{"product_id":"they-bloom-because-of-you-isbn-9798217178032","title":"They Bloom Because of You","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunday Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author and Instagram sensation Jessica Urlichs returns with a new collection of beautifully observed poems about the ever-evolving journey of motherhood—the hard, the magic, and the fleeting.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe love you have for your children\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eOnly deepens as they grow\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs poet Jessica Urlichs emerged from the beautiful chaos of new motherhood and watched her children grow, she felt her breathing slow and a more intimate appreciation for life develop—as a mother, wife, daughter, and friend. In \u003ci\u003eThey Bloom Because of You, \u003c\/i\u003eJess lays bare the surprising triumphs, sorrows, evolving love, empathy, and slightly subdued chaos that occurs as our children bloom and become alongside us. Reflecting on motherhood into school age, Jess offers a much-needed exhale, a hand to hold during this precious and fleeting time, and an often-forgotten acknowledgment of just how far we’ve come.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA balm for the soul, Jess’s poems poignantly remind us of what once was (our beautiful babies) while tenderly planting us in the now (our growing children) and looking toward a hopeful future, \u003ci\u003etogether\u003c\/i\u003e.One of Zibby Owens' Most Anticipated Reads for March 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“At once uplifting and unvarnished, vulnerable and triumphant, \u003ci\u003eThey Bloom Because of You\u003c\/i\u003e is a metaphor for the complex poetry of motherhood itself—an ode to the chaos and beauty, the failures and triumphs, the messiness and sleepless nights, frustrations and endless joys that make up not only the experience of raising a child, but of the ways in which our children raise us.” \u003cb\u003e—Miranda Cowley Heller, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Paper Palace\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\"This isn't one of those esoteric, inaccessible poetry collections. No, Jessica Urlichs's new collection is a contemporary ode to motherhood, filled with relatable snippets that explain love that's so big, it's impossible to encapsulate. One poem was so relevant that I read it out loud to my son the night after I interviewed Jessica on my podcast. Tackling topics like loss, love, and chaos, this humorous slim read is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The perfect quick read in between mom-life moments.\" \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKatie Couric Media\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The first time I read something Jessica wrote, it lifted the postpartum fog I was in. And I was deeply grateful to have someone put into words what I was feeling but couldn’t express. This book is not just something you read once. It’s a companion that allows us to be all we are as mothers and women with no judgement and instead love. It’s a book to keep close and come back to over and over again like you would a best friend. “ \u003cb\u003e—Jennifer Love Hewitt\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I often say you can’t put motherhood into words, it can’t be defined by any number of adjectives or emotions, it’s a feeling you can only understand through living it. Jessica is the closest I’ve felt to putting that feeling into words. A raw and honest read that makes you feel seen and understood in a way that will bring you to tears, both from the deepest place of joy and also the release of pent-up emotion. Reminding us that there is no singular path through motherhood, but that we are in fact, in this together.” \u003cb\u003e—Hilary Swank\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Jessica’s writing is deeply captivating, honest, and evokes every emotion. She captures the experience of motherhood with such clarity that it resonates not only with those living it, but also with those who haven't yet stepped into the role. Her words invite you into the full spectrum of joy, awe, exhaustion, and love—all while offering a profound reminder of the love our own mothers gave us when we were small. Though I’m not yet a mother myself, reading Jessica’s work fills me with a sense of wonder and excitement for all the love that lies ahead.” \u003cb\u003e—Josie Balka, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eI Hope You Remember: Poems on Loving, Longing, and Living\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Jessica’s words are a gift for mothers everywhere. Soft, soulful and soothing, they remind us that even the most mundane moments are sacred.” \u003cb\u003e—Nicola Jane Hobbs, author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Relaxed Woman: Reclaim Rest and Live an Empowered, Joy-Filled Life\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Jessica Urlichs offers a hopeful reminder that motherhood is not a destination but an unfolding of the self. Reading her poetry nourishes the soul, allowing mothers to feel seen in the emotional complexity of motherhood and in witnessing our children—and ourselves—bloom.” \u003cb\u003e—Bryana Kappadakunnel, author of \u003ci\u003eParent Yourself First\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Jess Urlichs manages to take the little bits of motherhood that very few acknowledge and serve them up in beautiful poetry. Observations that feel like a peek behind a curtain into the realities of motherhood in all its forms and demands. Real, uplifting, reflective and (sometimes) sad - this is a book to treasure. I adore Jess and her work.” \u003cb\u003e—Giovanna Fletcher, author of \u003ci\u003eHappy Mum, Happy Baby: My Adventures in Motherhood\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Jessica Urlichs has become the voice mothers turn to. Her poems are moving, real, and a reminder that we are never alone in this journey. \u003ci\u003eThey Bloom Because Of You\u003c\/i\u003e is a gift to every mother.” \u003cb\u003e—Rose Brik, author of \u003ci\u003eMy Father’s Eyes, My Mother’s Rage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Jess’s poems always seem to find me right where I need them, like a very good mum friend who just knows all the right words to say. I just love everything she writes and I think ‘They Bloom Because of You’ is the perfect follow on from ‘Beautiful Chaos’ as my own kids get older I’m sure Jess’s words will continue to provide a soundtrack to their childhood.”\u003cb\u003e —Kerri Cunningham, founder of Murphy’s Sketches and author of \u003ci\u003eThere Is a Season: Poems to Celebrate the Little Things in Life\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“The poetic comfort and deep understanding every mother needs. Jess shines a gentle light on those dark 3 a.m. feeds and captures the overwhelming joy and ache of parenthood with rare honesty. I wish I’d had her words when I was deep in the trenches of that sheer love-and-terror season of early parenting. Beautiful words every mother needs. This book is a balm for the weary. Jess’s words land like love.”\u003cb\u003e —Donna Ashworth, #1 \u003ci\u003eSunday Times \u003c\/i\u003e(UK) bestselling author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWild Hope: Healing Words to Find Light on Dark Days\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“They Bloom Because of You\u003c\/i\u003e is a tender and earnest ode to motherhood. Jessica Urlichs has a gift for distilling the intricate experiences of motherhood into something both tangible and deeply relatable. This is a book that will meet you exactly where you’re at and remind you that the love you pour out is always growing something beautiful.”\u003cb\u003e —Elise Powers, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Size of Your Joy\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eJessica Urlichs\u003c\/b\u003e is a \u003ci\u003eSunday Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author and poet who lives in New Zealand with her husband and three children. She has written a variety of children's books to help babies and young children navigate their emotions in their early years. Jess’ honest and heartfelt poetry about her family and motherhood continue to be a source of guidance for mothers and parents alike around the world to connect.CAUTION: This email originated from outside of Penguin Random House. Please be extra cautious when opening file attachments or clicking on links.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a mother somewhere, whose grown \u003cbr\u003echild lives on the other side of the world,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eshe holds them in her heart because of the \u003cbr\u003edistance between their arms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a mother somewhere, whose baby won't \u003cbr\u003estop crying, they want to be held, fed to sleep, they need \u003cbr\u003eher so much and all she wants is a moment alone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a mother somewhere, whose child may \u003cbr\u003enever say the word \"mama,\" she's faced unimaginable challenges, and dreams of that sound often.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a mother somewhere, who has heard the word \"mummy,\" on repeat, she's touched out, it's all so loud,\u003cbr\u003eand she's desperate for a moment of silence.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a mother somewhere, awake, tiptoeing \u003cbr\u003eout the door of the nursery, her tears not long \u003cbr\u003edried, she dreams of sleep, she adores her baby but still \u003cbr\u003ethinks back to those carefree days sometimes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a mother somewhere, awake, who hears tiptoeing down the hallway because her teenager got in late, she loves watching them grow, but she thinks back to the days they were little and would climb into her bed for cuddles instead.