New Grandbabies ~ Part 1

Last night a friend of ours posted on facebook that her daughter and son-in-law were withholding the sex of her new grandchild who will be born in the fall. It was killing her knowing that they knew and was playfully keeping it from her. I know that feeling of wonder as I went through that with my own son when he announced that they were having a baby.  It feels like it was just yesterday.

Another friend of ours had said one time that you will know someday when you yearn to be a grandmother. While I boasted about my grandDOGS from time to time, I really was in no hurry to become a grandma.  I had only recently gone to college to get my degree and felt I had to work and tend to my career.  I would hear people talking about their grandchildren and think ~ I hope I am not as obnoxious and limited in my focus as they are! HA!

Don't get me wrong ~ I always knew that one day I would have grandchildren and started setting aside things for them in special boxes marked "For my new grandson/granddaughter someday"  One sign, probably made on an exasperating "parenting day" said, "For the grandchildren ~ born a LONG TIME FROM NOW!!!!!!!!" (Yes, there were a lot of exclamation points). I just always assumed it would be my youngest who would make that announcement first, and he was in no position to be thinking about the responsibilities of parenthood.  I thought he would be first because Zack is a lover ~ he falls in love quick and hard.  He has since he was in preschool.  Every new school year he would come home and announce who he was going to marry from that class. So it just made sense that he would be the first to give us a grandchild.

Nathan on the other hand, is a procrastinator ~ and sometimes forgets what he is focusing on and the decisions that need to be made. This is in direct contrast to my oldest son Nik, who is an impulsive decision maker, often acting on the decision only to figure out later that maybe that wasn't such a smart idea after all. I used to tease Nate about being on the 5 year plan.  He would take five years to come to terms with a decision he had to make.  For this reason we started preparing for him to go away to college in junior high.

When Nate, always the joker, announced that they were going to be parents I thought he was kidding, and I was busy getting ready to fly to DC the next morning so I wasn't in the mood for jokes. But after a few minutes I got the impression that he wasn't joking about this.  I thought ~ how can this be?  You have only been with Jessy for about 3 years?  You have at least 2 more years!

When I finally figured out that he was very serious, I ran to the basement and started digging through the boxes to search for the one marked "When Nate becomes a daddy".  In it was a ceramic figurine, a pair of penguins, lovingly looking down at their child. I was ecstatic to say the least. Knowing that your family is going to be blessed with a new life is amazing.  Knowing that the child you gave birth to, and struggled to raise right for so many years, is going to give you a grandchild is overwhelmingly awesome.

I knew immediately that it was going to be a long 7 months.  While my generation didn't always know the sex of the child before the birth, or share the knowledge if we did know, this generation does. I was not sure I would want to know.  Isn't that part of the surprise? And then we were told.  And I was "tickled pink". 

A girl.  After 3 sons, we were going to have a girl in our family. The anticipation of her birth was only kept under control (slightly) by the fact that I worked for a busy non-profit that was in its infancy.  I was busy beyond belief so thankfully I was distracted however, I did start noticing all the children's shops. I bought little girl clothes and barrettes and made a special hat for her to wear home from the hospital ~ made from an old heirloom hankie that belonged to my Grandmother ~ that she might carry with her as something old when she gets married someday.

Yes, I know what Sue is going through.  When her kids finally posted a video on facebook, of ultrasound photos, with a special message to their family announcing the sex of their child, (a girl) she cried and expressed her overwhelming feelings of love for this unborn child and thinking of her Mom who passed away years ago, knowing she can't share this moment with her.  I still get goosebumps thinking about it.

Grandchildren as special, that is for sure.  They are a remarkably extraordinary gift from God to be treasured and loved and nurtured.  Even before they are born.

Nathan and his amazing little girl