Smitten.

Let me introduce you to our newest grandchild Haddie Nell. She’s the firstborn to our firstborn, and the second in what is hopefully a long, long line of grandbabies to come.

Haddie Nell arrived in the early morning hours of May 7. Now that we are (thankfully) past the pandemic restrictions that made our first granddaughter’s arrival rather interesting, we were able to join our fellow grandparents in an all-night campout in the labor and delivery waiting room.

11 p.m. cafeteria grilled cheese sandwiches and 2 a.m. gas station coffee fueled our conversation and giddy anticipation as we waited for that bundle – our second, their first – to make her debut to the world.

And debut she did. No sooner had we been notified that active labor had begun, it seemed Haddie Nell was here. In fact, she arrived so quickly that was almost an hour later that news trickled to the waiting room, and even that came by way of Lo Lo (our fellow grandparent-in-law) doing some recon work and probably violating a HIPAA law or two along the way.

There’s something special about watching your children become parents. I haven’t been in this game quite long enough to be able to articulate it. I don’t have enough words to define it. But to watch my son – my suddenly very-grown-up son – hold his daughter and care for his wife … to watch my daughter-in-law – my tough as nails and tender as a flower daughter-in-law – push through the pain and bring this beautiful creature into the world … it’s indescribable.

Indescribable, too, is the beauty of seeing that beauty for the first time. Merriem and I walked into the delivery room to see a healthy baby girl with a shocking amount of hair. Her tiny turned-up nose was just what her 3-D ultrasound promised. Her eyes – when we could nudge her awake – were dark and soulful. Haddie Nell – as you will no doubt be surprised to hear a proud Pops tell it – is absolutely perfect in every conceivable way.

A quick note about her name is probably in order: Nell was my Mom, a beloved and sainted figure in our family who never met her final four grandchildren, her six grandchildren by marriage, or any of her ten (soon to be eleven!) great-grandchildren. The naming honor was one of the kindest surprises I’ve ever experienced, and my prayer for Haddie Nell is that she’ll grow up to be much like her namesake – a woman of fierce faith and fervent prayer.

The past few weeks have been full of snuggles and smooches, of introductions and comparisons (who does she look most like? Whose ears does she have?), of smiles and giddiness as we welcome another grandbaby to the brood.

Your Pops loves you more than you know, Haddie Nell. Welcome to the world!