Gillam's

Sima and Chris showed up with a beautiful old wooden captain's chair they had stripped down and refinished, which Sima announced was Elijah's chair for Gillam's bris.

MORE FROM GINNY BATES: LESBIANS HAVING BABIES Maggie Jochild 2007

Ginny's nephews were in the backyard, persuading the winter earth to yield to their shovels as they dug a hole big enough to plant the six-foot tulip tree Myra and Ginny had chosen to commemorate Gillam's birth.

MORE FROM GINNY BATES: LESBIANS HAVING BABIES Maggie Jochild 2007

Once the door closed and the room subsided into a profound, grateful quiet, Gillam's fidgeting stopped.

MORE FROM "GINNY BATES" -- 1998 Maggie Jochild 2007

Plus Gillam's tendency to watch things through once, before plunging in, really serves him in good stead around Margie.

MORE FROM GINNY BATES: ALLIE Maggie Jochild 2007

Gillam's eyes wandered to the shelves of books lining Myra's study.

MORE FROM GINNY BATES: CLASS Maggie Jochild 2007

After Myra and Ginny were in bed, they heard Gillam's piping voice still going strong on the side porch, making the most of his time with David.

MORE FROM GINNY BATES: ALLIE Maggie Jochild 2007

Sima and Chris led prayers in two different languages, and at her signal, Myra stepped forward with Gillam's placenta, frozen in waxed paper, and placed it into the hole.

MORE FROM GINNY BATES: LESBIANS HAVING BABIES Maggie Jochild 2007

Myra kissed the top of Gillam's head and held him with a tenderness that nearly broke her heart.

MORE FROM GINNY BATES: ALLIE Maggie Jochild 2007

Then all of Gillam's male relatives swore that they knew this to be true.

MORE FROM GINNY BATES: LESBIANS HAVING BABIES Maggie Jochild 2007

Gillam and David came in the door, Gillam's eyes huge.

MORE FROM GINNY BATES: ALLIE Maggie Jochild 2007