B is for Bassinet (and baby pictures!)

B is for Bassinet: A basket with a hood over one end (often made of wickerwork), for use as a baby's cradle.

Family members and friends that remain with us throughout much of our lives reside in a very special place within our hearts. So do some family treasures. This family bassinet is one of those dear to my heart.

Purchased by my grandmother in the early 1940s, this sweet bassinet has welcomed many babies throughout the seventy-some years that it has been in use within my extended family. Lots of cousins new to the world have slept soundly within the comfort of its cozy wicker warmth.

Here I am as a newborn being held by my other (Irish) grandmother - next to the already two-decade-old bassinet. Pink ribbons for baby Lisa!

Over the years this little bassinet has turned baby blue for little boys (like my brand-new son pictured here):

And been decked out in pretty pink for little girls (like my sweet daughter pictured here):

I can't tell you what a joyful sight it has been for me to see a real baby sleeping soundly in this special bassinet after having it reside empty in my bedroom for awhile at the end of each pregnancy.  All prettied-up and waiting for a baby, it has kept me (and many other mothers within my family) company during those last trying weeks, and warmly welcomed my little newborn bundles into the family once they'd arrived.

And, did I mention? It's the perfect height for big sisters to peer over and take a peek at the new baby!

This article was written for Treasure Chest Thursday. It was also written in response to the Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge.  Follow me here at 100 Years in America as I try to keep up with the challenge to work through the alphabet while writing my family history. I'm way behind getting started, but here goes!