A Letter to the Grandparents

Dear Grandma, Papa and Mimi,

Today my Mommy and Daddy went to the doctor for an ultrasound. And it’s official—I’m a boy! My Mommy and Daddy have spent several weeks trying to decide what to name me, and they told me that they debated bunches of good names. But this morning, after the ultrasound, they told me that my name is Baxter Robert Finn. I am named after my two paternal great-grandfathers.

My great-grandfather Baxter Phillips was one of my Mommy’s grandfathers. Grandpa P., as Mommy called him, was a Baptist preacher for many years, just like my Grandpa Joel and my Daddy. It must run in the family! Grandpa was one of the very first students at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where my Daddy is a professor. Grandpa also pastored a church in Miami, Florida, that was one of the first Baptist churches in the South to integrate its membership in the 1960s. After he retired, Grandpa and my Grandma, Wanda, endowed an academic award at Southeastern for the student who writes the best Greek term paper every year. Grandpa went to be with his Lord three years ago. Grandma now lives in Naples , Florida , and I can’t wait to meet her.

My great-grandfather Robert A. Finn Sr. is one of my Daddy’s granddaddies. Although his name is Robert, everybody who knows him calls him either “Bobby” or “Bob.” (My Papa’s name is also Robert A. Finn [Jr.], but everybody just calls him “Andy.”) Granddaddy, as my Daddy calls him, is originally from Waycross. Daddy is also from Waycross and my Mimi and Papa still live there. Granddaddy and my Grandmommy, Gloria, worked for years at Finn Brothers Brake Service, which is still the family business. Both of them have been humble servants to everyone they know and they are beloved at their church and in their entire community. They are now retired and live on a farm in Hoboken, Georgia. I can’t wait to meet them both.

I am glad that my Mommy and Daddy named me after two great men: Baxter Phillips and Bobby Finn. I hope that I can be like both of them in many ways when I am all grown up one day.

I can’t wait to meet all of you this fall. Mommy and Daddy keep telling me that I have some super grandparents. Please pray that I will continue to be a healthy, growing baby boy and that my Mommy would be healthy and comfortable in between now and the time I am born.

Love,
Baxter

P.S. Mommy's ultrasound today revealed my "boy-ness", as well as the fact that I am healthy and growing well! There is nothing to worry about with me--my heart is beating well and my bones are growing strong.