....the quilt.....

.....when I was pregnant with Brody, I decided that I wanted to have a quilt made....I had been wanting one for quite sometime and thought that the birth of a new baby would be the perfect gift for me to give my child....a quilt that would hold so many memories in the years to come that when my child went to use it in their later years; a flood of memories would overflow at the sight of its pattern......the tattered worn edges or stains from some sort of spillage would allow for reflection on the years spent having it as the pinnacle of festive times with family and friends......I envisioned this quilt as one to be used for all occassions....possibly to be thrown on a bed from time to time, possibly as the palate for sleeping bags during slumber parties, possibly for picnics, beach outings or just spread out in a backyard for a soft place to rest or read a book......

....well Brody's quilt had its maiden voyage this past week.....

.....I half heartedly perused Etsy one March night when I should have been sleeping and found a site that had gorgeous quilts.....I emailed asking for information about custom orders, since sewing is foreign to me.....and before I knew it, I was spending hours at night browsing fabric.com selecting different options that would match the image in my mind on what I wanted this quilt to look like.....

 .....and not only did I get what I wanted in terms of the beauty of the quilt, but I got so much more......Stephanie is my new found friend who made this piece.....also a mother of two girls, she and I had due dates the same week and we both had beautiful baby boys......she literally crawled around her floor, 9 months pregnant; pulling together the fabrics I selected, sending me pictures along the way of the construction of something that I ended up becoming so passionate about....and although hard to articulate, a family item that brings back memories is a gift in itself......maybe it's an old popcorn maker that reminds one of movie nights with their family, perhaps it's a serving bowl reminding one of Sunday dinners or holidays, a Christmas tree skirt that was used year after year, a record player, a piano, a candle holder, a crystal candy dish that held chocolates that sat on Grandma's foyer table.....we all have those items that awaken the surge of memories and I wanted this quilt to be one of those items not only for Brody, but for the girls too......

......and the memories are just beginning.....

.....because it's the time of year that screams Central Park with friends and family.....and as the quilt sits perched as home base in these settings, we run around happily; enjoying the weather, the smell of summer, the company of friends, and the long days of being together with our family of five.....

.....I said to Stefan today that this summer would be one for the memory books.....I plan to suck the life out of the three months of warm weather and I am feeling like I am on track for living it to the fullest....we spent three consecutive days in Central Park this week eating either lunch or dinner perched along the green grass, enjoying the ease of having our meals in this manner.....and the quilt was the staple for those outings.....

......my children may look at that quilt and remember loading up in our triple stroller and I will certainly remember the same two comments I get from strangers all around the city when I push my brood around the streets of New York......you certainly have your hands full......or now that's a full house......well, I let Stefan experience pushing the baby bus today and smirked every time I saw a comment approaching.....and it's always the same two.....always....

......maybe my girls will remember the quilt in years to come and reflect on the summer they learned how to ride the big girl swing with Daddy......

.....maybe the stains of chocolate fudge will remind them of the tasty treats that were our sweet indulgence during summers in New York......

.....I know I will remember the times Stefan and I would watch our two girls interact with one another......carrying on with conversations the way that little people do.....not only sisters, but true friends who genuinely love to spend time together.......it's been heartwarming observing their sisterhood.....

.....sprawled on the quilt today, we laughed at Callie's new phase where she takes some of her food and saunters off to eat it all alone.....she has done this the last two weekends of picnics we've had.....and she truly enjoys the alone time and when she has had her fill, she joins the family again for a second helping......

.....the story of this quilt that began with a half hearted internet search that lead me to a woman who is using her God given talent to produce beautiful things......and as a result this quest for the perfect keepsake also gave me a new friend who has a mirrored life to mine, except in a different part of the country.....someone who has already encouraged me in so many ways and who is someone that etched her way into my heart during such a special and meaningful time in my life.....

.....Stephanie, your work is so special.....thank you.....

.....so here's to making memories that can be retold and replayed in the distant future for my children......

.....all thanks to a needle and thread.....

.....and that makes us all very happy, indeed.....

                    One of Brody's first smiles- 7 weeks old