I was in the shower when Shelly called Sunday morning, a little before 7am. We had decided to go to 745 Mass so that Shelly could fix her cousin's hair for the winter formal. The voicemail Shelly left said that her sister, Becky, went into labor and was in the hospital. We decided we would go to Mass and then head out to the hospital (they always say a woman's first baby takes the longest). We arrived at the hospital shortly before 9am and quickly found the essentials: the waiting room (television) and cafeteria (coffee). For six and a half hours people waited while Becky suffered the pains associated with such an amazing human event. For six and a half hours Becky's family waited around hoping above all hopes that a fetus would be magically tranformed into a child. At 3:28 the magic moment occurred. Lightning struck the clocktower, the hospital lights dimmed and then brightened, and a bird's song was heard above all. At that climactic moment, when all time stopped, a baby girl named Mikayla entered the world. There was much rejoicing. Fortunately for Becky and Jim, the stars aligned for the passing through of the fetus to baby threshold. I'm obviously kidding. Becky and Jim, plus their families have considered Mikayla a human being from the day they found out Becky was pregnant. Becky has talked often of the fact that Mikayla would wake up and move around when her dad got home from work (Jim often works an evening shift). Becky also knew that Mikayla often had the hiccups. Sure enough, when we visited with them last night, Mikayla had a case of the hiccups. Mikayla was even given her name as soon as the ultrasound gave a semi-clear indication that the baby was a girl. And, of course, Becky and Jim were considered parents in everyone's eyes from the time they found out about the pregnancy. I would like to congratulate Jim and Becky and Mikayla on the day after Mikayla's birthday. It is absurd that people think there is a magic moment where a fetus is legitimized to the point of being considered a baby. Mikayla was a baby at conception, and at 3:28pm on the day after Christmas, two-thousand and four, decided she needed more space and independence. Aunt Shelly and Mikayla