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a mother somewhere, her house is full \u003cbr\u003eof noise and mess, lived in and loved.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a mother somewhere, her house is clean \u003cbr\u003eand silent, and memories hang on the walls.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a mother somewhere, telling her grandchildren about what their parents were like when they were little.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a mother somewhere, asking \u003cbr\u003eher own mother, what was it like?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's heartachingly beautiful, and sometimes, \u003cbr\u003ea beautiful heartache.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf she tells you this is incredible, the best thing\u003cbr\u003eshe's ever done, believe her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf she tells you this is hard, the hardest thing \u003cbr\u003eshe's ever done, believe her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's heartachingly \u003cbr\u003ebeautiful, and sometimes, \u003cbr\u003ea beautiful heartache.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJessica Urlichs, They Bloom Because of You\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhere I Begin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou made me a mother\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand so much more\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI became a home\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand you opened that door.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy heart took a leap\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eleft my body anew\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ea wholesome hollow\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ewhen we became two.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou took your first breath\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eas I held my own\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ethe world stood still\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eas you started to roam.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI've been out of my mind\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand I've been in my head\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003elike a hallway of frames\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003efilled with you instead.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd no song sounds as sweet\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003enor the ocean, nor birds,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eas the hum in my memory\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eof your first words.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSee, I can't explain\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ethis weakness and strength\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ewhere you begin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand where I end.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy voice became louder\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ea whisper turned roar\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eit's hard to imagine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003emy life before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBecause I'd give you the world\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ebut my heart will have to do\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003efor they're one and the same\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003enow it lives in you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen a Mother Falls in Love\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePeople will try to tell you about that first moment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen you fall in love.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd you'll nod, you'll sit there in awe trying to make \u003cbr\u003esense of a feeling that could never be put into words.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBecause how do you explain about knowing love but not like this, how it runs through your veins. How with each inhale you'll consume it forever from this moment forward. That your new home is wherever they are, and theirs is simply you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow do you explain this pain with a purpose, the one \u003cbr\u003ethat pulls every ounce of strength from your body. Strength you never knew you had, strength that waited for you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow do you explain wanting the world to know \u003cbr\u003eabout this perfect little person you're staring down at, and\u003cbr\u003ein the same breath, wanting to protect them from it. That you've never felt so fierce and so vulnerable, that your\u003cbr\u003earms have never felt so important.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow do you explain that those months of growing \u003cbr\u003ethem, would be the beginning of them growing you. How you can be born again, still you and someone new.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow do you explain how it feels as if you've \u003cbr\u003eknown them forever. How they find your eyes like \u003cbr\u003eit's all they've been searching for.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow do you explain how time will stand still, \u003cbr\u003ebut never still enough to catch it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow your legs will wobble in this new role \u003cbr\u003eand yet you'll never stand so tall, and how heartbeats \u003cbr\u003ehave their own language.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat this love has a sense of melancholy, \u003cbr\u003eyou'll feel everything, it's so big it hurts. It's \u003cbr\u003epeaceful and it's terrifying.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA journey where your destination travels alongside you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA detached piece of yourself that makes you feel whole.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA color before the bloom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA type of magic handmade just for us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaybe that's why no words could ever do it just.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow do you explain how \u003cbr\u003etime will stand still, but never still enough to catch it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJessica Urlichs, They Bloom Because of You\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI'll Hold Your Hand\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere will always be days where the world feels tough\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo let me remind you, that you are enough.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere will always be lows, there will always be highs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo hold my hand, and together we'll fly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere will always be troubles, but tomorrow is new\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo hold my hand, and let me show you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere will always be darkness, but the sun will still rise\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo hold my hand, let your glow be your light.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere will always be sadness, but there's love on the shore\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLet it wash over you, hold my hand a bit more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor each crack in the earth, a star shines above\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor each heart that breaks, someone's falling in love.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd for every beginning, there'll be someone you miss\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou can hold my hand through it, I'm so glad you exist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere's pain and there's beauty, there's joy and there's fear\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd in each given moment, I'm so happy you're here.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo, when it seems heavy and it's harder to stand\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou can lean on me instead, I'll hold your hand.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn each given moment, \u003cbr\u003eI'm so happy you're here.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJessica Urlichs, They Bloom Because of You\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo My Midwife\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI don't know how to thank you\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor all that you have done\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe way that you move heaven and earth\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA hero who's unsung.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe power you have witnessed\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow you reminded me\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe strength I had within\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe beauty that you see.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd all those months you listened\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMeasured, soothed, and cared\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe texts and calls you took\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe way that you were there.