Celebration and Introduction

Here's a picture to introduce you to the newest grandbaby, and get you current on two of our other grandchildren.  The only granddaughter is halfway across the world, and we're missing her and her parents.

Holding the babies is Shane's wife, Dorcas.  She's holding Wyatt LeVan, who was born earlier yesterday, and her own child, Carson.  Shane and Dorcas' older son, Tristan, is standing next to them.  Wyatt is the first child of our son, Grant, and his wife, Clarissa (Clare).

The new baby's middle name is the same as his late great grandfather Smiley's first name.  Clare loved her Grandpa "Lee."

More baby stats and sentiments, as posted on Facebook by Grant:

Pride. Shameless unapologetic pride. Wyatt LeVan Iwashige. 8lbs. 14oz. 20.5" decibels 200.  Mine.

This baby waited five days after his expected arrival to make his appearance, and then didn't waste any time in the last hours.  Do you think he might have a mind of his own?  The decibels notation gives us all a further clue that this might be the case.

My friend Lois Y., who is a veteran of more than 3,000 attended births, was the attending midwife.  The baby was born at 9:24 AM at the Birth Center in Yoder.  I heard the news in the middle of my typing class at school.  I didn't interrupt the class with the news--just quietly wrote the baby's full name on the board, and filled in some details during break time.  Marvelous restraint.  Don't you think so?

All is well in Grant's family, and we're very thankful.

One funny thing I learned last night is that before Shane and Dorcas' last child was born, they had two first names in mind for a boy:  Wyatt and Carson, but they didn't tell anyone.  Also, before Carson was born, Grant and Clarissa had two first names in mind for a boy:  Wyatt and Carson.  When Shane and Dorcas named their baby Carson, Grant and Clarissa breathed a sigh of relief that the other name was still available.  What are the chances . . . .?

I think Shane and Grant may have absorbed some of their father's earlier fascination with all things Western.  Shane's name appealed to Hiromi because of a Western movie by that name.  He chose John for his own middle name, when he became a naturalized citizen and could choose a name change.  "John" is in honor of John Wayne.  I can't claim similar loyalties, but prefer to engage in conflict only over more momentous things.  Kit Carson, Wyatt Earp, Shane in the movie (Alan Ladd), and John Wayne.  Not the first people who come to mind for me as role models.

Clare's parents, Bob and Kathy Prettyman, are planning to arrive here tomorrow, from Washington state.  After one week, Bob plans to return home, and Kathy will stay for one more week.  They've never been in Kansas, and I hope they can meet some of the local people while they're here.