I Break for Babies - Obviously

The Joyful Nonconformist Blog ^ | 04/08/11 | Joyful Nonconformist

[MintyHippo1980]

Call it an amusing coincidence: After my last post's lengthy confession of my borderline planning-pathology, I have broken with my plans for this post in order to seize a God-given moment...and invite you to join me in rejoicing!

The morning after I published my post about our daughter Mercy--pointing ahead to our youngest child, Sam--I received a call from our #3 daughter Kayla, who was two days short of her due date. She had gone for what she hoped would be her final pre-natal appointment before the baby arrived...and, oops! The midwife accidentally ruptured her membranes!

I love a happy little accident! :-)

Now, my children are extraordinary eaves-droppers, so the moment they heard the tone of my voice, they pieced together what that call was about...and before the phone was completely hung up, the whole house erupted into pandemonium!

I realize I used that same description to illustrate our family's reaction to happy news in my last post, but the truth of the matter is that we're not a people known for our calm restraint...so, it's an accurate picture of our excitement-response more often than not.

Then, when the initial burst of adrenaline was exhausted...when the squealing and the bouncing had quieted a little...we stood in the living room--all nine of us--and lifted Kayla and Baby Sammi up to the Lord in prayer. I realize, of course, that God hears us in our isolation just as clearly as He does when we're in a crowd...but sometimes there is just nothing like gathering the herd together to pray for one of our own. Powerful stuff, that is!

Then we received more great news: We could help Kayla the most in her war effort by going and picking up our 3-year old granddaughter Jayla. No problemo!

Here she is at her birthday party two weeks ago.

I mean, really...if you're going to have to wait around for your newest family member to arrive, you might as well at least enjoy a little pleasant distraction!

Sometimes I feel sort of bad for our grandkids because we still have so many little children at home. We're totally in parent-mode, so they probably don't get away with quite as much as they would with grandparents who had moved completely into spoil-mode.

But the flip-side is that coming to visit Grandpappy and Grammy Bennett means having LOTS of other kids to play with! Everybody's happy...and the old folks don't have to throw their backs out trying to keep everyone entertained. It's a nice system!

And fortunately for all of us, Kayla is a force to be reckoned with in the delivery room! So, even though she would probably beg to differ, we didn't have to wait long at all to receive our first look at Samantha Jolynn Damer...Sammi Jo to her friends!

Don't you just love cell phones and picture-messaging?!

Here's what made it extra fun for those of us who couldn't be at the hospital to rejoice in person: We got to show Jayla that picture! Precious!

And here's something else that strikes me as an extra blessing from the Giver of all good gifts: Big sister Jayla was born three years ago on Resurrection Sunday...and Sammi Jo was born during praise team practice! So there we were--Sweet Jimmy B on guitar, me on my tambourine stool, son-in-law Nick getting his bass ready to go--when that picture came in! We got to stand in the sanctuary, woo-hoo-ing and enjoying a family hug, surrounded by the rest of the praise band...who managed to restrain themselves for just a second before they joined us in celebration and praise to God for a safe delivery.

I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God! Can I get an Amen?!

And then...best of all...this morning we got to take Jayla to meet her new baby sister. What a joy to be with her when she first held this baby she had been talking about for such a long time! And as the owner of a sister myself...as the mother of seven sisters...it was almost more than I could hold to know that I stood on the precious ground floor of a brand-new sisterhood. Too sweet for words!

As we rode the rapids of an unusually exciting 24-hour moment in time and slowly coasted back to the frenetic pace of our normal rhythm of life, I was dumbstruck by all the blessings that had been poured into such a relatively tiny space. The big stuff is obvious: a healthy mommy and a healthy baby. But there was so much other stuff too...and some of it won't mean much to anyone else, maybe, but to me it felt like being sent on a treasure hunt by the One who best knows what blesses my heart.

I got to feel like I was a part of Sammi's arrival because Lyndsay (daughter #2) so faithfully texted me every step of the way until her thumbs were sore. I got to see my son-in-law Ryan overwhelmed with love for my new granddaughter...and my older granddaughter...and my daughter. I listened to daughter #1 (Krystal) in her excitement at seeing her new niece, rejoicing with her sister. I got to hear Jayla, singing a little song about "Sammi Jo...Sammi Jo..." in the back seat of the van. I started my day with the slinging of waffles to seven noisy children and two noisy grandchildren, all gathered around my kitchen table together.

Then I realized, as I was leaving the hospital with my husband, that I never once, during our whirlwind courtship, thought about being grandparents together one day. That was silly of me, because this pretty much rocks!

Especially when we pulled out of the parking lot, and he looked at me and asked if we were going to stop for coffee before heading home to the troops. He asks such silly questions sometimes! :-)

Blessings! Missy

Children's children are a crown to the aged... Proverbs 17:6a

[MintyHippo1980]

Can't wait to be a grandparent!

[spookie]

how about being a Great Grandparent. That is me and waiting for the next generation of Great Great Grandparenting.

[murron]

I hope I live so long. My oldest grandchild is 11.