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt takes someone so special\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo do all that you do\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo hold each birth close to your heart\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd all the heartbreaks too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd though I felt so vulnerable\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn those moments of love and pain\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou told me I was strong\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAgain, and again, and again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou guided a life into this world\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd then you guided another\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn all the weeks thereafter\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs I became a mother.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd each time I would soften\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs you walked through my door\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt feels a little strange\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat I won't see you anymore.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo, I just want to thank you\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor this huge part of my life\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI'll always remember that day\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd I'll always remember my midwife.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNeither You, Nor I\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMama, we haven't done this before,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNeither you, nor I.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe both feel very small,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand these arms don't feel like mine.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's very hard to focus\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd everything is new\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut I hear a voice as you pull me in\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd my heart knows it is you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI know that you are tired\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFull of worry, love, and fear\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut only when I'm with you\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDo my worries disappear.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo, let's lie here together\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLet's take it day by day\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJust press my heart against your own\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd let it show the way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMama, please don't fear these days\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor they will pass us by.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe're both brand-new,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe haven't done this before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNeither you, nor I.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat If\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat if in the beginning\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe told mothers it was okay?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo surrender, give in, hold on, as long\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs the night turned into day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd what if from the start\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe supported how a mother feeds?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf she could, or couldn't, or simply chose\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo remember her own needs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd what if we said \"it's normal\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo not always feel so together?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLet's change \"just you wait and see\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo \"it won't be like this forever.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd instead of holding the baby\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat if we held the mother?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd walked together on this journey\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne foot after the other.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd what if we encouraged her\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo do whatever felt right?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo soften into her knowing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the harder parts of night.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd what if we spoke of all the shades\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe sunsets and the blues?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat her path is hers, and how beautiful it is\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo find something you didn't lose.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd instead of holding the baby\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat if we held the mother?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJessica Urlichs, They Bloom Because of You\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA Mother's Love\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou must have known I loved you,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore you came to be.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy some divine miracle\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou found your way to me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou must have felt my love for you\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore you could even feel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou must have heard my call for you\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore you were even real.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd now we lie together\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA new familiar gaze.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI promise that I'll never\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBe the first to look away.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI've loved you for the longest time\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMuch longer than it seems.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore we even met\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBecause I loved you in my dreams.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCoffee Is Not Enough\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHere's to the mums who feed to sleep\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHave forgotten to eat\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePick things up with their feet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHere's to the mums who have a quick shave,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJust of their ankles\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo time in the day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHere's to the mums who quickly walk by\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheir furry first baby\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhose tail wags to say hi.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHere's to the mums who think they've done nothing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBeing someone's constant\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIs more than just something.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBrain is scattered, mismatched like socks\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn your worst day\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou are still someone's rock.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd here's to the mums who feel they may break\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith each little startle\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd every night wake.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTired and tangled, this is no easy feat\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut just a reminder:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePlease have something to eat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn your worst day\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou are still someone's rock.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJessica Urlichs, They Bloom Because of You\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA Mother's First Steps\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNone of regulating their big emotions while\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003etrying to regulate your own is easy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo one can tell you how to do this,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eno one knows your children like you do,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eeven on the days you feel like you don't.