Introducing: Ari Joseph

Guest blog post from my sister: Tamara Zur

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I wanted to write a blog on Soul Diver, introducing Ari! He’s been a part of our lives for 2 weeks now – 2 weeks with a new person in our family, 2 weeks of baby snuggles and bright eyes, 2 weeks of witnessing new love and endless possibilities.

Although he was a bit late to get the ball rolling, Ari entered the world with gusto. Elana and Navin went to the hospital at 8 am on March 10th to begin the induction process. By 6:20 pm Ari was born, and from what I understand once he decided it was time to come he was here within a matter of minutes. We had been getting updates from Navin through my mom all day, and then what felt like all of a sudden we received the phone call to come to the hospital. And there he was. Ari Joseph. Our precious Ari.

Seeing Ari for the first time was surreal. Ari weighed in at 7 pounds on the dot and was 22 inches tall. He has Navin’s fingers and toes and dimples in his cheeks like Elana, which is a Zur hallmark. He has a full head of hair and was awake and alert the whole time we were there, just taking in the world around him. He’s perfect.

Walking into the hospital room and seeing my sister holding her tiny baby and hugging my brother-in-law less than an hour after he became a father, were moments that I will never forget. Those moments are etched in my heart forever. The thing that struck me the most was how comfortable both Elana and Navin seemed with this seismic shift that had just taken place. They had just gone through a very traumatic life event and now had this teeny person to take care of and they seemed so confident and content. They had become a family of three and it was the most natural thing in the world.

With Ari’s arrival, our whole world shifted for a number of reasons. We have a boy in our family! That’s new for us, and I think I speak for everyone when I say we couldn’t be more excited to welcome this little gentleman to our clan. I’ve only recently started to peruse the boy side of Carters and man, there are some seriously cute clothes over there!

Also, Ari is the second grandchild on the Zur side of the family – which means there’s a whole new dynamic in our family tree. Zoey and Ari are cousins! They are less than 15 months apart, which seems like a big deal now as Zoey walks all over the place and Ari is so small, but a few years from now, their age difference will seem like no time at all. Ari will be a part of Zoey’s entire conscious life – he will there in her very first memories. They will grow up side-by-side and I can’t wait to see the adventures they will share together.

For anyone who has welcomed a baby into their family, you’ll know just how hard those first few days and weeks are. Elana and Navin, know that you’re surrounded by people who love you to no end and are here to support you on this journey as parents. When Zoey was a newborn I would joke that she was a very patient teacher – she seemed to know what she needed and Will and I seemed to always be a step behind. Be kind to yourselves and to each other as you settle in to your new normal. And hold on for the ride – it is the most amazing thing you will ever do.

We love you Ari and Elana and Navin!!!

Xo Auntie Mara