Sunday, July 22, 2012

happy birthday, daphne.

i went to bed last night with a good feeling. brian's sister (my sister) kate was nine months pregnant and having regular contractions. a birthday was approaching...i could feel it. i woke up this morning to the most amazing text from my brother-in-law, peter. daphne jane was born at on july 22 at 5:22. she weighed a monstrous 5 lbs 13 oz. holy crap. tiny doesn't even describe her...especially compared to my children who came out looking two months old.

so my feet immediately hit the ground. what's new, right? i was so excited to meet daphne that i grabbed my tap shoes and did a few time step shuffle ball changes. just kidding, but that's what i felt like doing. i downed some coffee, whipped up a few teeny tiny headbands, and woke up the crew. as i was getting ready, my mind was reeling. i convinced myself that i would not cry when the moment came for my eyes to see that little bundle. i felt such a connection to her and i hadn't even seen her yet. here's a little history...

kate and peter tried for many months to have a baby. things just weren't going as they had hoped. people prayed and prayed that they would get pregnant. one of those people was my dad. he was the very definition of a prayer warrior and i know that he prayed for the mcgovern's everyday. i can still remember the look on his face in the ICU that day when he told me how he felt for them and prayed daily on their behalf. he teared up as he considered how hard it must be for a young couple to be so patient. he said that he had been praying for kate and hoped that she would get pregnant soon.

dad passed away within days. his visiting hours were a week later...the same day that kate found out she was going to have a baby. the irony gives me goosebumps.

kate and peter told us about the pregnancy on christmas morning. i burst into tears...like uncontrollable tears. i don't know what came over me, but i couldn't stop. i was so happy and felt in some weird way that the fervent prayers of my dad had made a difference. i could sense his presence that morning and i felt him rejoicing with us.

so today, as i met daphne face to face, i was reminded of my dad. daphne, in a strange and roundabout way, was a tiny, beautiful representation of a cool circumstance amidst the turmoil of my dad's death. because of this, and many more reasons, she will always hold a special place in my heart.


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