Our Trip to Meet Lukasz! (there are now 5 grandkids on the couch!)

Ten years ago, when our niece Sadie was born, Braydon and I got in the car and made the trip from New Jersey (where we were living then) to Maine to see her. It was a very memorable trip. Sadie was twelve days old when we met her — so tiny. She was the first grandchild in our family, and I’ll never forget how precious she was. There is just nothing like a family expanding with a new child. There is nothing like seeing your sister with a brand new baby. And there is nothing like a newborn — it is such a special time for all involved.

So when my sister Stina approached her due date with her second baby, ten years later, I knew without any doubt that nothing was going to stop me from making that trip to see the newborn baby. And I really wanted my kids to know where I stand on the importance of such a trip: that when a new child enters the family we make all sorts of special exceptions (skipping school! missing work! re-arranging everything!), and we go all out (all out! way out of our way!), to meet the new member and mark the occasion. I want my kids to know that this is one of those milestone times in life where you just pull out all the stops. These things happen far too infrequently in a lifetime, and are much too important, to be taken lightly.

Lukasz Maksimowicz was born on March 15, 2013. Twelve days later we packed up and schlepped our kids from Pennsylvania to Maine to meet our nephew/cousin. It was a very special trip. We all were able to welcome our new family member and see his precious little newborn self right up close.

Kyle and Meera each got to hold Lukasz one time (precious photos above). And they were somewhat ok with that (I had tried hard to keep their expectations for holding-time reigned in). Owen got to hold him twice, but would have held him non-stop if he could have.

Much of the visit Owen spent doing something along the lines of this (see below!), just hoping against all hope that he could hold/touch/touch/hold that little baby cousin of his:

I am like Owen– It is hard for me to be around a newborn baby (let alone a new family member!) and not want to just snuggle him up! And Lukasz is just incredibly precious. Braydon and I took over 100 photos of our beautiful new nephew! I narrowed it down to these six favorites:

There is something amazing and breath-taking about seeing your own family’s family grow. Sadie is now a big sister! And Mark and Stina have a baby boy!

My parents have a new grandson!

And there are now 5 grandkids on the couch!

So, now, there is Lukasz. We have a new nephew/cousin. And all is good.

And we are so glad we made that trip. A once in a lifetime opportunity. Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

(Below: my favorite picture from the trip — all four big kids crowd around to view The Changing Of The Diaper!)