Friday, November 26, 2010

To my little bird:






    My dearest daughter:


I have a lot of years to teach you the things it has taken me a lot of years to learn. I wonder if all this time is enough to show you everything I want for you to remember by heart, as each slippery stepping stone year of your life passes you by.

It takes a strong mind and a courageous heart to wake up every day and be happy. This is my wish for you, and I hope that I know enough about myself as a woman to raise one.



I hope to teach you that beauty always comes first from who we are, on the inside. Appearance and the way we carry ourselves can never turn ugly faster than when we act ugly from the inside. When you are a beautiful person, the world around you feels the warming effect that your presence adds to life. Your looks are only a carrier of your soul, and they don't define you.

Sometimes people won't like you. And that is okay. You will never please everyone, and until you learn this, you will waste a lot of time trying to fulfill an image you see to be true in someone else's eyes.

I hope to teach you to never be ashamed of who you are.
"Be who you are, and say what you feel. Because those who mind, don't matter, and those who matter, don't mind."



One day I will teach you to write and speak beautiful words. Ones that come from your heart, and in turn, touch other people's hearts in the process. Reaching out and connecting with someone through any form of expression is the most beautiful and rewarding gift you will learn to give. Treat it only as a gift, and never as a tool to achieve something you want to gain.


I will teach you to never compare who you are, what you have, or how you look to anyone around you.
To be kind, thoughtful, compassionate, and caring towards every one and thing you come across. Every ant, leaf, person or thought deserves the same respect you wish to attain for yourself.





and when the sky drops all those feathers
and when the birds sing in the morning
I'll be a mama, I'll have a daughter

and I'll give her melodies
I'll give her melodies


and she'll be my little bird
...and then she'll fly





Little bird, Juju, there will be a lot to learn in your life.

For Mother's day last year, I got your dear Aubibi a print called "Learning to Fly." My Mother. For always being my wings, and teaching me to fly on my own.
For myself, I bought I Am Illuminated When I Am Free.



I found out about you after a Summer of learning to fly. And now my time to learn is done. Now I have you, babybird. And the rest of my life will be spent teaching you how to take your first steps without feet.


Sweet baby girl, I can't wait to meet you.


Last weekend your dad and I were looking through treasures in antique stores. He came across a small, silver music box shaped like an owl. To the beautiful notes that it plays, my mind wanders thinking about all the little hands that have turned the dial over the years. I wonder how many times we will turn it for you.
When he found it he said: "I want to buy this for her, it's perfect." And I couldn't think of any moment that I was happier, than these moments right now.



We have so much love to give you. For now, we are getting used to saying "our daughter."



*song is "Oh my Mama" -
found on blog: Lil Muse Lily.

60 comments:

Miss Wisabus said...

what sweet news :) she's a blessed girl already, that's for sure.

Nelly said...

So very happy for you!!! I can just imagine a mini-you. She's going to be marvelous.

Unknown said...

congratulations on your little girl! how exciting! even though we don't "know" each other, i am excited to meet her, too. strange how these online connections can work. i teared up a bit reading this post. much love!

Corey said...

Wonderful news! A baby girl... What a joy! Best of luck. xoxo Corey

Dan & Heather said...

Congratulations to you both. I have a two year old baby girl and she is the light of our lives. It only gets more and more beautiful as they grow.

Kathleen said...

there is nothing sweeter than a little girl (but then again I am biased). she has a great mama to look up to :]

congrats to you and your family!

p.s. joon or joonig means little bird in armenian. What does joon mean in Farsi?

Aura said...

Thank you, every one! We are so excited.


Kathleen- Joon means dear, darling, sweetheart. It's a term of endearment.
"Juju" is little bird in Farsi. :)

a little black cloud in a dress said...

aww, congratulations, Aura! I'm with Kathleen on this.. but of course, I am biased too. :] I'm so excited for you.

Steph said...

Aura,
Congratulations on your little girl! I remember you wrote something about your mom - either for Mothers Day or birthday awhile back that stuck with me, "never once hearing you compare yourself to other women, or talk negatively about the way you look has made me just as strong and secure in who i am as a woman." I didn't grow up that way but it's lovely to know that you can pass this on to your daughter as well. It's been great getting to know you and to go on this journey with you. Congrats again!

Valerie said...

Congratulations! I am so excited and happy for you guys! I also have daughters and everything you said in your post is what I work towards and hope to teach my girls. You have such a lovely way with words and are always able to say what my heart is thinking!

Amanda said...

Congrats and how exciting! Welcome to the world of girls! I have 3 beautiful little girls and I can only hope I am teaching them and leading them to be great women some day.

Love the music box, what a sweet daddy.

Shandell said...

what sweet words. congratulations, your daughter is sure to be beautiful inside + out.

Anonymous said...

Your words brought tears to my eyes. Your daughter is so lucky to have you as a mom.

I feel so lucky to have found your blog two years ago. Thank you for sharing your life and thoughts with us. You can't imagine the ways you've touched my life with your beautiful words and pictures. In this short time I've learned from you what would have probably taken me decades to realize on my own.

