Little Z

This is my niece, who was born on a Monday morning a week ago. She is destined to be spoiled by my sister, who has two boys, and by my mom, who has four grandsons and now the one granddaughter. She was a week overdue, so popped out (well, took her time oozing out) at more than 9 pounds.

A perfect little bundle, depending on your definition of perfect.

The fingers on her left hand are fused together. It was reasonable that my sister was quite upset when she first noticed. My brother-on-law, otherwise, um, not so high on anyone's particular list, won a few stripes and was promoted to Okay when he responded to her tears by saying gently, "This is how God made her." She is otherwise happy, healthy and the hand is functional if not odd-looking.

I can understand the shock. In the aftermath, there's the disappointment of not having a "perfect" baby, whatever that really is. There are the fears she will grow up with shame and a host of cruel nicknames. You wonder if, as an adult, she will overcome the "defect" and live a normal life.

Most of those fears melted when a specialist found that all of the bones are present in Little Z's hand, and it is but the soft tissue that kind of grew together, for whatever reason. Others we've talked to have theories, and sometimes such things are part of a family history (not my family's), or possibly the umbilical cord got wrapped around it. The end result, whatever the cause, is that doctors expect her to have a somewhat normal-looking hand when they're done with her. They plan to operate when she's old enough to handle anesthesia, at about 9 months old or so.

Is it selfish to want what we consider perfection? Maybe a little. I can't say what God's plan for Little Z is, but maybe part of the ordeal is for his glory, to be a testimony of faith in how such things can be overcome. Maybe it was a test for her parents, who have enough obstacles already, but who am I to say? But I think all expectant parents want a cute, cuddly little bundle without any conditions. Or footnotes.

We have yet to meet Little Z, but we hope to visit really soon. Even without the zany hand, she's pretty cute and, as most babies are temporarily, darn near close to perfect. Of course, she's not anywhere near as cute as MY baby ... whose real name also starts with Z. Both my kids are good lookin' boys, but I'm a bit biased. I hope that I'd love them no less no matter what they looked like.