Aunt!

Danna had her baby on Thursday. Everything went smoothly, and the baby is so cute. This is my first niece or nephew, and I had never stood in the hallway waiting for a baby. I have always been the one having the baby, or not close enough or old enough to be in the hospital. It was a strange, unnerving experience to be on the other side of the door. I was so anxious for my sister because I knew that she was worried about having a birth like Lucy's. I stood there outside the door with my ear pressed against, and later with a stethoscope that a nurse let me borrow trying to keep tabs on what was happening. But, everything went well. She pushed for a third of the time that I did and didn't tear at all. Not a stitch! I was so relieved, as I had been begging and bartering with heaven while I stood on the other side of that door that things went smoothly.

Riley is adorable! Perhaps all babies are, but I think this one is especially. He is soo long--22 1/2 inches and big 8 lbs 10 oz. Lucy was two full pounds lighter than him! He knows his mama and the first time I handed him back to her, he snuggled right in and cooed. So sweet. I remember those moments with my babies. I've often tried to write a poem or something to express or capture those feelings, but they always turn out more sentimental than a hallmark card. Oscar Wilde said "All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling. To be natural is to be obvious, and to be obvious is to be inartistic." So I will spare you my bad poetry. But the baby is beautiful and I took a few cute pictures.

He has huge feet, which we have dubbed his Phelp's Phlippers because he is an Olympics baby. I love baby feet. His are so newborn still, all wrinkley. cute.