You have so many treasures to give to your sweet little daughter.

:o)

Victoria said...

All of my friends and acquaintances are having a boy so I just automatically assumed it would be one. I was so happily surprised and shocked when it said daughter. I cannot wait to see what kind of daughter you raise! You will be such an inspiring and amazing mother to her!

Whitley said...

Wow- I feel like I just heard a lot of wise words and sage advice that I wish my mom had said to me. You already have a beautiful relationship with this baby girl! Good Luck - and thanks for sharing words we all need to be reminded of at every age!

Mahdis said...

Aura, outside extended family, I always speak in English, but reading this, I could only think in Farsi, so I will type my comment in Farsi:

Akh, Aura joon, cheghadr in delamo garm kard. Nemidoonam chejoori behet begam ghadre harfat, va makhsoosan haminke ghesseye zendigat taze dare shoroo mishe; safe dare be ketabe zendigit ezafe mishe. Dokhtar koochooloot, jujat...

You have given her the warmest start to her story.

Genevieve said...

Beautiful words & I wish you all the best.

Sue said...

A little baby girl...what a blessing she will have, having you and your sweet man as her parents. She is a lucky girl already :-)
Beautiful words. So happy for you.

siniann said...

Oh that is sweet :) Congratulations Michael and Aura! My friend got a sweet baby boy 2 nights ago, I can't wait to go and see them. He looks like an angel. I'm loving the idea, that maybe someday I could be in those shoes.

Elisa said...

what a beautiful message!!

Anonymous said...

You truly have a gift with words and a beautiful heart from where they come :) What a sweet post and YAY! You are having a girl! That music box is SO precious :)

Mimi said...

Congrats! What wonderful news! You have such a beautiful way with words. Your daughter is so lucky to have such a sensitive and loving mama (and papa - what a sweet gift)! We have a little girl too and she is the sunshine of our lives. It's such a wonderful relationship to have. Something unexpected for me was that the learning goes both ways. I've learned so much about myself from her - funny how that works. I never expected a baby to "teach" ME so much. Happy days ahead - wish you all the very best!!! :-)

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful post, thank you for sharing with us. Congratulations on your news, wishing you much happiness and health in the coming months.

Taylor said...

oh what wonderful news, aura! you'll make a wonderful mother to a daughter.

Kelly @ turned UP to ELEVEN! said...

What a blessing and happy day! Congrats to you both on the addition of a sweet baby girl!!! I am so happy for you. That gift is perfect and a wonderful find. I love it not just because it's an owl (I'm a bit obsessed with them) but because the thought behind it is so amazing. oxox

Every Little Thing said...

Congratulations on learning about your baby girl! She will love the owl (it's adorable) and she will love you and everything you stand for!

Rachelle said...

Yay! I have two little girls, and they're truly amazing. You'll love it.

Congratulations! That baby will have so much love surrounding it.. :)

Vanessa Rae said...

Congratulations on the exciting news. I just had a girl and the journey you're now on is truly special. So much to give thanks for. Happy Day!

Melissa said...

Congratulations, Aura! I have two sweet baby girls myself, and they are the best. There's something so amazing about having a tiny girl to teach about life and how to be a good person. It made me a better woman.

C'est Moi said...

I'm so excited for your little Juju! I am having a little girl, too - in about 4 weeks! - and have been spending all of my time thinking about how to be the best mother so that I can raise a wonderful, happy, daughter. I was thrilled to hear I was having a girl but then immediately scared because raising a girl seems much more daunting than raising a boy. I hope that I can strike a balance that is best for her and will work to do just that.

I'll leave you with a quote I found the other day that offers me a lot of encouragement: Great marriages produce great parents.

Fortunately, I have one and it appears that you do, too, so hopefully, we'll be ok! I'll be sure to check in with you and compare notes as we raise our little girls !

Jessica said...

This is so wonderful! A daughter. There is nothing more precious than a mother's love to her daughter, and her daughter to her.
Congratulations darling to you, your hubby and you family! You guys deserve all the happiness in the world!

Unknown said...

I love this post. I immediately sent the video to my mom because she has called me Birdie for the past 15 years. She started when I was about 10 and the name just stuck. It is the perfect song for us, so thank you.

I hope you and your little lady bird are doing well. You'll be a great Momma, and I can't wait to read all of the things you teach her.

clare @ the pretty walrus said...

I hope that I know enough about myself as a woman to raise one.

What a beautiful way of looking at it. I'm sure you'll be an excellent role model. Congratulations once again - I think there's something extra special about having a girl, although I'm quite biased myself! x

Rachel said...

Aura :)

Congrats! A baby girl! Your grandpa was right!!!

