On August 30, 2016, my wife, Amy, and I welcomed our new baby daughter Virginia “Ginny” Jeanne Sivertsen into the world. Both the names Virginia and Jeanne came from our respective grandparents. Ginny weighed in at eight pounds and eight ounces and measured in at 19.5 inches long.
I was at the hospital for the birth of our daughter and took two weeks off from work at The Planning Center immediately afterward. There are a million things to do before and after the arrival of a baby and I wanted to do my fair share of them. I valiantly tried to avoid working and reading my emails and focused on helping Amy around the house as best I could.
Cradling my new baby girl in my arms reminds me of how special and precious life is. When I stare at her tiny face, I wonder if she looks more like me or like Amy. She has the best features of us both, but looks uniquely like herself. Even at a few weeks old, it is clear that she is a member of this family.
Holding Ginny I feel happy and at peace. It is no wonder that scientists say that one of the quickest ways to reduce stress is to hold a sleeping baby. Make no mistake; I am by no means a newbie dad. Ginny is our third child and her five-year-old sister Lillian and her two-year-old brother Graham are as excited and welcoming of their new sister as I am.
The past few weeks have given me time to pause and enjoy the new baby, and to celebrate all the wonderful people in my life. I have had the opportunity to spend more quality time with Amy and our kids. The outpouring of love and affection we continue to receive is amazing. From the gifts and heartwarming messages to the people stopping by or leaving us warm meals, we are incredibly thankful.
As my time off comes to a close, the hardest part about going back to work will be missing our family time and the conversations Amy and I have had about our lives and our future. However, to put things in perspective, that is what makes my work as a financial planner that much more rewarding. I love the work I do at The Planning Center because it facilitates conversations with our clients.
We know what it takes to help our clients realize their dreams and visions for the future. We understand because we, too, are working hard to build a better life for our families and ourselves. The birth of a child is, for me, a reminder that just because miracles happen every day doesn’t mean we should ever take them for granted. I never lose sight of the fact that the world we live in is one of endless possibilities.
Andrew Sivertsen, CFP®, CeFT™, is a Partner and Sr. Financial Planner in the Quad Cities office of The Planning Center, a fee-only financial planning and wealth management firm. Email him at: andrew@theplanningcenter.com.
