Baby Tobin
Well, baby Tobin is here at last, and the wait is finally over. He is a beautiful, healthy baby. I've already been asked when I'm going to write a blog about being a grandma. I only have one day's experience, so far, so I'm afraid I can't say much about that yet! So, I'll just write about the baby this time.
It's funny how everyone looks so closely at a newborn baby to see who he looks like. It must be part of the whole process of welcoming him into the family. I think he looks like the Bauer and Stobel and Ruppel and Wegner families--if we took him to Germany, he would be welcomed as one of their own. I can see his round face in more than one great-grandparent. His nearly colorless, blonde hair could come directly from either parent, since both were equally blonde at birth. He is destined to have blue or green eyes, for sure, because all of his relatives have blue or green eyes. Whose nose? Who knows! But those ears and feet and dimpled chin come straight from Grandpa Bill!
My own babies didn't look much like me, so I'm not surprised to find that Tobin doesn't either. My genes must be recessive. My ancestry is only half German; everyone else in this family tree (except my Dad, of course) is 75-100% German. And this new baby certainly looks like he belongs in his family.
But there is so much more to babies than their looks. In fact, looks don't really matter much at all in the whole scheme of things. So far, Tobin seems to be calm and content; those traits alone can make his life (and his parents' lives) much more tolerable in the coming weeks and months, so we hope that continues. He is healthy, too; we are aware that this is a tremendous blessing, since we know several families who have recently had babies with moderate or even severe health problems.
Tobin has already learned so much in his first day of life. He can breathe and poop and nurse--and sometimes even do all three at once! He knows his Mom and Dad, and is bonding with them quickly and firmly. He is brand new here on Earth, and he has a lot of growing and learning and living ahead of him.
I have no doubt that Meagan and Andy will be wonderful parents. They are both ready for this new challenge. Tobin will have the best of care, and lots of love. Most importantly, I know that Tobin's parents will do everything possible to "raise him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." I pray that Tobin will learn, at a very young age, just how good God is, and that he will learn to love and trust in the Lord with his whole being. After all, his name, Tobin, means "God is good."
My own babies didn't look much like me, so I'm not surprised to find that Tobin doesn't either. My genes must be recessive. My ancestry is only half German; everyone else in this family tree (except my Dad, of course) is 75-100% German. And this new baby certainly looks like he belongs in his family.
But there is so much more to babies than their looks. In fact, looks don't really matter much at all in the whole scheme of things. So far, Tobin seems to be calm and content; those traits alone can make his life (and his parents' lives) much more tolerable in the coming weeks and months, so we hope that continues. He is healthy, too; we are aware that this is a tremendous blessing, since we know several families who have recently had babies with moderate or even severe health problems.
Tobin has already learned so much in his first day of life. He can breathe and poop and nurse--and sometimes even do all three at once! He knows his Mom and Dad, and is bonding with them quickly and firmly. He is brand new here on Earth, and he has a lot of growing and learning and living ahead of him.
I have no doubt that Meagan and Andy will be wonderful parents. They are both ready for this new challenge. Tobin will have the best of care, and lots of love. Most importantly, I know that Tobin's parents will do everything possible to "raise him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." I pray that Tobin will learn, at a very young age, just how good God is, and that he will learn to love and trust in the Lord with his whole being. After all, his name, Tobin, means "God is good."
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| Tobin Lee Stobel, 1/29/2012, 7 lbs. 4 oz., 20 1/2 inches |
Thrilled for your whole family, Janet. Meagan and Andy are very blessed, indeed. And you & Meagan look so much alike - but maybe not so much when she was a baby. (I don't remember) Looking forward to meeting Tobin!
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