Tonight I (Aunt Kara) am simultaneously waiting on my sweet nephew to arrive and watching “hometown” night on Bachelor. You’d be shocked at the emotions that can arise from such a seemingly unrelated combination of activities!
The waiting game began last Wednesday, when we got the news that Kristin was literally about to “pop”! I learned that John Mark was potentially on his way “any day now” and that it was possible that it may not even be 24 hours before I met my new little family member. Quickly, I was reminded of the day that I walked through Kristin’s front door to find her standing in the middle of the living room crying and saying “we’re going to have a baby!” and Brandon with his head in his hands (don’t worry – he got used to the idea). Wow. What a moment. Kristin later wrote an entry about the sound of joy being similar to the sound that came out of my mouth when I heard that I was going to be an aunt. My eyes get all watery just thinking about it. My very own nephew!!! I loved him from the moment that I learned he existed.
Now, here we are, on the cusp of meeting John Mark Jones (it has been 5 days since I first heard he’d be here “any day now”). Watching the hometown dates on Bachelor has me thinking a lot about “meeting” a person. I keep wondering why I feel so anxious and excited, but also how I already love someone so much whom I haven’t even met. The Bachelor, Sean, is meeting all these families tonight...and it is quite possible one will be HIS family one day. He will love them like his own, much like I love my fiance’s family.
However, thinking about meeting John Mark is SO different from that feeling. When you meet adults, they already belong to someone else, often multiple people. When you date someone, they already have “THEIR” people – the ones who have loved him no matter what since the beginning. And that’s the thing – I get to be one of John Mark’s people. Someone who is with him from day one, despite the good or bad. Someone who will change his diapers, take naked baby pictures of him (completely intended to embarrass him in the future)...someone who will laugh with him and play with him, watch him grow, and hopefully be an integral part of the person he becomes. He will be OURS. Yes, mostly just Kristin and Brandon’s...but he’ll be mine too......
I don’t have to worry about initially impressing John Mark. Upon meeting my nephew it won’t matter if I’m funny or pretty, or what I choose to wear the first time he sees me...even though I fully admit to having an outfit prepared for his birth - hahaha. All that matters is the love I have for him and the dedication I have to him and his future. How amazing is that!? I can only imagine how it feels to be the parent...
I thought all the mystery was gone once I learned that Kristin and Brandon were having a little boy and that his name would be John Mark. But there is so much more to learn about our sweet blessing. What will he look like? Will he have his mother’s positive, happy nature? His father’s careful yet hilarious tendencies? Will he be as fun-loving and carefree as his Mimi? As silly and quirky has his grandpa and namesake, Mark? Will his personality match his reluctance to join us? Will he be strong willed and always keeping us on our toes? I don’t know, and I just can’t wait to find out!
Any day now, they say. Any. Day. Now.
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