Nathan Sullivan Merrill

March 27, 2014 at 5:22 a.m. Nathan Sullivan Merrill came into the world to join the family.

Nathan and his Momma, Tianna, went through the wringer to get sorted out for this birth. He and she had several rough days before the time appointed arrived.

Weighing in at a tidy 6 lbs and 13 oz and 20 1/2 inches long, Nathan is the first little one for Thomas and Tianna. Thomas, like most new fathers isn't really sure what comes next. Becoming parents is a new adventure that doesn't have any kind of manual of instructions other than what you observed and felt from your  own family as you were growing up and maybe some of what you saw in the families of your friends.

Tianna is pretty occupied with the immediate needs of this sweet little boy who is learning about life on the outside of his previously enclosed accommodations in the womb.

Of course, being newly minted grandparents is a change. So many things to wrap our hearts around that involve this new little life. So much love that never existed before.

While we waited for them to return from the birthing center so that we could meet this new little boy, we drove around the Lexington, Virginia area. So much history and wonder in the area.

Still didn't fill the time until we could be with Tianna, Thomas and little Nathan at their place. We wanted to wait until they were home and settled in. Other than follow up appointments, Tianna and Nathan will be at home on bed rest for a week.

Oh how I wish we lived closer so that we could spend more time visiting with this little boy! Our time is drawing to a close here in Virginia all too quickly!

Welcome to the world, little Nathan! We are happy you are here!

Songs for baby time

♫♪♫ I see the moon and the moon sees me
♫♪♫ Over the mountains over the seas
♫♪♫ Please let the light that shines on me
♫♪♫ Shine on the one I love.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

♪♫♪ See the pretty orange moon
♪♫♪ Way up like a toy balloon
♪♫♪ Someone took it out to play
♪♫♪ And it flew away

When I was just a little girl, Daddy would sing these songs to me to help me sleep. The first is a variant on an old Irish ditty that was sung to him. No telling how old it is.

After my own little ones came along, the song was shared with them and hopefully somewhere in the fine particles of thought from their little boy-hood remembrances that song is there.

Any time now, Thomas will become a Daddy. And I hope he will share with his little children these songs. They are not fancy or extremely amazing, but hearing them fills my heart with a tender time of little fingers wrapped around one of mine as I would sing to them while I rocked them in the dim light of the night light's glow in the wee hours.

I find myself wishing I'd been a better Mother. That I could go back and take away every single time I was not patient enough, not tender enough and not good enough for those sweet little angels whom God has entrusted me with in this mortal sojourn.

I wish I could go back and see with the 20/20 vision that only retrospect can bring to help us see that the rocks in the pockets in the laundry ARE the treasure of a small boy and not a nuisance. To see that the tiny curls of sweaty hair around the smudged but cherubic face of a toddler worn out by play are a wreath of immortality that will fade for a time as life presses too closely.

I'd like to slow the clock down and not feel like every single thing had to be perfect to be good. To be the kind of mother that my boys should have had instead of the one they did have. The mother who was willing to be molded by the wisdom of their understanding instead of pushing so much of my own supposed brilliance onto their gentle spirits.

I think of one song that Daddy would sometimes sing that was kind of religious and melancholy. He would sing "If You Could Hie To Kolob" and it made me think then of a place that was just out of reach. Now I think of it and know that there is so much more to God than I can comprehend.

When Thomas holds his little son for the very first time, I hope that he is able to see that piece of heaven that has come to earth to be in his home. That the little boy he holds is a part of a future that goes beyond the things we can see with mortal eyes. That he and Tianna have been part of God's continued plan for all the seed of Abraham.

Please, let the Light of Christ that shines on me shine on the ones I love.

BE PREPARED!

Well, we had a 'Fire Drill' of sorts last with Tianna having some high blood pressure issues that could have led to a delivery of the grandson had they not been able to bring it down.

After lots of texts back and forth with the other soon-to-be Grandmother, they were able to sort things out and get Tianna sent home with Thomas for bedrest for the duration of her pregnancy.

While we waited for further news through the night, I packed and Rick sorted out things for the truck and changed the oil and filter to be ready for the trip to VA when the time came.

So we wait...

We Skyped with them tonight and saw that they are both tired and likely about ready to receive their new little boy in a few days.

I hope that Tianna is able to have the delivery form she'd like, but I also pray that those who care for her will make sure that she has the medical support she might need if things are not as expected.

I'm thankful that they were able to send her to the hospital and get her BP sorted out enough to send her home to rest and hope that her bedrest issues are not too long. I know from experience being in bed for prolonged stretches of time are not all that exciting.

Babies. Love 'em. They come when they are ready and the parents just have to hang in there as best as they can.