About five o’clock today my grandson and his fiancé welcomed their son, Rafe Elliot, into the world. Rafe is about four and a half pounds and a couple of weeks early. He is in the NICU for now so good vibes of every kind are welcome. I am so excited to meet him and help with his care as much as I can.

This has been a hard pregnancy, and the baby had to be delivered by C section. Both mother and baby will be in the hospital for a few days, the baby probably longer. We have known for a while that Rafe has a heart defect that is likely to require surgery sooner rather than later. If you want to send a gift or words of encouragement, please check out rantingandrafing.com to see what Curtis and his stepson, Layne, are doing for the baby. Sharing that information in every way you can is one of the most useful things you would do. Making a purchase if you want will also help.

As you may imagine, we are excited and apprehensive for this little one. My hope is that he thrives and grows strong and he feels the love we all have for him already. I will drive up to Louisville soon to help with practical stuff like housekeeping and meals so the family can have a break when coming home from the hospital. Chances are I will make that drive a few times in the near future since babies are my favorite people.