The Gift of Life

There is something unique and amazing about the gift of a new baby.  A baby brings a smile to a person’s face; even the grumpiest of people will stop and smile at a new baby.  A baby can make grown men, men who wouldn’t normally hold delicate things and stop to relax in life, sit in their favorite rocking chair and hold the precious new bundle close, letting the baby find comfort from their strength.  A new baby can make the older people in our lives smile dreamily while remembering their children as babies.  A new baby shows the world that there is joy and beauty in this life; in spite of how “messed” up one claims this world is, a baby brings joy.

I once read somewhere that babies are the perfect way to start people.  Indeed there is truth in that, and so much more.  Babies show us how helpless we really are.  Babies show us that we all need help (not only are babies helpless but they can make parents that way too), we all need a little patience (thinking of colic, teething, and nursing yet again!), but more than that we all need love.  There is something about holding a baby, having them look directly into your eyes, slowly drift off to sleep, and then announce their total contentment with their soft sigh.  A new baby is truly the gift of life.

Every time a new baby is born, so is a new mother and father.  Even if they adults proudly wear the title of Mama or Daddy, this new life is here to teach them new things, to help them grow in their parenting, and to teach them how to parent this child in their own unique and individual bent.  Parents do indeed create new babies, but babies always create new parents.

Yesterday was the day that was set to see what our new little one was going to be.  Robert and I both knew it was a girl.  I have been so exhausted with this pregnancy that we just knew that our blessing would be in pink, well because girls take a lot out of you!  Imagine our surprise when sitting there staring at us on the ultrasound tech’s screen was the undeniable evidence that we were NOT having a girl, but being blessed with another boy.  Being the mature adults that we were, we stared at the screen in shock and then I laughed.  I couldn’t help it.  I smiled at no one in particular and laughed. In my soul I was telling God that I loved His humor, His blessings, and His desire to have our home filled with boys! 

With Cole I was disappointed that we weren’t having a girl.  Truthfully I am not disappointed with this news at all.  I was stunned for a few minutes, but then joy set in.  There is joy in the gift of life.  There is joy in the gift of boys.  There is joy in being a mother, be it to a mother of a boy or a girl.  Babies bring joy. 

It is with joy that our family announces the upcoming arrival of another son.  Jacob Alexander Best is coming soon!  What’s exciting is that his family can’t wait!