Franklin Jefferson and his wife, M'Kaya, become the proud parents of a bouncing baby boy on a day of sadness and rememberance; the day suddenly takes on a whole new meaning for them.
Friday, September 12, 2003~
Dear All:
This is Franklin Paul Jefferson writing.
I just wanted to tell you the good news, the news that M'Kaya and myself are now the proud parents of a little baby boy! And Mama Mnjama...you are now a GRANDMOTHER!! CONGRATULATIONS!
Little Stefan Paul Franklin William Jefferson was born at 9:11 p.m. last night, on September 11, 2003, here at Jonas Bronck Hospital in NYC, and he was 23" long. Only one thing, though: he wasn't so very little: he came in at a whopping 9 pounds and 11 ounces!
M'Kaya went into labor during the end of the ceremony at Ground Zero; and an ambulance happened to be near; so we got a quick ride to the hospital (Jonas Bronck); and she was in labor for most of the day until about 8:45; and it was then decided a C-section would be needed because Junior's shoulders were too wide for him to emerge from the birth canal! At 9:11 p.m. last night, he emerged into the world with a lusty cry, and he was pronounced healthy.
So M'Kaya and I have a SON! We can't hardly believe it; we keep pinching ourselves, to see if it is all a dream, but it isn't, as I am watching M'Kaya hold our son in her arms; and he is a really cute little guy...kinda' like his old man, hunh? LOL He looks exactly like me; he is a HANDSOME little dude! He has a headful of black, wiry hair and big, grey eyes, and right now he is pink; but the nurses and doctor all say that in a few weeks, his "brownness" should start to appear, and he should stop looking less like a white baby and more like a black one! LOL
He is looking at M'Kaya, and M'Kaya is talking to him; and she is trying her best to keep from crying; but I can understand: she is hurting pretty badly, and they have given her pain meds; but they don't seem to be touching the pain. She is kinda' goofy!
Yesterday, upon getting to the hospital, she cried and screamed in agony; and once it was decided that she would have surgery, they put her right to sleep; and she's slept off and on ever since. She is still in a lot of pain, though: you can see it on her face and in her eyes, especially if she coughs or sneezes. OW!
The memorial service was nice, but incredibly sad, and you wouldn't believe all the people that were there. They had the surviving children of victims who perished in the attacks; and these children read the names of all 2,972 names of those who perished in the attacks, either while in the four airplanes, the Twin Towers, or at the Pentagon. As the names were read, someone rang a bell, signifying each loss of life. I heard the names of the 11 who worked with M'Kaya; and she held onto me and cried and cried. I cried, too, but nothing like her. We also saw Wendie there, and she looked horrible. She has lost so much weight, and she was so pale. She really has had a struggle with her health this year, and it shows. I hope things get better for her soon because she is really looking bad! She said she felt better though; so maybe that is good, but boy, she sure looks BAD!!
Louisiana: Did you make it to the memorial service in Nashville? Did Ronee' sing? How did she do? I hope she made it through the songs; because you said the other day on the phone that she was upset about the approaching anniversary and she didn't want to sing; but I am glad she did. That was what Stephanie would have wanted. She loved your little girl, and she said she had such a pretty voice. She said she sounded like an angel, and she DOES! You tell Ronee' that M'Kaya and myself are so proud of her, and give her our love. Give our love, too, to Johnny; heard he hasn't been doing too good in relation to his health either. Here's hoping the little guy is doing MUCH better!
I still can't believe our country was so brutally attacked two years ago yesterday; and because of it, twin towers no longer stand, and the Pentagon isn't as inpenetrable as it once was. Because of evil men, many innocent lives were lost; and our nation faced the worst disaster in history since being bombed by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. We were forever changed, and the NYC skyline no longer has the Twin Towers gracing its beauty. OH!! Speaking of the Towers, remember the twin Towers of Light they had shining right after the attacks; and they shone into the NYC skyline for a month? Well, last night, they had them lit up again, in reference to the anniversary of the attacks; and they were so incredible. My wife saw them, and she cried. I did, too; but I still say that it was a very honorable thing for the city to do. It is only right.
Well, I have to take Junior back; he just did a loadie in his diapers, and from the sounds of it, it was a good one. Will have to have the nurses clean him up. Plus M'Kaya has drifted off to sleep again; she looks so adorable when she sleeps....
Talk to you later!
((((HUGS)))) and much love, Franklin, M'Kaya, and now JUNIOR---AKA Stefan Paul Franklin William Jefferson, Born on September 11, 2001, at 9:11 p.m., weighing 9 lbs., 11 oz., 23" long.
Friday, September 12, 2003~
