Baylor Thomas Bright made his triumphant entry into this world on Thursday, June 24, at 6 p.m.
For Krista and me, he is grandchild number three, joining 3-year-old Harper Rae Bright and 2-year-old Beckett Nelson Bright.
For the record, Harper will be 4 in August, so the age difference between big sister and her youngest sibling is somewhat greater than appears.
With three young children, daughter Kelsey and son-in-law Ryan are sure to find their hands full from time to time, so Uncle Brandon, Papa and Mammy will be readily available to assist, as will Pop Pop, Granna, Granny, Pappaw, Mammaw, and the list goes on.
After giving birth Thursday, Kelsey took some time Saturday night for reflection, sharing in a Facebook post an account that I thought was quite moving. She writes:
“I’ve been thinking about it for weeks as my pregnancy wound down. It was when I was in my last hour or so of labor around 4:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon, though, that it hit me. I was in the room alone. My husband had gone to tell nurses that the peanut ball I was straddling was making me really uncomfortable. Without effort, tears started rolling down my face.
“I studied the room. The bright lights were ready to be shone on a beautiful new baby. The baby warmer, not turned on yet ... [was] awaiting a swarm of nursery nurses to start it up and put use to it. The simple dry-erase board with nurses’ names, numbers, and one square that read ‘Today’s Goal: Push out a surprise :) baby!’
“Behind me, though I couldn’t turn over, was a chair where my husband had been up and down since admission at 5:30 that morning. The couch held our bag and the baby’s bag with gender neutral essentials, as well as outfits, one boys’ and one girls’, to announce to the world what we’d soon welcome. I viewed the screen where I could see my contractions ... Then, blankly, with a wet face and tear-filled eyes, I stared at the wall in disbelief. This was it. This is where we turn the last page in our chapter of ‘Giving Life.’
“In the last 4 years, I’ve been so blessed to conceive, carry, help grow, and birth 3 tiny, beautiful, perfect little humans. One of them is a smart, small, pretty princess full of personality. Another is a blonde haired, blue eyed, adventurous, loving little boy. Lastly, we just welcomed a chubby cheeked, cuddly little boy who we await watching his personality bloom.
“While this chapter in our life ... ends, I can’t help but be emotional. It has been such a beautiful, timeless journey. I know the next chapter holds many adventures, joy in watching them learn and grow, and lots of surprises. That doesn’t make turning the last page to this chapter any easier though, because, well, unless God decides otherwise, we’ve decided to flip forward and not turn back. ...”
Kelsey and Ryan have decided that three children is the right number for them. I know from experience it is a very sobering place to reach.
Yet, while they may be done “giving life” in the form of newborn children, their three tiny miracles have only begun to fulfill their part of the plan to radiate life, enrich life and grow the legacy of life.
As the great Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once noted, “Life is a flame that is always burning itself out, but it catches fire again every time a child is born.”
