366/2012: Day 151

366/2012: Day 150 More Hair Fun

A play on the 90's Cesar cut! Et tu Harper?

366/2012: Day 149

Only picture I took today. Harper turned 180 degrees from where she started last night. Plus I like the archer pose. Apparently that's a typical sleeping baby pose.

366/2012: Day 148 Morning Mystery

These days every morning is a fun game of "Where will Harper be in the crib today?!" She starts each night with her head to the left in the middle of the crib. Always cracks me up!

366/2012: Day 147 Tummy Time

366/2012: Day 146 More Mmmmm

366/2012: 145 Mmmm

366/2012: Day 144 Harper's Hair

So after her bath I combed her hair like this and she made a face. I'm still laughing! Dang that's a cute baby!

366/2012: Day 143 Exercise

Harper works on her core strength.

Graduation

There are lots of college and high school graduation pictures on Facebook this month and then I watched the finale of Glee this morning -- all the seniors graduating and off to whatever their futures hold. I was surprised at how moved I was at the thought of graduation (not the show itself). I thought back to my Seabury Graduation and how empty the day felt hours after the ceremonies were done and all there was to do was help Kevin pack up his room and wait for the party to start in the evening. It mimicked a big yawning chasm to cross before leaving for college. That afternoon was just odd and sad and quiet as Kevin and Lissa and I tried to pretend we were still having a great time.

Graduating from LMU was a little bit like that, though not as a sad. There was a trip to europe coming up that would extend the celebration. Instead of not knowing what came next, I knew I had to get ready to go traveling for two months. That was super fun. (When I got back from that trip and felt totally at sea, well, that was a different feeling entirely.)

Graduations are the symbol for moving on, closing one chapter and opening another. Maybe I'm moved more by these pictures and tv shows this year because of Harper. One chapter of my life is closed (before children) and this amazing new part has opened. I am loving this new phase in life so much and I am so happy, truly. Yet there is some melancholy and a few tears as I say good bye to the former life and move into the future. It's not because I miss that former life, more that it ended and endings can be hard even when all you want to do is move forward.

The day came to finally fly to Los Angeles to start my freshman year of school at LMU. We were going to the airport and I was so sad to say good bye to my home on Maui. Yes, I would be back for Christmas in a few months, but I wouldn't live there any more, I would only be back for visits from then on. I felt panicky and terrified and had that "what am I doing???" moment. But I couldn't turn back, no way! I had been waiting so long for that day. But dang it was hard to say good-bye.

But once you say good-bye, there are so many amazing new hellos to say.

Hello Harper!

(I just wish Jen could have come along in my future.)