Monica's Gender Reveal Party and an Amazing Moment

My cousin Monica is pregnant with her first baby due in November, and we were invited to the gender reveal party she and her husband Chris had.  Since Wayne was still out of town for work, my parents and I rode down to Macon together for the afternoon/evening.  When we got to my aunt and uncle's house, we had a little time to kill.  Will had fun exploring their house.  He found a ceramic cat on the floor that I remember from my childhood.  He signed "cat" when he saw it, but then he decided he was scared of it.  He moved on from the cat and went into their dining room where a portrait of my Granddaddy was leaned up against the wall.

The next thing I know, Will walked straight up to it and started pointing and laughing like he was excited to see him.  He bent down and gave my Granddaddy a kiss...  all completely unprovoked!  I called my mom to come quickly and see and she and I were both tearing up.  He did this for a while...knelt down in front of Granddaddy talking to him like he knew him.  It was an amazing moment for my mom and I to witness.*

Giving Granddaddy Waters kisses.

Talking.

Laughing.

A little while later, it was time to go to the party.  We had a delicious dinner of BBQ and spent some time hanging out.  Will had fun playing with the ice in the cooler.  He would get a piece in his mouth, walk it over to my dad...

then spit it out in his hand.

This game kept him entertained for quite some time.

Then he found the dog's water bowl and discovered he could see his reflection in it.

After everyone finished eating dinner, it was finally time to see if baby Stevens-Kirby is a boy or a girl.  They had this amazing cake made for the big reveal.  We went around the room all stating our guesses, most of us guessing it would be a boy.

Monica and Chris cut into the cake and...

It's a GIRL!!!

We stayed over a little longer before heading back to my aunt and uncle's house to pack up and head home.  After getting in his pjs, Will had fun playing with Aunt Deborah's glasses.

Then aunt Deb started pulling out some of Molly and Monica's old baby clothes from a chest in the room.  We all laughed at remembered when Molly wore this hat.

Speaking of hats, y'all know Will had to show everyone his!

Will and Molly

We ended up staying until a little after 10pm.  Poor little guy was exhausted, but you never would have known it.  He is definitely an extrovert like his mommy.  

It was a really fun Saturday spent with family!

*My Granddaddy, James William Waters, went to be with the Lord February 12, 2004.  He was more-than-words-can-express important to me.  He had the greatest spiritual influence on my life, and I still cry sometimes because I miss him so much.  Our sweet William James is named after him (and Wayne's 2 grandfathers - one William and the other James), and at often times Will's personality reminds me some of my Granddaddy's.  When my Grandmother Waters passed away this past January, my brother encouraged me to read Heaven is for Real, which I highly recommend.  The little boy's trip to Heaven in that book gives me so much encouragement about seeing my grandparents again one day.  And this precious moment between William James Bishop and James William Waters makes me think, in some small yet huge supernatural way, that Will knew exactly who he was talking to, laughing with, and kissing that afternoon.  It brings tears to my eyes and goose bumps to my body thinking about it even now.  I will never forget that moment.  When Will was born, I longed for my Granddaddy to be alive to meet him.  Now I have full confidence he already has.