“Like stars are to the sky, so are the children to our world. They deserve to shine.”—Chinonye J. Chidolue
“You may think you’ll never love another grandchild like you love your first. You’re wrong.”—Adair Lara
We are happy to announce that our loving daughter Michelle gave birth to our second granddaughter, "Emmeline Belle Lewis," on Saturday, February 27, at Sequoia Hospital Birth Center in Redwood City with her beloved and devoted husband Kyle by her side. She weighed 8.06 ounces. As everyone knows, due to the pandemic other family members were not permitted at the hospital due to safety protocol. However, the birth of their newborn was no less magical than when our first granddaughter, Lyla was born over two years and two months ago.
Like her older sister before her, Emmeline (affectionately called “Emmy”) was swaddled in the Sequoia Hospital Birth Center's signature elephant blanket (photo). In fact, the attending nurse that first admitted Michelle and Kyle in the hospital was the same nurse that gave Lyla her first bath after she was born. The upward pointed trunk of the elephant symbolizes energy, luck, prosperity and kindness. It is the movement elephants use to greet friends and express sheer delight. The ones on the blanket point to the stars.
We were in invited to Kyle’s mom and Al’s home, where Kyle, Michelle and Lyla are temporarily staying, for an early dinner to welcome Emmy. There we sat waiting expectantly to see the latest addition to our respective families. Adding a new baby to the family is an exciting time to be sure, but for some families it is not always a smooth transition. Kim told us that when Lyla first saw a photo of her newly born baby sister, she said. “She’s so cute.” That was a positive sign. Finally, after being discharged from the hospital they arrived. Lyla, happy to see her parents, gave Emmy who was being held by Kyle a beaming smile and a wave hello. We celebrated with a glass of champagne. Cecile and Kim, ever the nurturing grandmothers (Nonnie and Lollie) got to hold little sweet Emmy which in French means “hardworking,” first. Kyle showed everyone how he was taught to use a small syringe (like an eyedropper) to feed breast milk to the baby. Curious Lyla got to participate. Actually, she asked to participate. The rest of the evening unfolded ever so sweetly as Lyla continued to show her love and support for her new baby sister. She asked to hold Emmy, even saying, “please!" She rubbed the baby’s tummy, her back. She wanted to feel her tiny ear, her soft hair. She kissed and hugged her, gently laid her head on Emmy’s lap. At some point she must have realized this is not one of her most precious dolls. This is the real deal. This is her baby sister. Someone whom she can help bathe, feed, sing and play with her. “I love her,” she said, and so do we.
Postscript: Michelle shared with us that Kyle chose the name Emmeline, taken from Emmeline Pankhurst who founded the Women’s Social and Political Union, whose members—known as suffragettes—fought to enfranchise women in the United Kingdom
Note: The next to the last photo is Lyla at Birth and the one before that is Emmy.
