Welcome Baby Dayyán

On June 20th I pulled out photo album #11 and drifted backwards in time - back to the first year of life, of our first child, Aaron David. I looked at the rapture in those young faces and once again relived the incomparable beauty of that first birth experience. I looked at my children’s grandparents and marvelled at how young they were, but somehow they too had that magical expression of joy on their faces. I remember being secretly thrilled that our son was such a perfect miracle - being in awe at his ten fingers and ten toes, and peaceful lovely face. I remember also being overwhelmed by the task that lay before us, the trauma of trying to nurse a baby, the fear of him not getting enough milk, the hope for a healthy life and wonderful future for this innocent one and the scary responsibility of caring for this child, a responsibility that now stretched on in an endless line.


Now that was yesterday, the day after I was placed in my own grandmother’s lap, and this is today when I became a grandmother for the first time myself. Ann Morse put it well when she said: “The history of our grandparents is remembered not with rose petals but in the laughter and tears of their children and their children's children. It is into us that the lives of grandparents have gone. It is in us that their history becomes a future.”


Our daughter in law, Nagmeh, went into labour three weeks early, much to everyone’s surprise. Her labour was about 18 hours long with several stops and starts in the process. The baby was born at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto at 12:56 am on June 20th, 2008 and is healthy and peaceful. He was 6 pounds 10 ounces in weight and 52 cm (20.47 inches) long. Nagmeh’s mother Freshteh and Aaron, were present at the birth.

We travelled to Toronto later that day to meet our grandson for the first time. Amber arrived at the hospital just before us so we were able to greet him as a family. We spoke with Miranda earlier in the day too in order to share our news, and I think she was more excited than the rest of us. Arthur and I kept pinching ourselves as this realization hit home.


The child has been named Dayyán Sutherland Phelan. Dayyán is a Persian name, that of a Baha'i hero who was martyred for written arguments in defence of the Faith, during the trying period of Baha'i history between the ministry of the Báb and that of Bahá'u'lláh. Sutherland is a Canadian Bahai, an architect who designed the famous Shrine of the Bab. Arthur thinks the name will get short formed to David and I’m thinking Daannn ...... Dan the Man!!! In any case it is guaranteed that he will get tired of telling people how to spell his name, but it does look nice, kind of artistic, in print!!! I guess this is a deja vu as I remember how weird people thought our name for “Miranda” was. They just shook their heads. I had to have Aaron practice saying it for a few weeks in order to convince Arthur to agree to let me use it for her.

Well it is going to take awhile before I get used to being called Grandma Nanci. It makes me feel so old and I’m trying not to go there. Someone once said that “Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old” so I am delighted that I will have the opportunity to experience the many blessings that being a grandparent holds. It felt strange to hold our wee babe, to look into his peaceful face, so brand new to this world, his skin so soft and untouched, his little lower lip quivering as he reacted to hidden stimuli. It was kind of funny as he likes to put his hand over his face. Someone said that he was not ready for pictures yet!!! The look on Arthur and Amber’s faces when they held Dayyán, was quite wonderful, topped only by that of Aaron and Nagmeh as they were united with this offspring from their womb.


My deepest sorrow is that my own parents and Arthur’s mother are not here to share this joy with everyone. They would have been so enthralled. Life has a way of going forward when we least expect it. But we are thrilled that Miranda has chosen this time to visit Canada and are really looking forward to seeing her soon and sharing our joy. Alex Haley says that “Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.” They hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever. Would that Arthur and I can live up to this expectation. Meanwhile, after a year of so many sad deaths in our family, I am humbled by this birth and filled with the miracle of his tender new life with so many dreams ahead. Already we are drawn into his web of hope and love.

YOU ARE INVITED TO A SUMMER PARTY: To meet Dayyán and Greet Miranda and Ralph before they return to Australia

Sunday, July 20th, 2008 We are at home all day. R.S.V.P.