December 16, 2011

Today (rather, yesterday) is a fantastic day! My baby brother, Holden Alexander Witt, was born at Forsyth Hospital at 4:00 a.m. - just about on the dot, as I am told - and he weighed in at about 8 pounds, 6 ounces, and 21 inches long. He's an incredibly handsome young man, as I saw in the photos that I received early this morning just about as soon as he was born as well as when I went to see him after school - he obviously takes after his big sister in his good looks.
He is also a very sweet, snuggly, and mellow baby - he sat contentedly on my lap for about ten minutes, breathing the peaceful breaths of newborn sleep. I think I might gain a second fan of my singing voice (the first being Kalyn), because when I was singing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" to him earlier, he didn't seem to mind all that much. His voice is very quiet...even when he got really mad about having his diaper changed, he only discussed his discontent in tones of what I would deem as mild frustration, compared to the full-scale screeching I have heard from many an infant. Therefore, I'd like to take him home, hug him, squeeze him (not too hard, of course), and call him my very own baby brother.
This is not to mention that he chose a very stylish day to make his debut - no less than the birthday of many friends and a cousin of mine whom I hold dear to my heart, the date of the Boston Tea Party, and the birth date of Ludwig van Beethoven, who was incidentally on the radio today as we traveled from my school, to Marios, and finally to the hospital - what was Beethoven playing on the radio, you ask? Well, some symphony orchestra was playing his third, or "Eroica," symphony - the heroic symhony - the symphony for the brave and noble heros (and initially for Napoleon Bonaparte, before he decided to be l'Empereur de la France). I thought it was very appropriate for a young man who charged into life in such early hours like he had some mission that needed to be done!
It is important to note that today was an A-day at school - meaning I had a study-period and German class following the four daily classes at the Career Center - it is also important to note that it was pouring outside for a good portion of the day, though it never really got cold until the nighttime, and so my black slipper-y shoes became very wet and bedraggled. I began the morning by visiting Lancy at the house and by having a bagel date with my mom at Bruegger's Bagels.
After returning home from the hospital tonight, my mom and I watched a film called, "The Help," about which (book and film) we've heard great things from people whom we trust to give movie critiques. Gary did not like it, but I certainly think it got its point across...I think that the first and last scenes sandwiched it well enough to throw the tragedy (under whatever circumstances, including differences of culture or color, and those differences which continue to divide us today) of a mother-figure being taken from her dependent child into very sharp relief. It was the relationship of Abilene and "Baby Girl" which developed and ended up reducing me to tears at the end of the film. I don't want to spoil it, so go and read it and then watch it.
Why, though? I've always wondered why we care so much about fiction, and so often about these anecdotal points that are used in works like The Help to help convey the big picture, to help support the underlying issue. I have my theories...but now it is too late for me to attempt to discuss them in an articulate manner. Good night, everyone!