At this point, i’m not sure whether i’m just projecting or discerning Chiara’s personality. But i feel fairly confident that Chiara will be fierce. i don’t mean that she isn’t cute and smiley and gorgeous and all these other warm and cuddly things, but i sense that she will be someone able to take care of herself when necessary, and perhaps have an independent streak too.

i see her ferocity when she eats. even at this tiny size, she attacks her food source with determination and this fierce little look in her eye. it is an unmistakable expression. and every time i see it, i feel proud that she has this strength. and i feel a responsibility for nurturing it.

i hadn’t thought too much about what it would mean to bring a child into the world, least of all a daughter. but being a woman myself, i am sensitive to the ways in which the world tries to mold girls and women into soft shapes, erasing inherent bumps and hard edges. i suppose this is a process that everyone goes through to some degree, but i feel it’s my duty as Chiara’s mother to vigilantly guard against shaving off too many of those crags. too many people have ideas about what is “feminine” and what is “masculine.” but Chiara needs to be who she is.