Welcome

This Monday, January 24th, will mark 36 years since I became a father. 

I think I've previously told this story here, but the day our first was born, Wife was nearly three weeks past her due date. We had grown so accustomed to waiting, it hardly occurred to me it could happen that day. 

Wife was already on maternity leave, so that Friday morning before I left for work, I asked her if she would be up for making pizza that night and we would ask our friends over to eat with us and watch "Dallas." 

Because that's what you do, right? You ask your 9.5-months pregnant wife to have people over for dinner -- a dinner she would prepare. I have lived to tell this, so apparently, she agreed. 

The night before, I had picked up a six-pack of Busch to chill in the fridge, in anticipation of her response. (I spared no expense in those days). 

Imagine my surprise when she called me from the doctor's office shortly after lunch and said she would be giving birth that day. The doc said she simply couldn't wait any longer. Our first, known here as Older Son, was born by C-section about 5:30 that afternoon. 

(Important note: I set the VCR to record "Dallas" and enjoyed the beer later. Unfortunately, Wife did not make the pizza before going to the doctor. Maybe she decided she wasn't up for it after all and would have a baby instead). 

We would go on to have Daughter about three years later, and Younger Son about four years after that. 

And they gave me my favorite name for myself -- "Dad." Oh my goodness, how I love being Dad. 

And I didn't think I would ever love a name more than that one. That was until I became "GrandBob" in July 2017. I love being GrandBob as much as I love being Dad. Until a couple of days ago, I was GrandBob four times over. 

I say "until a couple of days ago," because on that day, January 20th, Daughter gave birth to her third, a boy, weighing in at 7 lbs, 15 oz. and who will join his older brother (the one born in July 2017) and sister at home. Wife and I are now welcoming our fifth grand, and we now have three boys and two girls. Daughter's family replicates our -- boy, girl, boy -- but hers are a little closer together in age. 

This birth was more difficult for Daughter than the other two, and she ended up having to have an emergency C-section after laboring all day. She's doing OK, but her recovery will take a little longer than with her previous births, and that's a bit of a shock to her. 

But she will recover and, I pray, the discomfort will become a distant memory. 

I've not yet met my new grandson in person. Wife went to Huntsville (a little less than two hours south of us) and has helped with the older two. I'll give them a few days to get settled at home. 

We are thrilled to welcome David Walter ("Walt") to the fold, and we're thanking God, from whom all good gifts come, for our newest family member.