Monday, August 8, 2022

Home Again.

 There is something about a new baby, brand spanking new. The little noises they make. The little faces they make. The way they fit into the curve of your arm. Their tiny feet, their tiny fingers. Today. everyone was preparing to duck out for a doctor's appointment. I stayed behind with the idea to get my shower and be on my way before they got back. 

There was a reason for it. I had such a fun stretch of days with my grandaughter while her parents were away adding a new leaf to their family tree. We played, a lot, and her favorite game is 'betending'. I myself am a pretty good 'betender', so we were having all manner of adventures. I gently prepared her for the fact that I would be leaving. "Why do you have to go?" she asked. I told her that grandpa missed me. I also told her that I knew she'd be able to help her mom and dad so much with the new baby.  

I wasn't too worried about her. The day before I left, she was much caught up in the new experience of being a big sister, and that was just as it should be. She is about to embark on a whole new adventure. Slipping out quietly seemed the best way to handle it. 

It is such a private time, a bonding time for the new family, a learning each other time, and I would have been an intrusion. 

Still, it was hard to leave all that happy behind. 


 In the departure, there was a small moment. Mom had taken the oldest out to buckle her in her carseat. Dad had set the youngest down in her little bucket seat to go back for a folder that needed to go with them. There was a small moment of one wide awake alert baby studying the shadows on the wall, gazing around her with astonished little eyes, quietly taking it all in. 

It was a happy trip, with a lot of small, happy moments. I'm so lucky to have been a part of it. 


25 comments:

  1. How beautiful!🥰

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  2. I forgot to add my name- Ricki in NY🤗

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    1. Oh, it was one of those times that I will always hold in my heart, Ricki.

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  3. Debby... you're very sweet. 🙂

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    1. I have uncounted failings as a parent, I suppose, but I am a dandy grandma. I love my kids. I love my grands.

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  4. You gave that wee family just what it needed and left quietly as they needed that, too. You are a very perceptive person. I wonder what goes through brand new brains as they take everything in and process the world around them.

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  5. Just lovely observations. Warms all our hearts. Thanks, G'ma.

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  6. New babies are a treasure and they have that new baby smell that you always remember! I am glad you were able to help them out and you will never forget it!

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    1. After three of them, you'd think I would not be surprised at their tinyness, but I was.

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  7. So wonderful to experience. As my OB-Gyn Dad said during times of national crisis: the grass keeps growing, and the babies keep coming. It was his way of saying that the world will go on and we'll figure out how to get through the crisis. Linda in Kansas

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  8. Hooray for betending - they seem to grow out of it far too early nowadays

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    1. We had a tea party. Bears. Dancing at bedtime. Ballet. Mermaids. Dolls. On my last night, she got out of bed to tuck me into bed. She gave me two of her stuffed toys. She brought me one of the things we had painted so that I could have something to look at while I was sleeping. She turned in the doorway and said sweetly, "Do you have everything you need?" and then she put herself into her own bed. Such a fun age, really.

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  9. New babies seem to grow up much faster these days. My little great-niece seemed to suddenly go from baby to 3 then 8 years old overnight!

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    1. Imagine my shock to have kids in their 30s. Now one is in her 40s, and the rest are marching smartly towards that milestone. I am not sure how this even happens.

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  10. You did very well with your fellow betender. And you can both look forward to seeing each other again

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    1. I just love the look on her face when she comes rushing into the bathroom to say, "Grandma! There's a bear in the house!" When I look at her in mock terror and say, "A bear??!!! You need to tell him that he is NOT allowed on the stairs on the new carpet!" There is such a moment of delighted realization (Game on!) before she goes scampering off to yell in the stairwell.

      We betended a lot.

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  11. It is hard to leave all the happy. I haven't seen my twin grandies since they were two days old and on Thursday they will be ten weeks already. I'll be seeing them all one day next week though.

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    1. As it stands, I'll be headed back out in September. My son has a two week business trip. I imagine that you'll be shocked to pieces. Babies change a great deal in 10 weeks.

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  12. It seemed to work for you and all.

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  13. It's a very special time for all of us who are fortunate enough to be parents and grandparents.

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I'm glad you're here!

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