Today...

Today a baby was born at 5:30 in the morning.

Her name is Claire.

She is the daughter of one of my best friends.

She was longed-for and eagerly awaited and ten days late and her mama-- all five foot two and a hundred pounds of her-- birthed her like a champ with no drugs in about seven hours.

Birth, despite labor, despite the fact that it's just the beginning of a very long road-- is so miraculous. Yesterday, Claire wasn't with us; today, she is.

I teared up talking to my friend (she called me! the same day she had a baby!) because I am so happy for her.

(Maybe I forget to express this on my blog-- but I remember almost daily and very strongly today-- that having a child is a miracle that keeps finding new ways to become more miraculous. And no, I haven't slept a great deal in the last 21 months, but I have two babies who make me smile and laugh every day. I have a family to sit around the dinner table with. I have a daughter to sit on my lap and make pigtails for, and a son who squeezes my fingers and buzzes his lips in joy.)

And so I can tell my friend with absolute truth-- I am so happy for you. Congratulations.