front of the house last Spring, and this is the first time they’ve blossomed. I grew up with the fragrant and familiar smell of the white and pink flowers in our family’s yard and at my grandma’s, and I couldn’t wait to have a few of our own. Now with the windows open, they are gracing our home with the same lovely scent I remember–perfect timing as Henry and I enjoy our days together here.

In the wee hours, while Henry nurses and we spend quiet time rocking in the nursery, the view and sounds out the dormer window provide a welcome backdrop. Birds chirp and leaves rustle; daylight breaks to the East and sun peeps through the curtains, warming up the space and reminding me that a fresh new start is approaching on another perfectly promising day. Having a baby at this time of year has been delightful. There is so much newness in nature that coincides with the newness in our lives, and it feels just right.

Today, we ventured downtown to enjoy the incredible tulip plantings that grace the streets in April and May. It was so rejuvenating to get outside, to push a sleeping baby Henry around town, to drink an iced chai from my favorite coffee shop and to feel a bit like life has returned to normal. It’s a different normal, of course, but in a very sweet way. In this part of town, on this block, in this house, out these windows, everything’s coming up tulips!

Henry’s daily photo fix:

breathing deeply, in a good way,

mm