I’ve been keeping a secret…

Back in May when a tornado was causing death and destruction in Joplin, Missouri, a new life was born in Oklahoma.

Very early that morning I received a phone call from my sister, Christine, telling me that she and her husband were headed to the hospital.  The baby was on the way!  This was the first baby on the Ray side of the family in almost 30 years.  This was an event that hadn’t happened since my brother Shawn came home in a bundle.

I told Christine that I’d head down to Oklahoma once the sun came out.  I figured that she’d be in labor for a while.  I had planned to go back to bed to get a few more hours of shut-eye before hitting the road. But I couldn’t sleep.  I was just too excited for this day.

It was, after all, nine-or-so months since she had told us that they were expecting.  As the life of my Grandma Ray was coming to an end because of cancer, a new life was just beginning.

I had seen Christine suffer sickness during the first trimester of the pregnancy–I discovered that morning sickness was not just limited to the mornings.

I had watched her belly grow and she and her husband getting ready for the baby.

It was crazy to see my little sister becoming a mom.

Needless to say, I was packed and ready to go by the time the sun came up that morning.  When I finally arrived at the hospital, Christine and her husband, Sean, let my mom and I stay in the room with them while my sister was going through labor.  Many, many, many hours of labor.

It was amazing to see how she took the entire event as calm and as relaxed as one would hope for.  I, on the other hand, was trying to keep it together so I wouldn’t stress either of them out!

In my head I was FREAKING OUT!!  But I faked staying calm to avoid being kicked out of the room.

Late that afternoon the doctor decided that Christine just wasn’t progressing the way she had hoped at that point.  While giving Christine and Sean a couple options, it was decided that she go into surgery and get the baby delivered.

It was during the next few minutes while Sean and Christine were wrapping their heads around the gravity of the surgery about to take place, that I came to respect Sean on a whole new level–as a father and as the husband to my sister.

Sean was visibly concerned about Christine and the baby going into this surgery.  He recognized the seriousness of the next 30-minutes and recognized that there were risks involved for both Christine and the baby.

It was a very special, intimate moment that I was witness to as Sean and Christine comforted each other before he would have to scrub-up and Christine would be prepped for surgery.

As my mom and I moved their suitcases into the room that they would stay in for the duration of the hospital stay, and as a tornado was literally destroying a city that I had known so well, a beautiful, little, itty-bitty baby boy was taking his first breaths of life.  It was a miracle.

I was absolutely elated to see this little boy that we had been waiting for for so many months finally make his grand entrance.

The first time I held him, I fell in love…and cried.

I think my mascara even ran a little.

Ok, maybe a lot!

There’s pictures.

It ain’t pretty.

Fast forward three-months.

This little infant who I was afraid to even hold for fear of breaking him is becoming a little boy.

He is beginning to find his voice and babbles at different volumes.

He loves playing “Up, Down” with his daddy.

And he loves, loves, loves his mama and his milk!

Christine and Sean are just so awesome with this little boy.

And it’s crazy to think that just a few short months ago Christine and Sean had never dealt with an infant before. Now they’re pros!

So, the secret is now out.  Baby Cash is in the house.

He’s such a blessing to our family.

And I am in love.