MY BROTHER IS FLOATING

My brother's feet have not touched the ground in a few days, and with good reason.

His first child - a boy - arrived Thursday evening.

The smile on my brother's face is an awesome site. At 37, I'm sure in recent times he wondered whether he'd have kids of his own. His girlfriend has two fantastic boys from a previous relationship (they adore Mr. Ryan), so there's going to be a lot of testosterone flying around that household in the years to come.

He has always been great with children, but watching my brother look at his son was an incredible site. A soft-spoken person who wastes very few words, he let the ever-present ear-to-ear smile convey his feelings when we visited with he and his girlfriend at the hospital.

Since the child's arrival just three days ago, we have received no fewer than 14 pictures of our nephew via cell phone. There have been numerous other updates as well, covering such moments as notice of his son turning 24 hours old (well, 24 hours and 2 minutes, to be exact), details of his son giving the hospital pediatrician a "golden shower" and notice of the family's departure for home yesterday afternoon.

Having gone through it all just five months ago, I know the excitement my brother is feeling. When we talked on Saturday, he referenced the fact that he couldn't remember what it felt like without his son in the world. It had only been a day and a half, yet his world had completely changed, and all for the better.

It really is true. Having a child changes reality as we know it.

For my brother, seeing his son for the first time made him realize he could fly.