Meeting Baby Benjamin

Last Tuesday, our friends Andy and Mandy welcomed their first son, Benjamin, into this world. 

Andy Cook and I got to meet him tonight.  And my stars is he ever a cutie.  He was a tiny thing (a full 2.5 lbs. smaller than the last newborn I held) with a full head of dark hair.  Andy and I both go to hold the sweet thing and we were over the moon.  Andy asked all sorts of questions about all the things about childbirth and babies he has ever wanted to know…and got a little lightheaded and queasy at some of the answers.  I watched him swallow hard a few times and clear his throat….both signs that he feels a little like throwing up.  It made me giggle.  We did decide something in talking to Andy and Mandy….and it was something we had already discussed.  When they had Ben, no one came to the hospital with them.  Their family didn’t arrive until the day after they got home.  They had the chance the bond with their son before others came in and wanted the chance to hold him.  They got to recover and just spend time as a new family of three without worrying about the comfort and entertainment of others.  They told us about the couple next door (Ben was the only baby born in the hospital on his birthday…that’s how small our town is) who delivered the next day.  They had tons of family there and it was a really loud and boisterous time and the father had to keep running in and out giving updates instead of focusing on his wife.  And during her recovery time, they were surrounded by others.  Another woman at church had told me the story about her son’s birth when her whole family saw the baby before she did.  And I don’t want that.  Andy and I are definitely more keep to ourselves and do things ourselves kind of people….so I would prefer Andy and Mandy’s way when we eventually get around to having kids.

As we left tonight and headed to our car, Andy looked at me and told me that he wanted one of his own.  He thought Ben was pretty cute …and he thought Theodore was pretty adorable when he saw him in June, so he’s decided that he needs one of his own now.  I got pretty tickled.