“The Birth of a New Baby”

Our first grandchild was born today, Ella Louise or “Lou” on 12/28/19 at 12:57PM. She was 8 lbs., 9.9ounces, and 20.5 inches long.  It is a stellar day.  There is nothing I can compare to this, “Lou’s birth” and for son David and Christy, mother, a safe delivery.  The child came with a little fever, as did mom and so both have been on IV antibiotics.  Christy, especially, is tired.  David is relieved, grandparents and family on both sides are rejoicing.  A new child is born into the earth.  She has her mother’s face and perhaps a tinge of her dad’s strawberry blond hair.

As I often do on special occasions, I am reflecting on this birth.  What does it mean for us as a family to welcome a new grandchild into our lives?  What does this mean for our world?  What is the best way to welcome a child into her new life?  Mother and dad nurture, mom gives her love and breastmilk, dad protects, defends and encourages.   I’m sure the rest of us will learn our parts, too, and hopefully do them with grace, power, compassion and a great sense of humility.

I remember the birth of our first child.  I was excited more than I could express, but also terrified.  I quickly realized I knew nothing about what to do for this child.  Dorothy almost died giving birth, when her BP dropped to 70/0.  She lived by God’s grace. The nurse helping her promptly gave me the baby.   I placed him in the “Laboyer bath.”  David loved it. I felt in that moment I could be a great dad.  Doubts quickly crept in, for after coming home, David cried continuously for almost six weeks.  “Colic,” the physician said.  We changed formula, went to soy, which helped only a little.  The most important thing for calming David was motion, either in our battery powered swing or placed snugly into a car seat riding around the neighborhood at 2AM, just so the child could sleep for a little while.

I remember we took shifts.  Since David was bottle fed, Dorothy did all the important day things; I took the night.  He needed food, clean diapers and continually to be comforted.  Every night was a long night, some more than others.  But it is great to be young.  Who needs more than three hours of sleep anyway? Having babies is for young people.  Dorothy was approaching 36 when the last child came. That is still young enough.  So we adjusted. Our second child, Ben, spent two weeks in NICU Greenville Hospital, for beta strep.  It was a disease caused by a bacteria I had never heard about, but it almost took our baby.  Heroic efforts, prayers and IV antibiotics saved his life.  No, God saved his life.  The rest of it, doctors and nurses helped him along.  God saved his life.  I credit the prayers of Papa Jack and Mama Nell, who fervently prayed for this child to live and those of so many others, and God heard our prayers!

Hannah, our third, was a joy in delivery and birth.  She is today a great delight, our only girl.  But she has her own set of challenges, as do we all.  Now in Vet School in Australia, she is obtaining a wonderful degree, and enough debt to last the rest of her life!  But we all must do something and if we love this something, how much the better!  Hannah truly loves her animals and by extension, her job.

So this brings me back to Baby Louise.  Christy says we will call her “Lou.”  Louise in a beloved aunt on Christy’s family’s side.  Someone remarked Louise had red hair and a great personality.  I don’t know if the red hair is true or not.  I am sure she had a great personality.   I do know that Ella Wilson is my grandmother’s name.  A kinder, gentle soul whose heart is full of compassion; that is Ella Wilson.  So now Ella lives again and Louise lives again, but not exactly.  Only their name is reborn and Ella Louise will define for herself what her name means.

This has been a very long but happy day.  The birth process started Thursday pm with inducement and Pitocin and ended today with a C section related to a fever and a new baby girl. Tomorrow gives more time to consider this question again.  How do we welcome a new baby into this world?  I am not sure.  I am sure, however, that we will all figure this out, and particularly mother and dad, Christy and David.  The rest of us will play our supporting roles.  I’m not sure yet what a grandfather actually does, except sit the baby on his knee and tell her stories.  So I will consider this question.  I shall ask others questions of persons who know.  I will learn by their examples.   I suppose we are all thought to suddenly know these things.  I am sure I don’t yet know.  But now is as good a time to find out and learn something new as any time before now.  I have such a good excuse to do this.  A new baby has been born into the world!  She is going to sit on my knee and I am going to tell her many wonderful stories.  Now is the time to do it.  There is no better time than today!

 

Grandpa “Granddad” Wilson and Grandmother Wilson