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Published Sunday, February 05, 2012 in Opinion

A blessed event

At my daughter's baby shower last weekend, I was taken aback at how beautiful she was. Aubern Michelle has almond-shaped eyes and perfect skin. Her hair is silky and her eyes light up when she smiles. Add that to the fact that she is about to have her first child, and I have no words for the beauty she radiates.

There's something about one's daughter about to give birth. It would take forever to describe how joyful a process her pregnancy has been for this mom. With her pregnancy, we have arrived at a new place, my daughter and me. We have talked on the phone every day, sometimes every few hours. She sends me updates each month from a website that describes the changes she and the baby are experiencing as her time progresses. It is awesome, and I realize what a huge blessing it is to be a part of it.

I am happy to be experiencing the "storybook" part of this with her and our son-in-law Ian. Times are sweet now. She can rest when she needs to; something that anyone who has ever had a newborn in their home would know is a luxury indeed. Soon there will be tons of diapers, late night runs to a pharmacy, worry and exhaustion. But there will also be the precious times.

Whether fretful or precious times, the parents will grow along with their babe. When my babies were small I felt inadequate and I was; I'd never even held a baby until I held my own.

I tried to overcome the inadequacies as best I could. There was the bottle versus breastfeeding debate I had with my mom. We had this conversation nearly every day. I would call and my newborn would wail in the background. "Feed her," mom would say. Her pediatrician assured me that giving her formula was lazy and not as healthy, so sticking by the advice of a physician rather than my mom, I continued as he said. I should have listened to my mom.

It was when my husband John came home from work one day to find me and my baby girl crying inconsolably. He turned around, went to the store and brought formula for her and wine for me. We like to say that he gave us both a bottle and put us to bed. I'm not a wine drinker, but I sure made an exception that day.

I've told my daughter about the experience that thankfully, she was too young to remember. I'm glad things are different today and I can research a ton of information for her when she needs advice, but I'll be sure to also rely on my own intuition as my own mother did.

We expect to meet Phoebe Josephina around the end of February. She will enter the world with a loving family. She is wanted, prayed for and will arrive with truly joyous parents. "I'm already praying for the baby," my daughter said soon after she found out she was expecting. It's something we do in this family, we pray for the babe and also the spouse that God had planned for them.

There's no doubt in my mind that God answered our prayers for our children when it comes to the ones they were led to in marriage. And while certainly nothing is perfect, we'll trade perfect for blessed any day.

And so it goes. This little family that has grown up in this column for the past 25 years is expanding once again. In the few weeks left before Phoebe Jo's arrival, there will be much preparation going on. There's furniture to acquire, clothing and bedding to arrange and lots of things left for my daughter and me to sew.

It's an exciting time, one that I pray I won't forget. This pregnancy has not only made a young mother anticipate the blessed arrival of her baby girl, but it has also brought this mother and daughter together in a bond like we've never known before.

A blessed event? Indeed. I can't wait.

Kathy Bohannon is a Georgia Press Association award winner and regular contributor to the Newnan Times-Herald. Kathy can be reached at kathybohan@yahoo.com .

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