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis isn't a dress rehearsal, there is no main act,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eno true measurable goals,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eonly the moment before you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou can't hold on to everything you did or didn't do,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ethere are no receipts or score cards, no winning\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eor losing, just being, and feeling, and connecting,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand disconnecting\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand love bursting forth\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand numbness in between it all,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand trying,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand trying,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand trying again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll I Love\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI love that I get to hold you\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd swoop in when you call\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHold myself out like a blanket\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBe your landing when you fall\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI love that I'm your safety\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat it's my hand you hold\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI love how it is my embrace\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat weaves your pain to gold\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI love that on the longest nights\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs you drift off to my smell\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy heavy head tomorrow\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIs the only thing I'll dwell\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI love that I'm that place\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor your worries and your fears\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy heartbeat in a shell\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLike an ocean to your ears\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI love that in the morning\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEven in the early rise\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy face over the crib\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIs the light behind your eyes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI love these slow and gentle days\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow they blend with one another\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlways the mother of a baby\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd the baby of a mother\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut I hurt for all I love\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor the mothers who want nothing more\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThan to go back to the hard beginnings\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat seemed so hard before\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy heart is torn for all I love\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd so, I hold you close\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor those with aching hearts\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWho know a mother's love the most.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOur Chair\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI know we are here a lot, Mama,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003etogether in this chair\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ebut right now I don't want to be\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eanywhere but here.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's warm, and it's familiar,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eyet every moment is new\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003elittle building blocks\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eof the safety that is you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI won't recall these memories\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ethese nights of you and me,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ehow when I cry out again, and again\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eit's your beautiful face I see.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut your soothing will be my song,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eyour skin will be my home\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis belonging will always live in my heart\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eeven when I'm alone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYour voice shines through the darkness\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eas you lift me to your embrace,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003emy little hands search for you,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eas you wipe tears from my face.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne day our nights won't look like this,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eone day you'll set me down\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI'll never sleep on you again,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ewith no chair to be found.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe chair will become your arms,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eor the comfort of your smile\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe chair will become your voice on the phone\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ethat I've missed hearing for a while.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo for now, Mama, please hold me close\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eback and forth together,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI may not remember our chair\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ebut I'll carry these moments forever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMother\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou're not just a person\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou're a place.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou are someone's home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI See You Now, My Friend\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI wish I could say \"I see you\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs I think back to before\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow I watched you become a mother\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut it wasn't you I saw\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou shared your announcement photo\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYour baby, all brand-new\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Welcome to this world,\" it read\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd it should have been for you\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI wish I'd held you before the baby\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd listened between the lines\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaybe I would have asked again\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen you told me you were fine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI wish I'd seen more than the smiles\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd realized your tears had dried\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd known your sun had become the one\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat set in your baby's eyes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd when you said you were tired\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI wish I knew what you meant\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI nodded, imagining the longest nights\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut your body felt broken and bent\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI wish I had known that consuming love\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd truly celebrated your wins\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe privilege of being invited over\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs you let the outside in\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI wish I had seen the immense change\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd not just of your view\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat even though you were so in love\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt times you felt lonely too\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat as magnificent as you seemed\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou had your doubts and fears\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat a piece of you now lived on your sleeve\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd your moods were mapped by theirs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI wish I had listened more closely\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe first smiles, first rolls, and feeding\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd just how big these achievements were\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow you told me these days were fleeting\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd when you left the house those times","brand":"G.P. Putnam's Sons","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233774711013,"sku":"NP9798217178032","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9798217178032.jpg?v=1767742422","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/they-bloom-because-of-you-isbn-9798217178032","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}