Infant Joy by William Blake

Infant Joy

"I have no name:
I am but two days old."
What shall I call thee?
"I happy am,
Joy is my name."
Sweet joy befall thee!
Pretty joy!
Sweet joy, but two days old.
Sweet Joy I call thee:
Thou dost smile,
I sing the while;
Sweet joy befall thee!
--William Blake

This is a poem suggested by my Dad. I really like William Blake. His language is simple and direct, but the overall message and feeling of his poems is often surprisingly deep. Sweet Joy, Pretty Joy is just about the perfect description of our little girl.

Since best wishes for baby come mostly by email rather than cards, I wanted to collect them somehow so they could end up in her baby book. So today's post is just going to be a collection of the responses to the birth announcement we sent out. If your wishes got lost somewhere in the ether, feel free to post in the comments.

---

Here is a poem you might find amusing. Lesli

Sylvia Plath - Metaphors

I'm a riddle in nine syllables,
An elephant, a ponderous house,
A melon strolling on two tendrils.
O red fruit, ivory, fine timbers!
This loaf's big with its yeasty rising.
Money's new-minted in this fat purse.
I'm a means, a stage, a cow in calf.
I've eaten a bag of green apples,
Boarded the train there's no getting off.

---

Karen is laboring as we speak. She was talking to Peter (who came home late last night - Karen went in at 8 pm for induction - to catch some sleep while she "slept) and said, "Oh, I think my water just broke." So, we are heading over there, separate cars so I can leave when they want me to.
Love Mom/R

---

Hello,

I hope your doing well. I was just wondering if you had Elizabeth yet? If so, what was her weight, and day of her birth.

I hope you are getting the much needed rest that you deserve.

Have a good one,

Karen Gonzalez

---

Introducing Elizabeth
Elizabeth Anne Ahlstrom was born Monday, January 14, 2008 at 12:47 pm.
8 lbs 10oz
19 1/2 in. tall
Red hair (at least for now!)

---

Hey Karen- My mom told me that you had your baby girl!

Congratulations!!! You are going to be an awesome Mommy!

Can't wait to see pictures and eventually...to meet her!!!

-Jocelyn Hatch Christenson

---

Congratulations Karen and Peter! We are so happy for you. I love the picture of you holding Elizabeth, Karen. I hope all went well with the labor and delivery and that you are getting some good rest now.

Lots of love,

Marci Stringham

---

Congrats! She's a beautiful baby. Are you well?
-Larry Stay

---

It was rough, but I survived.

Randy

---

Very funny Daddy! We got home from the hospital last night. Thanks for all the kind wishes and congratulations. If anybody wants to read about how labor and delivery went, I've posted that at my blog (link is below). I'll be writing more this week about the hospital stay, and stuff like that, so you can check back for more actual news and not just poetry for several days.

-Karen

---

Congratulations!
Patti Harvey

---

Photos are available on the TPMOTD site. Enjoy!
-Mom

---

Thanks. They are beautiful. I especially like the one of peter holding her. I love the natural side lighting. And the one of the baby with the same lighting. Do you like the way the camera works?

When you get time, which may be once you head back east, could you send full sized versions of these photos?

Daniel woke me up which is why i'm up at 3:30 am, and i couldn't resist checking if any pictures had been sent. I forwarded these to Kathey Ahlstrom in case they hadn't been sent to her. People not on the list can't check tpmotd right?
Thanks,
Lesli

---

Congratulations Karen and Peter. Your baby girl is beautiful.
Lesli and Doug

---

Congratulations Karen and Peter!
Elizabeth is so beautiful! She doesn't look all squished like some new babies. I can't imagine how happy you feel! YAY for you!
I can't wait till I can send out pictures of my own beautiful baby like yours! Love you!
Hooray once more! Kiss Miss Lizzie for me.

Love, Heather

---

Aww! Sweet.

Congratulations!

--Helena

---

Loved the pictures. I was also wondering why it said "more pictures?"
Did Karen have a lot of hair when she was born? None of our kids knew
how to have hair like that. :-)

Love, Mom

---

Karen and Peter.....

ADORABLE!!!!!
She looks very content as does Peter!
What a blessing!!
I suppose I get to meet her in March at the wedding??
YEAH!
You are feeling OK, Karen?
When do you get to go home?
Are you already there?
Thanks for the missive and the pictures...

