I’m not sure what my book will be titled yet. Here’s a brief synopsis…

Maggie Walker (for all of my Richmond friends…her name is explained in the book) is a young woman who lost her mother to cancer when she was younger. Maggie needs to find answers about her mother, Cece, and her life. As Maggie looks for anwers from her family and her mother’s friends she stumbles across volumes and volumes of diaries. The diaries are filled with life stories, rich with history about her mother, her family and Maggie herself.

These are two days from CeCe’s diaries. Keep in mind this is an extreme rough draft…

I sit here in awe of the tiny, little miracle I am holding in my arms. Margaret Mary Walker is here today ~ August 11. She weighs in at 7 pounds 11 ounces and she is 21 inches long. William is on his way, bringing Ryan, Bradley and Katie to meet their new sister.

William and I left for the hospital this afternoon and Maggie made her appearance quickly. William scooped her up and true to his word to the kids, he gave her the name they picked out for her ~ Maggie. We sat together, just the three of us, for a little while and just now I sent him on his way to bring the other kiddos to the hospital to meet their new sister.

My parents, brothers and sisters-in-law will be descending on us soon. I asked for a little time with just us before the group grows too big. I can hear the kids trooping down the hall now.

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I have tears in my eyes as I write this. The kids are just so sweet. Maggie and I are home now. That feels good to say ~ “Maggie and I.” She is beautiful and perfect, with just a sprinkling of freckles. Her hair is soft and downy, blond with a hint of red. I don’t know if it will stay that color or not but it’s stunning.

She and I are escorted into her nursery and I am stunned by what the kids and William have done….

The walls are a soft buttery yellow with murals on three sides of the room. The murals, I am told, are all painted by the kids. Ryan tells me about the idea behind the mural. The kids want Maggie to know about life in our family. They want her to learn, through, pictures, what it means to be a part of the Walker family. So each of Maggie’s siblings have painted their version of our family on the walls. The beauty and simplicity of their drawings stun me into silence. I look closely at each drawing and see that the kids have all painted their version of our family to include being perfect, with Maggie. She is on every wall. I sit in the rocking chair they placed beside the mahogany crib. And I stare at each of them with wonder and awe.

I continue to look around the room and I see the soft, lacy curtain that cover the window. The are billowing ever so gently in the warm, late, summer breeze that has greeted Richmond the past several days. I see the stuffed animals that each of the kids has raided from their own closets to give to Maggie. I see Frog, Tigger and Franklin ~ some of the kids’ favorites. I see two sets of initials on the dresser with the open spot on the wall where they will be hung ~ two sets because we didn’t know if we would need MMW or BJW. I see the beautiful mobile hanging above the crib with its moons, stars, cows, cats and fiddles. Books line the books shelves near the crib, filled with favorites of years gone by. I see “Goodnight Moon,” “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish,” ” Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You,” and “Do You Know How Much I Love You?” just to name a few.

It’s a whole new world now. Reality is here and her name is Maggie. I can’t believe how much the kids have done to prepare for the arrival of their new baby sister. They have given me more than they will ever know. They have given me the knowledge that Maggie will be well loved.