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The thread about summer vacation plans prompted me to stop procrastinating and share my good news with you. My vacation will be to Utah and Idaho from June 8 to June 22 to see my grandson, who is a week old today.
It’s been an exciting week, to say the least, and I’m not even on the same land mass as my daughter and her new son. But I’ve been able to do a lot of reflecting and reminiscing about having my babies all those years ago (but honestly, seems like just a while ago to me, despite all the evidence to the contrary. Where did all these amazing young adults come from anyway, and what happened to my babies????)
Some thoughts I’ve had:
My first three children were born in the early ‘80’s in military hospitals in Florida, Virginia and California. I was so young and inexperienced that I wasn’t even really scared of becoming a mother. I got adequate medical care, but the nurses’ bed-side manner could have been better. For example, my 2nd daughter was born right after dinner was served in the maternity ward and I didn’t get anything to eat until the next morning at breakfast. Looking back, I probably should have had my husband drive over to Burger King or Taco Bell to bring me something to eat, but that wasn’t the kind of thing that we did back then… our budget wouldn’t allow it (and we DID have to come up with $22 for the hospital bill <gasp!>). So I went hungry that night. All these years later, I still remember that I couldn’t sleep, I was so hungry.
My daughter gave birth around 7:45 pm, and the nursing staff said they could probably have something sent up, but my best friend (who was there in my place ) called her daughter and had her bring something over for her to eat. I’ve been reflecting on how much better her child birth experience was than mine. Being a military wife, moving 5 times in as many years, it was hard to get too close to anyone, and of course, my own family was far away, too. Each time I gave birth, I had a few ladies from church visit and bring in meals, but for the most part, it was just me, my husband (when he wasn’t at sea) and my baby(ies). My daughter lives in the town she grew up in, with two sisters close by, and her husband’s whole family in the same town. She’s had church members, co-workers, in-laws, sisters, and life-long friends with her throughout her pregnancy and this past week with a new baby. What a difference! I’m so happy that she had so many people who cared about her willing to take care of her in my absence.
Another thing I’ve been thinking about a lot and am very grateful for is that I became a grandmother in the days of cell phones, digital cameras and email. When I went into labor with my first, we called our mothers before we went to the hospital. And they waited at home by their phones. My mother in law didn’t leave the house all day, until something came up and she had to run to her children’s school for 15 minutes. Of course, that’s when my husband called to tell her our daughter was here. His sister took the call, and my (now former) mother-in-law never quite forgave us for that. My mother got the call right away, but it was probably at least a week or two before we were able to send any pictures.
I carry two cell phones – one personal and one for work. My daughter called me several times throughout her labor, and immediately after my grandson was born. Hearing his cries from 3000 miles away, before his umbilical cord was cut was the most amazing thing I’ve experienced, at least since my own children were born. Less than an hour after he was born, I had pictures in my email, which I forwarded to Costco.com and was able to get prints an hour later. Now, in typical grandmother fashion, I show them to anyone who can’t run faster than me.
Everyone asks me what I want him to call me. I had only one living grandmother when I was growing up, and I called her “grandma”, which is what my children called both of their grandmothers. I’m not really the “grandmamma” type, and I detest “nana”, “ma-maw” and “granny”. My daughter and many of my coworkers are calling me “tutu”, the Hawaiian word for grandmother. I suppose I have a while before it becomes an issue, and he may come up with something completely different. Of course, the first time he calls me anything at all, I’m sure I’ll be a little puddle of grandma all over the floor.
As I said, it’s been an exciting week. I can’t remember all the things I wanted to write about, but if I’d tried much before now, I don’t think I could have made it through without making a spectacle of myself here at the computer. My feelings are very tender, and I’m one to cry at mall openings, let alone at the birth of my first grandchild.
I’m now counting the days until I get to see him. I’m kind of stuck between “seasons” of my life right now… I still have two teenaged daughters at home, so I’m not free to pick up and go when I like, as many grandmothers are. We leave on the red-eye the night school gets out here… June 8th. I’ll be arriving in SLC around noon on the 9th, and my daughter will meet me at the airport with the baby. Fifteen days and counting. Woo hoo!
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Congrats maui babe. He's darling! What a thoughtful trip down memory lane, smells like a landmark to me? Exciting hugs to you.
Posts: 697 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Neither of my babies cried before their umblilical was cut (and both, in fact, had the nurses suctioning them and telling them rather urgently that they needed to cry). It may have had to do with the fact that they both had their cords wrapped around their necks... How cool for you to be able to hear it.
(That kid has as much hair as Bridget did. Or as the nurses said, "That's an awful lot of hair for a white baby!" Awesome! )
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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White baby as opposed to...? Our >half white babies have tons of hair. Hubby is saying 3/4 white. Whatever.
Oh, and nice share, Maui Babe. It's good to see you around, I had my first baby at a military hospital and it was weird even in '92.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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All of my babies had at least some hair. My daughter who's now 17 had the most though... I could put it in ponytails from the day she was born, and usually did, because that was the only way to keep it out of her face. I'll see if I can dig up a picture to link to.
I guess in all my remembering I didn't give all the details:
The baby's name is Eli Hunter, 7 lbs 5 oz 20 inches long. He was born on May 18.
I was a little surprised he was so small, frankly. His parents are not small people... My daughter is 5ft 10 in and her husband is over 6 feet. I expected her to have an 8 or 9 pounder actually. But I'm sure he won't stay small... they never do.
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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Well, at the hospital I delivered at, they get some black babies, lots of Armenian babies, and some latino babies. Apparently, all of them usually have more hair than babies of people who are as typically "white" as us.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote: I was a little surprised he was so small, frankly. His parents are not small people... My daughter is 5ft 10 in and her husband is over 6 feet. I expected her to have an 8 or 9 pounder actually. But I'm sure he won't stay small... they never do.
I don't know that parent size, as adults, has much at all to do with baby size. I've seen some pretty small gals give birth to very large babies, and vice versa. I was 5'9" (before to shrank with old age) and my husband was 6'3" and our babies were 7 pounds 2 oz and 6 pounds 3 ounces (without being premies).
The 6 pound 3 oz baby is now my 6'4", 250 pound son -- so I think baby size has little to do with later adult size.
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) called her daughter and had her bring something over for her to eat. I’ve been reflecting on how much better her child birth experience was than mine. Being a military wife, moving 5 times in as many years, it was hard to get too close to anyone, and of course, my own family was far away, too. Each time I gave birth, I had a few ladies from church visit and bring in meals, but for the most part, it was just me, my husband (when he wasn’t at sea) and my baby(ies). My daughter lives in the town she grew up in, with two sisters close by, and her husband’s whole family in the same town. She’s had church members, co-workers, in-laws, sisters, and life-long friends with her throughout her pregnancy and this past week with a new baby. What a difference! I’m so happy that she had so many people who cared about her willing to take care of her in my absence.![[Party]](graemlins/party.gif)
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How cool for you to be able to hear it. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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