A new baby for Advent

For months, we’ve been counting down to meeting our new nephew. My sister Treasa and brother-in-law George headed to the hospital on Saturday morning, and I was so excited.

Before my older son and I headed out the door for a day-long robotics tournament, I pulled a name from our All Souls’ basket, which we fill for the month of November, but which always trickles into December.

I pulled out “Georgie,” the name of Treasa and George’s oldest baby, who was stillborn at 34 weeks in utero. I got chills and felt a wave of reassurance that Georgie would be interceding for his new little brother and for his family from heaven.

I loved thinking that heaven and earth would rejoice at the arrival of this brand-new little baby boy.

There is nothing like that wait for the baby to arrive, especially in those last hours, when all you can do is pray—and text your family and friends. As I chatted with fellow parent friends in the stands during the robotics competition, I told them about this little baby on the way. We talked about babies, about births, about nephews and nieces and cousins, about family.

It was an exciting day. The tournament ended—and my son’s team made it into the semifinals, which was fun. As we headed home, we were talking robotics, but also about the baby. My sons have been blessed to welcome many new cousins in their lives—and they also arrived home from China to fun fleets of cousins on both sides. They are certainly familiar with that happy expectation that comes with knowing a baby is on the way.

At dinnertime, we prayed for this little baby boy and his mother. And I called my mother before we went to bed to ask her to call me whenever he was born—at any hour.

That’s always been my rule with her. Wake me up. I want to know the baby is safely here. I won’t sleep well until I know all is well. And I want to celebrate with her, with the family, with everyone who is awaiting this child’s arrival.

Just before 2 a.m., the phone rang. He was here! All was well! He has a beautiful name. He’s the biggest baby in his family yet! And he’s adorable.

The next day, I had the chance to start spreading the baby news—to friends, to family, to people who had been praying for this little one. The archangel Gabriel is a personal hero of mine for the way he gets to share the news, and I love thinking about how amazing it must have been to tell the shepherds in the fields about the new baby who had just been born, love come down from heaven, an incredible gift, a child who would save the world.

During Advent, we prepare and look ahead to celebrating the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. In this beautiful season, I like to think we’re all in that wonderful baby-is-coming mode, checking in with one another to see how everyone is, to ask if anyone has news. We’re swapping stories. We’re imagining the joy that this child will bring. We’re praying. We’re united in excitement and anticipation and hope.

What an extraordinary time—a time of expectant wonder.

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