The joy of a new baby

The Reporter's Notebook

 

Last updated 2/17/2021 at 8:51am



A few days ago, we had a new baby in the family. Actually, it was a great grandchild, the fourth for us.

She joins Kaylee, Damon and Westlyn as great grand babies.

I guess it is a sign of getting old. But what a joy to see them come and grow up.

The mother and father are Camille and Mark Fabian. Mark is from The Philippines.

Camille came into the family through adoption by our daughter, Kathy, and her husband, Will Beck.

I remember clearly the day she arrived at Sea-Tac. She was accompanied by a representative from South Korea.

Most of the family was there to welcome her to her new home. We all strained to spot her among the passengers arriving at the terminal.

Finally, someone spied her being carried by her companion. She was just six months old.

It was a very joyful occasion, the first of many she has brought us over the years.

I remember the glance she gave us as we all huddled around wanting to touch her. She was truly amazed and showed a look of wonder.

It wasn’t but a few years later that we attended her naturalization ceremony when she became a citizen. There was a room full of people from all over taking part in the ceremony.

We remember visiting her school, and much later attending her high school graduation ceremony held in the Mariner ballpark.

Then there was her graduation from the University of Washington and later still when she received her master’s degree.

Now Camille is a counselor at a Seattle School District school. We missed both of the UW events but followed them with pride.

How we look forward following our new baby.

The story about all this belongs in a book, and the person to write it would be our daughter Kathy.

Kathy, Will and Camille tripped to South Korea, where they were all able to meet Camille’s birth family. Over the years this has been repeated a number of times, and members of the birth family have come to the states to visit. It is all truly an extended family with lots of joy mixed in.

In between all this there have been many happy occasions getting together with Camille. Once we captured her for a couple of days and took her to Victoria.

While distance, and our ages have been a regrettable factor, we never get to spend enough time with her.

Those who have been lucky enough to have great grandchildren will understand all this.

It was so easy to welcome Camille into our family.

One regret I have is that when I was traveling, I never got to South Korea.

A few years ago, when Camille was traveling; she visited one of the sites I visited when I was traveling, Angkor Wat, in Cambodia.

I could speak for all the family how exciting all this has been.

Now we have little Ahreum. She is quite the package. The virus has kept people away, but we have many pictures and they all spell “beautiful.”

We wonder and dream what adventures she will have. We wish of course that we will be able to follow her careers as thoroughly.

This all reveals how important family is. There are moments every day that reflections of family events pass through our minds.

I hope those who read this column will reflect on their own families and the joy the members bring to them.

So, welcome aboard, Ahreum.

 

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