"You are a beautiful family."

That's what an older lesbian said to us this morning, as we stopped in at the bakery across the street to get some much needed coffee. She was sitting at a table with several other women, all dykes in their 60s or 70s. When J and I walked in, with baby strapped to chest, they all smiled at us. As we were leaving, they called us over to see the baby.

"She's beautiful," said one of them. "And you are a beautiful family."

She said it almost forcefully, as if guessing at or anticipating all of the times that people either ignore us as a family, or simply don't realize that that's what we are.

They were so happy to see us, a young, queer, out family. And I was so happy to see them, and to finally receive an unequivocal message of support from an older generation. It made me cry. And it made me very proud of my beautiful family.

The First Six Weeks: A Redux

Okay, very briefly, some highlights from the trenches of early parenting:

1. Ocean is the most amazing thing ever.

2. I never have enough time to answer all of my emails. Or update my blog.

3. In her six weeks on earth, Ocean has made four visits to the ocean. Not bad...

4. The first two weeks were really, really, really hard. And then, things suddenly got a lot better.

5. Even when things were really hard, I have been so unbelievably in love with that kid.

6. I've met a lot of new moms. Most of them are straight. Quite frankly, this was a little scary for me. But it has actually turned out to be great.

7. My friends are amazing. I have felt incredibly supported. I cannot overstate the value of having people cook meals, help with the dishes, and show up to take me and the baby out for walks. Amazing.

8. J is incredibly cute with the baby. The snuggle together all of the time in completely heartwarming poses. And, he gets up to feed her in the middle of the night. Amazing.

9. My mom has been here to help out, and watches Ocean in the afternoons so that I can work. Amazing.

10. I have taken a lot of pictures. When I have a faster internet connection, I will post a photo essay. Really.

11. I'm still working on writing out Ocean's birth story. When I have free time, I will finish it and post it here. Really.

12. Before I had her, everyone kept telling me that my life would change completely. I found this terrifying. The funny thing is that it was true, but I'm so happy. My life HAS changed completely, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

More soon. Really...