Bellies

Baby, you’re going to find it funny that your Papa had to deal with all the same pregnancy symptoms as me.
From weight gain to fatigue,
heartburn to hormones,
he’s had them all.

But the funniest is the belly.
Both of us have them now.
If we’re lucky, when you’re born, you’re going to have a belly too, and for a happy, budda-like moment of giggles, all the Hearns will have something to rub.

I can’t wait to rub your belly.

Bocce

When your Papa and I moved to the Napa Valley, we didn’t know any local friends.

Thanks to a generous offer from a generous boss, we joined a work-sponsored team. Through that, we became a part of a community. Bocce means more to us than just a weekly activity.

It keeps us connected to our town,
informed about local issues and
introduced us to people we care deeply about.

A few years ago, your Papa became captain of our bocce team.
I organize the players, we have team jackets, we have theme pot lucks and we relish the amazing food and wine that makes it to Crane Park each and every Thursday night.

We’ve played well and we’ve had fun.
I hope you come along with us.
I want to see you run with the dogs and taste all the food.

I want you to enjoy belonging to a community the way we do.

Buster Butterfield McLeod

Dear baby,

A few years ago, I met a man who followed his dreams. He filled his life with people he loved, he acted as he wanted to, he experimented, he connected. He became my friend.

He has a manifesto. I hope you have a manifesto. I hope your manifesto changes. I like manifestos.

Anyway, here are Buster’s:
1. You must not dilly-dally.
2. You must be your word.
3. You must have good intentions.
4. You must admit to being the maker of meaning.
5. You must not feel sorry for yourself.
6. You must have a vision that you are striving for.
7. You must tie creativity and experimentation with survival.
8. You must be the change.
9. You must rally others with your vision.
10. You must stake your reputation on your better self.
11. You must be responsible for your own failure and success.
12. You must be comfortable with big failure.

By the time you read this, Buster may have changed his name, he likes to do that.
By the time you read this, Buster may have blue hair, he may have gotten an eye patch tattoo, he may have decided to build a cottage out of discarded wine bottles.
By the time you read this, I know Buster will have followed his heart to wherever it lead him, and I hope you can do that too.

I hope you feel the support from your Papa and I to follow your heart, take some risks and love big.

Love really big.

B is also for big.