My Niece's Birth

Praise the Lord for the safe arrival of my healthy first niece, Harvest Brooke, born at 4:33 p.m. on Friday, May 20th (a day after her Auntie Em's birthday... we were thinking it would have been super special for her to be born on the same day, but it's still special because they have their own days and they are back-to-back). Harvest is a petite girl, at only 5 pounds 15 ounces and 19 inches. I am relieved she is here and that she, my sister-in-law, and brother are all doing well. Life is a miracle and lil H is one of the cutest babies in all the world. :)

God gave Joseph the name "Harvest," which has a precious meaning to them, and then "Brooke" is Kala's maiden middle name. Isn't it a unique and beautiful name?

Here's a photo of me meeting and holding her for the first time.

Harvest was born in the same hospital as Lily... in the room right next door. They were born 9 minutes apart in the afternoon, Lily having been born at 4:24 p.m.

This is certainly a bittersweet time, as I miss the baby girl born 6 years ago and ache because she isn't here to meet her little cousin. My brother has been especially sweet thinking about his niece at this time, realizing in a different way all I lost, after seeing and holding his own baby. He is such an empathetic and loving person and has helped me so much at this time, acknowledging my motherhood and that he will never forget Lily either. It makes me tear up as I write this. My little girl was his first niece and his little girl is my first niece. :'-)

It is actually quite amazing that the baby girl cousins greatly resemble each other. It makes me smile that others, both family and friends, see Lily in Harvest too. 

Photo below: Harvest on left and Lily on right.

Being at the hospital waiting for my niece's birth was especially hard, surrounded by memories of Lily's birth and how different the situations and outcomes were. And then there was something else going on over the weekend, a loss I was walking through with others that really impacted me. It really made me miss Lily even more. I was also thinking that I should have 6 years of memories with my daughter, but now my sister-in-law has already experienced more with her newborn daughter than I experienced with my child. 

I am truly feeling so blessed that I have a little baby in my life to hold, love on, and spoil. I am excited to be a part of her life for the rest of my life. And hopefully one day, she will have more cousins from me and my other siblings. Until then, she will for sure know about her older cousin.

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