As always, you have a beautiful way with words. I hope you preserve these posts for your little girl to read one day. What a beautiful gift for her to be able to read about how much she was loved even before you two met her! I am so happy for you. I was checking back to your blog to see if you had posted yet (I hope that doesn't sound creepy, so hard to avoid in blog land haha)

I can't wait to "meet" her but be forewarned, with your gorgeous skin and hair and Michael's eyes, you are doomed to be parents to a heartbreaker :)

Thanks for sharing your journey as always,
Sending love and light your way
Rachel

Haley said...

Congrats! You did a really good job at putting some of life's hardest lessons into words

Born of the Sea said...

Congratulations!
this little girl is going to be so blessed to have you as a mother. I have been reading your blog for a while now and truly admire everything you have picked up from your wonderful mother. I know that you have so many beautiful and positive views to share with your daughter and I am sure she will grow up to be as lovely, inquisitive, insightful and appreciative of life as you are. Take the opposite of how you were raised and that was me. Raised by young parents, pretty out of touch with gardening and cooking all of that good stuff. Reading your blog has helped me to realize that I can be the one to change that and that one day when I start a family, I can shape what I want that life to look like and make the most of it. I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for inspiring those who need a little extra inspiration sometimes. And congratulations little baby Juju :)
XXXX
-Morgan (Blackbird Fly)
http://blackbrdfly.blogspot.com/

Kristi said...

a baby girl...oh the sweetness.

Abby (Diligent Joy) said...

Ahhh I just cried over this post. Baby girls are beyond precious.

Ashley J. said...

This little lady struck gold with her parents! Congradulations on your little sweetheart!
This post made me all teary. I have to go hug my princess now.

Manu said...

Congratulations!!! I bet that little bird will be as sweet and beautiful as her mom. Enjoy it, and my best wishes for the 3 of you.

Mystic Musician said...

Warmest congratulations. I love your words and intentions. Best of luck in mothering.

Kristina Gaines said...

So excited for you Aura! What a sweet blessing!

Melissa Blake said...

Aura -- I am so happy for you and your DAUGHTER!!! What fantastic news. This post is so sweet. :)

Christi said...

Such sweet and beautiful news, aura! congratulations.

Unknown said...

So beautiful and sweet. Your daughter is very lucky to be eagerly and lovingly awaited. :)

Jodi said...

perfect, a little girl.
I thought you were growing a she.
love to you sweet muma aura x

teh bobbi said...

I had a feeling it would be a girl! I love what Michael bought for her. I've been on a crazy owl kick lately and that music box is so adorable.

Donna said...

a little girl, you are blessed. yours is lovely blog. i gave birth to my little girl at home 3 years ago. she has two big brothers and we all adore her. congratulations !

Sarah-Rose said...

A daughter! oh wow. Congratulations.

Alivia said...

Thank you for sharing this exciting news with us! I gave you an award on my blog (silly as they may be, and I imagine you've already received such a thing), and I used on of your photos linking back here, as well as two text links. Hope that's okay! Let me know if you'd like me to remove it!
<3

Country Girl said...

Little girls are the best! (I'm a bit biased though, having been blessed with 2 lovely daughters.) My oldest is named Jenna...Arabic for "little bird". We call her "Jenna-bird"!
Tonya

Julie-Inspired Shares said...

I am so incredibly happy for you both...your words are so sweet and loving. You're going to be an amazing mom to your sweet little girl. I meant to say this on Saturday and I forgot...Happy Birthday, I Hope you had a beautiful day! You have a truly special year ahead of you. xo
Julie

Nicole Jeannette said...

How wonderful! That's so great! I love your blog and I'm excited to read more about your story!

Unknown said...

Oh yay. Sweet little dresses with bloomers. I loved having my little girl first. (I loved having my two boys afterwards).

Parissa said...

Congrats Aura joon!
We are also having a girl :) So exciting, isn't it? Your blog post is beautiful and inspiring...your daughter is very lucky to have such a creative and loving mother!
xo,
parissa

kelly ann said...

i am so thrilled for you and your husband. your baby girl's life is going to be filled with a lot of love. she's so blessed to have you. :) congratulations!

fawn & fern said...

You always have a way of making me tear up. You are so very beautiful in more ways than one & it is already shining through in your little lady. <3
I'd love to meet you someday. I think we'd get along quite well.

amber said...

baby girls are wonderful~ sitting here lovin on my little 2monther right now!! :)

congratulations sweet mama.

Nicki said...

I have been following your blog for a while, and I just want to tell you that you really are in incredible woman. I admire the beautiful things you say and do, and that little baby is one lucky little girl. It makes me wish all little babies would grow up with such great influences and perspective and peace. I'm sure she will help those that are not as fortunate, though, which is of equal greatness :)

Carly said...

Dear Aura,
Congratulations!This post made me cry. I am a new mother to a beautiful baby girl and she is my world. My doctor posted your blog (in San Diego) and I just love it. You are inspiring! I have often thought about giving up this crazy fast paced life and moving into the country with my little family to focus on our truths: beauty in nature and inspiration that can come from within. Best of luck to you and yours with your sweet girl. Being a mother is truly amazing- words cannot describe it and from what you have posted your daughter has a very loving Mama (and Papa).