It's a heart thing.

Go ahead. Congratulate me on being an aunt to the 2 cutest nephews in the whole wide world. My second nephew, Rowan Gabriel, was born this past Good Friday (how fitting). My husband and I raced to West Virginia when we got the call that our sister-in-law was in labor. He was healthy and happy and beautiful. I was busting at the seams to get to hold him, and it was pure bliss when the moment finally came. He was so soft and sweet and snuggly. He was completely dependent on me. I, at that very moment in his life, was fully responsible for him.  Freaky.

It’s kind of impossible not to go to that “what a miracle!” place when you see a newborn. In a weird way, I find that a newborn baby is an everyday example of God’s miracle-muscles. A whole miniature person grew from one teeny tiny egg and one super swimmer sperm! That’s fantastically impossible, yet I’ve been told that it happens fairly regularly! Go figure.

I’ve been taking a medical terminology course through the Duke Clinical Research Institute (where I work) for the past 6 weeks. For the last 2 weeks, we’ve been learning about cardiology (cardi/o- [heart], -logy [the study of]. My teacher would be proud). Until now, I had never really been interested in medicine, but it’s impossible not to be blown away by how unbelievably well our bodies are designed. 

Like, did you know that blood’s only purpose is to provide oxygen and remove waste from every single cell in our entire bodies? Did you know that the reason you can only see blue veins (which carry blue deoxygenated blood back to the heart) through your skin is because arteries (which carry red oxygenated blood) are buried deeper into your bodies so that they’re protected better? Did you know that your heart beats about once every second, despite the fact that you never tell it to? (Thank goodness. That’s all we’d ever get done.)

Pretty rockin’. Way to go God. 

Thinking about all of these weird complexities makes me fall even deeper in love with Jesus. It makes me realize, yet again, how insignificant and powerless I am in comparison with Him. Wowsa!

Anyway, babies are cool. Hearts are cool. 

And so are you. Hopefully. If not, then try harder. Just kidding.

Happy Monday all!