by Kelly

my first ultra sound

is of my boob not my womb —

unexpected twist

by Kelly

Thirty-seven now.

When my mother was my age

I was twelve years old.

by Kelly

circling our future

bound by too many unknowns –

two go-getters stuck

by Kelly

the pee stick says I’m

ripe with possibility —

I don’t feel like it

by Kelly

People like to ask —

Planning to start a family?

I practice restraint.

by Kelly

for a brief moment

each month I wonder — for him

is just us enough?

by Kelly

How much faith should I

place in this fertility

goddess my friend sent?

by Alison

the way she says “please!”

is so diabolical –

the terrible twos

by Kelly

I’m in no mood to

take my daily morning temp

and plot it all month.

by Alison

My daughter, Penny, loves books — as do I. So excited was I to share my love of books that I started reading to her on day one. This, ahem, did not go over very well, but we did start reading together soon after. And so Penelope, now 4 months shy of her second birthday, has become a picture book connoisseur of sorts.

Which takes me back to haiku. Haiku Baby by Betsy Snyder is a definite favorite. So much do we love this portable picture book with 6 illustrated haiku about nature and seasons, that I have decided every future shower gift will include a copy of Haiku Baby.

The illustrations are simply adorable. Check out the charming bluebird on the cover. This bird accompanies each haiku along with other cuddly animals in seasonal settings. How sweet is that?

The haiku are also perfect for babies, in their playful and simple language. Here is Penny’s favorite:

Under summer sun

turtle drops in for a swim -

plunk, plop, belly flop!

But enough from me. Here is Penny describing what she likes about Haiku Baby in her very own words:

“Woooosh!!!”

translation: I really like the haiku about the wind and the leaves. Haiku Baby is about trees, rain and turtles basking in the sun. Nature is fun and also cute.

“Turtle! Turtle! Turtle!”

translation: I’m only 20 months old so I don’t know  a ton of words. But I do know a lot of the words in Haiku Baby. I know “turtle”, “hippo” and “flower”. I don’t know “igloo” but I’m sure I’ll learn that soon enough.

“Bye bye!”

translation: Whew. We made it to the end of the book. This almost never happens because like most toddlers, I have an incredibly short attention span. Six haiku at seventeen syllables each - perfect!

All haiku in this post © Betsy Snyder.