Well, I’ve been busier than a one-armed paperhanger. I may have actually given myself a theatre overdose. [I never ever thought I’d say that!!!] You see, I am now starting rehearsals for my 3rd production in 4 months. [I know, I was clearly out of my mind when I said I could handle that.] I’ve been deep in rehearsals since mid-July. And will continue with that until January 4th of 2013.
BUT—then I’m taking some time off.
Because… [Drum roll]… I’m going to be a grandmother again! My daughter and her awesome fiancé are due to become parents in March.
It has been a whirlwind courtship, but when you know, you know.
You Know?
They seem to be a really good team together. He is a wonderful man and he adores my daughter. What more could a mother ask for?
They had been talking about marriage, but the “Peanut” sped things up considerably. I have to tell myself it was meant to be… she is 37 and a half with one barely functioning ovary. As she said when she called to tell me:”How does that equal pregnant?”
She found out about the baby the week her son turned 21. This may be the biggest gap between kids on record. And telling her son was a little weird for them. “Happy 21st. Here’s your 1st legal beer—oh, and a sibling.” My grandson is very excited about being a big brother—of course, we’ll see how he feels when there’s a crying baby in the next room…
This will be a very different experience for all of us.
This baby will not be a part of my daily life like M was. I won’t be getting daily hugs and a “Hi Mimi.” I’ll only be able to read The Monster at the End of This Book to “Peanut” once in awhile. I may not be there for the first smile, the first time the baby rolls over or sits up. The first steps… All things I enjoyed with my own two, but appreciated more with my grandson. [There is something to be said for maturity…]
With this baby, I will have to drive 25 minutes to see him or her. I won’t have as much input into shaping this child as I did with my grandson.
I always tell people he is a perfect example of “It takes a Village.” The whole family took part in getting him started in life for the first nine years—and he took in the best parts of each of us. His outlook on life is rather unique. He has some of my sarcastic humor, some of my late husband’s gentleness, some of his paternal grandfather’s philosophical approach to things…
The only exception to this is his father. He has not had anything to do with this amazing young man—his loss.
That is something else that is very different this time around. My future son-in-law is totally there for my daughter. He has gone to the doctor’s appointments with her. He made the choice to give his dog up for adoption because Blue was too high-strung to be around a baby. He’s even down-loaded a “daddy-to-be” app to his i-Phone so he’ll know what to do as the pregnancy progresses.
Occasionally my daughter is having a hard time dealing with this. She is too used to going it alone. She has been M’s sole parent his entire life. She has kept the two of them fed, clothed and housed on her own since he was 9. Yes, the grandparents bought clothes and such, but the major responsibility was hers. And she embraced it willingly. She has been a devoted mom to her son. “Peanut” is getting two really cool people to guide him/her through life.
The only thing that may not be different is “Crazy Uncle J.” My son is still as goofy as ever… He was 15 when he became an uncle, and M was like a toy to him and his friends. He would do stuff like put Playdoh mustaches on him when he was an infant, slingshot him from the dining room to the living room in his Johnny-Jump-Up when he was about 1 and teach him highly inappropriate things to say when he was a toddler.
We’re already hiding the Playdoh….
