Earlier this spring, I was awoken just before daybreak by a call letting me know that a birth was imminent.  I jumped out of bed with a promise to join the family within the hour.  While I prepared with urgency, knowing that the mother had just reached active labor kept me settled and I was sure that I would have plenty of time to reach the expectant parents before their child arrived.  As it were, little William had his own plans and was born a mere seven minutes before I reached the Charlottesville Birth Center where he was to be born. 

Baby William surprised all of us with his quick, commanding arrival, yet the moments following his birth were calm and tranquil. Tracy and Andy, the new parents, relaxed in a cozy room, sharing a bed with their new baby boy as the birth attendants helped them settle into parenthood and prepared a fresh breakfast for the family. William, perfectly pink with a full head of hair, was content on his mother's chest or in snuggled in his father's arms. Quiet, yet alert, William's large dark eyes remained wide, soaking in his parents' faces during his first few hours of life earthside. Shortly after being born, William was also introduced to one of his grandmothers who, as you can imagine, radiated joy for her family's newest addition.