Awash in Emotion

More than words can say!

What a week this has been. And all I can say is, "You were right!"

The comments you've left like, "Just wait, Sheri." "You can't begin to imagine what it's like." "Our children are wonderful, but there's just something different about grandchildren!" You were right!! I'm done for! No hope for balance any longer! Smile.

Spencer came home on Tuesday with the help of his NY grandparents, John and Linda. I've never experienced a nine pound child taking four adults captive the way this one has taken us. (That's not even counting his two aunts and one "fr-aunt" - friend/aunt, Amanda. Smile.)

It seems every plan starts or ends with the singular question, "When will you be going by John and Joy's to see Spencer?" We've somehow managed to keep church and office work rolling. Although I feel sure that something major has slipped through the cracks, we'll fix it next week.

Right now, we are captivated by every twitch, coo, eyebrow lift, stretch and sigh of this little man. Our conversations revolve around the critical issues of:

• dirty diapers - number and content
• nursing - right side, left side, diet of the mom
  
• amount of sleep - or lack there of
  
• who got "hosed" - Linda is more adept at changing "boy" diapers than are we
  
• swaddling, singing, swings........

You get the picture.

Gracie and Bella feel totally abandoned. (Sitting beside me this morning wasn't sufficient. Gracie had to be in my lap for awhile.)

Phone calls checking on my dad have dropped dramatically. (Fortunately, he's been pretty understanding as he just became a GREAT grandfather, himself!)

And we are incredibly thankful that a conference date we had set last year for this weekend had to be moved to next weekend because of a scheduling conflict. God sees the future and will help us out if we let Him. Whew!

I haven't allowed myself to tug on any of the threads keeping my emotions stitched together. I'm a bit scared of unraveling that bag just yet. Every time I take a cautious peek inside my heart, it seems there's too much swirling around still and I need to give it a little more time to settle.

The first hint of a coming tidal wave was when I said at the hospital, "Oh, give me my phone. I need to call Mom and Dad first!" Hmmmm. Two years in heaven and still she is at the core of my deepest emotions.

Today we will celebrate Kristin's birthday.

It takes only a moment for me to mentally relocate to that birthing room in Asheville, NC twenty-eight years ago. My own young husband saying, "Breathe, Honey. Breathe. You're doing a great job. We'll have a baby before lunchtime!" And so we did.

I think of how we've only blinked twice it seems. And now, here we are - rehearsing the honest, heartfelt prayers of our son-in-law as his precious wife brought life into the world.

Such wonder! Such grace in operation! Such divine commentary, "Be fruitful. Multiply. Influence this world until I return."

Incredible that we are included in the plans of eternity!

If winter cold has crept into your heart, I hope you will take a moment and breathe in the warm eternal breezes of our real homeland. Babies have an incredible way of reminding us that we are not of this world. You and I are part of a much grander scheme.........

Six days old and he's already preaching great messages. Imagine what it'll be when he can actually talk!! Smile.