first-ever nephew.

His name is Calvin Sterling. Calvin, for my handsome grandpa, and Sterling, for my other brother's middle name, and because it means genuine, pure, real, true. 

He's my oldest brother and his wife's third baby, and their firstborn son. Not only is he their first boy, he's the first manchild of the whole clan.

Before my siblings started having babies right and left, I never saw aunthood has that fantastic. I thought of nieces/nephews as a fun and vaguely related person that adults (aunts and uncles) see sometimes. But trust me, I was antsy (very antsy) to get nieces and nephews of my own. I just really didn't know what it'd be like.

So I wasn't really prepared for it all. Watching my sister falling in love with the beautiful, perfect baby on her knees as they saw each other for the first time.

"Oh my gosh. this kid is my brother's kid. my brother has a baby." 

Seeing him carrying the curly-headed blonde in her big poofy dress and realizing "and now she's not even a baby anymore. he has a DAUGHTER."

Watching way-too-fast-growing toddlers and seeing the miraculous blending of two people--quirky ears and long fingers and huge blue eyes.

This will never cease to amaze me. This tiny person--this tiny person is half him, half her. Is this not crazy-amazing? Like I've said before, I'm pretty sure I'm going to just burst when I have my own babies.

picture by Daniel, the daddy. first time I got to hold him.

And now there's this new amazing-ness--my brother has a SON. He'll turn into a grubby, trouble-maker little boy, who'll eventually grow up into a young man who could fall in love and have his own sons and carry the family name.

Just a whole 'nother level of gah.

Adding to this is the fact that he is just ridiculously cute. I mean, all babies are cute in some way, but let's face it--some of them really are not that attractive. Calvin is genuinely cute, and I don't think I'm just biased in a rabid aunt-ish way. :) He was only about seven hours old when I took these pictures.

Plus, he totally looks like a boy. I didn't expect him to look so different than the girl-babies. I mean, this baby is a MAN baby!

Katie and her first boy-cousin. :)

So, so grateful to God for this perfect, healthy baby boy.

And just for babies in general. Big eyes and tiny noses and soft fuzzy heads. Breathtaking, labor-intensive, astounding babies.

his nana and his mama

my mama and her first grandson

he already has an attitude. ;)

Katie gazing adoringly at him.

Baby boys: I am a fan.