Love to you and your daughter!
Mary Beth

---

OH YAY!!! Elizabeth is finally here. CONGRATULATIONS!!! I can't tell who she looks like.. you or Peter. I will now put the information on the birth announcement and give it to you on Sunday.. if your out by then.
CONGRATS,

Karen Gonzalez

---

Brand New Little Daughter
~ by Linda Lee Elrod ~

She´s your brand new little daughter,
so enchanted, sweet and smart.
With a coo, she´ll have you smiling
With a laugh, she´ll own your heart.

It´s the time for hugs and kisses,
Reassurance when she cries.
It´s the time for making moments
Full of love and Lullabies.

For these golden days of childhood
come and go so very fast -
Hold her tight and love her dearly.
Make these preciouse moments last.

-Randy

---

Hi,

Peter and Karen just had their first baby. And we'd like to share.
(Not that we're excited or anything.) To see pictures please go to:

http://kathey- frommywindow. blogspot. com/

Love, Jim & Kathey

---

What great pictures. You sending these….does this mean you are at home already? I’m so glad your mom can be there with you. I’ll be sending another package to Elizabeth now that I know for sure that she’s a she. I never trust those “pictures” but we had heavy snowfall this morning so I’ll probably get out tomorrow. I know the baby mary janes I sent out with your mom will probably only fit Elizabeth now but she needs plenty of girly things…right from the start. This pattern is one my grandmother from England taught me when I was 8 years old, recovering from rheumatic fever. I’ve knit them ever since and am so glad I could knit them for Elizabeth Ann.

I love you Karen…and am so happy you had a girl! And Peter! Every dad needs a daughter! Have fun…I’ll write again.

Kisses to all……………susan

---

I have corrected Elizabeth Anne’s name so it’s spelled correctly. Why I didn’t realize Anne would have an “e” is beyond me….she’s got a mom so much like Anne of Green Gables….and how else would Karen spell Anne but with an “e”.

Later.
Susan Hatch

---

thanks karen. I'm suprised you are on a computer already! Wow. I love the one of you and Elizabeth. Are you at home yet or still at the hospital. You don't need to answer that.
Lelsi

---

Actually, that email was a collaborative effort of Peter and Rebecca. We used Karen's email because she had all the necessary addresses for the people she asked us to send it to. She is still in the hospital. I think she comes home tomorrow.
Mom

---

She's beautiful! So glad to hear you're all well.
--
Mike Stay

---

Glow Little Glowworm
Hi.
Elizabeth's bilirubin level was slightly elevated, but the light incubators were being used by more seriously needy babies. So they put her on a light board. It is actually a flexible plastic board thing with a massive cable to a powerpack. You lay the baby on it naked except for a diaper, wrap the soft side fabric wings around her, then bundle her up as usual in a blanket. The intense light therapy glows into her back and does the work of photosynthesizing the excess bilirubin out of her. I think it makes her look like baby Jesus in a Russian icon: the light shining out from within.
Mom

---

Did Heather have light eyelashes when she was born, or dark eyelashes. Are the light eyelashes a better hope that Elizabeth will keep her red hair?
Lesli

---

Don't remember. I'd have to go look at a photo.
Mom

---

Ha! That's awesome. It really does look like one of those little glow-worm toys from the 80s. Rachel and I found her old one in a box at her house, and it STILL GLOWED after at least 15 years of disuse!

-Steve

---

This is my favorite poem (part) about birth, by Wordsworth:

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!

lesli

---

that's really neat looking. Daniel had high bilirubin, and was actually quite yellow for several weeks, but in frederick they said it was fine unless the whites of his eyes started looking really yellow, and they just left him to get over it on his own. I wanted them to do something about it. That looks like a great solution.
Lesli

---

http://picasaweb.google.com/KarenAhlstrom/BabyElizabeth


Here's an album full of photos of Elizabeth.

-Love Karen

---

Thanks for the pictures Karen. She really is very beautiful.
Lesli

---

Soooooooooo cute!
-Steve

---

She's so sweet! That crying photo is great. Very expressive.

--Helena

---

SO sweet! Thanks!--Kathey

---

There are a few more comments on the Day Old Child post, but they're already posted to the blog, so they don't need to be duplicated here.

There are a few other people who posted their messages on their own blogs: Gremhog, Helena twice, and Kathey posted a bunch of times on her blog.

Thanks for all the great messages, everyone!