My Mom and Dad were the first visitors to see Anders. We had been going back and forth on the best time for my Mom to come out. Tom originally was going to get the six days following Anders's birth off, but then we got realizing it would be great for the NICU team if he worked that weekend, and then he could take two days off while his Mom was here. My Mom hadn't heard back on what we had decided when she determined to come up. Her eagerness to come see her new grandson thrilled me. I'm one of eight children, and Anders's is my parents 18th grandchild. It's easy to assume that he's “just another” to add to the list. So to hear her excitement and desire to come spend time with our newest addition meant a lot to me. As is so often the case my assumptions are ungrounded.

Scotter was especially thrilled to have an energetic playmate in Dantzel. She happily played cars, and hide and seek.

Dantzi took every opportunity to hold Anders. My Mom and I got realizing that this was the first time the girls had seen and held a one week old baby. Such a treat!

Tom and I had an especially fun night watching Merlin with Adee and Dantzi. They had both seen several episodes, but not the ones as late in the season as we were. Tom and I enjoy getting really into the charcters and plots of each episode and Adee and Dantz played right along. At one particularly suspensful part Adee was pacing and Dantzi was crouching on the couch! As the children of older parents, both girls have a tendency to be quite serious, so it was good to see them relaxing and just having fun.

Adee was always sweet to come down and chat with me while I nursed. She, Dad, Tom and I got to get out of the house and see “The Book Thief” which, due to my raging hormones left me in tears for three hours straight!

Despite raising eight children, my Dad often expresses uncertainty and a lack of confidence regarding caring for his grandchildren. This cracks me up because he was and is an active and involved father. Something about seeing him hold my children melts my heart.

I love how babies have this way of drawing out one's sweet and gentle side. At least for me, and I felt like I witnessed this when my family held Anders as well, when I hold my baby its as if time slows and the world's cacaphony fades. I feel an overwhelming willingness to forgo anything to care for and love my precious child. Babies are a gift. They bring out the humanity in each of us.