Leveling Up to Grammi 2.0:
A Baby Brother Joins the Family
“Be careful what you wish for,” said my boyfriend E when I said I couldn’t wait to be a grandma. Now 18 months later not only am I Grammi to granddaughter Z but as of January, with the birth of my grandson R, I am officially Grammi 2.0, and Z is a big sister.
I was wondering how I will spread my love to two grand babies. Not to worry, there is enough love in my heart to go around. Having more grandchildren makes the heart stretch and expand.
Welcoming my new grandson
From one grandchild to two
I was so happy for my son D and DIL S – what a perfect family – a girl and a boy. It reminded me in the early days of my twenties when I gave birth to my daughter A and then four years later in my early thirties to my son D. My late hubby M was so happy when out popped a boy. For sure I thought I was having another girl.
Wow-o-wow, how history repeats itself. Looking at my son D, I was reminded of his late dad and so wished M was alive to see how excellent he prepared D for fatherhood. D’s patience, compassion, and most of all unconditional love for Z and R are undeniable.
Now I have a granddaughter and grandson to spoil
Twice the love, twice the joy
I was excited to meet R. At only two weeks old, he was so tiny. “Hold his bouncing head,” I told myself. I rocked him in my arms and sang “I love you a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck.” I gently rubbed his back to soothe his gassy belly. In those few minutes I was totally whisked away into grandmahood and the stress of the world washed away.
There was also special time spent with Z. She loves her dolls and likes to hug and feed them with her toy bottles. Pop-up books are her favorites, especially with animals, colors and shapes. I was impressed with how Z can identify and name the different animals and even sing some of the alphabet too. It’s amazing how much Z has developed since I saw her two months ago. Watching Z at play and playing with her is simply the best! I’m forced to be in the present which is the biggest present.
My son D is a great dad because he had a great dad as a role model
Growing into Grammi 2.0
I was sad to leave on the red-eye back to home. Now I have two reasons to travel to California. I’m sure I will be spending more time out West now that my son D and DIL S bought a beautiful new home there. “I’m only a flight away,” I reassured myself as I left LAX. And there is plenty of FaceTime in-between.
I have much to look forward to as I expand into my new role of Grammi 2.0. There’s another needlepoint to pick out for R’s room and more embroidery to sew on Z’s toddler outfits I purchased. Ooh, ooh, ooh, that baby fabric on Etsy is so adorable, maybe I’ll make a baby quilt for R.
“The Best Grandmother Names” book is a thoughtful gift for a new grammi
Cathy Livingstone, author of The Best Grandmother Names Ever* believes that “today’s grandmothers are women-on-the-go, working hard, playing hard and looking good.” I agree Cathy. I need to keep up my weight training so my arms stay strong to lift Z and R. I need to maintain my yoga practice so my balance is steady to walk to the playground with Z and R. And I must do my weekly squats so I can sit down and get up off the ground when I play with Z and R.
I’m grateful for these two little humans who have joined my family and made my life after 60 that much richer. I can’t wait for all the incredible moments I’ll share with Z and R for years to come.
Grammi Judi
P.S. The Best Grandmother Names Ever is a great gift for new grandmothers or a grammi to be. There are 400 grandma names to choose from, quizzes to help you find your perfect name, real-life stories of amazing grandmas, list of celeb grandma names, a grandbaby planner and more.
