The New Baby

Our new baby, Roko David Teller Ashurst, is finally here. He was born Friday March 7 at 10 pm. He's just a little thing not even 6 pounds. But he's beautiful. Kelly worked very hard to get him. For nearly nine months she tested her blood, took insulin, and kept her sugars more normal than she has since she was diagnosed diabetic when she was 14. She was amazing. And then with quiet courage she went through the long slow labor of a woman with preeclampsia that yielded our sweet little Roko.

It got me thinking about all we go through to have kids and then to keep them safe and happy.

As soon as that baby is born you start thinking about how inadequate you are and how did you ever think you could take care of this tiny little thing. But you do take care of him. What else can you do? Pretty soon your whole world is devoted to your children--and it never stops.

While Kelly was in labor, I had to leave the room because she could see the pain on my face from watching her pain. I would have gladly gone through her pain for her, just as I would have gone through all the other pain she has suffered in her life so far. That's what we do as mom's. We want to keep our kids safe and happy with no worries, no pains, no problems, even as they grow up and make us let go. So Kelly and Mark have a new couch because Roko needed a really cute place to be cuddled. I rushed out to Motherhood to buy Kelly a cute new outfit to wear home from the hospital because I remember how badly you want to look normal after having a baby.

Kelly is my baby and she always will be. I want her to have anything and everything to make her safe and happy. Whatever it takes. I am so grateful she married Mark, who sort of feels the same way.

And now my baby, Kelly, gets to enjoy all of those wonderful worries for Roko, her baby, as he grows up.

-Janette (Kelly's mom & Roko's gramma)