Happy but Tired Grandma

Why wait until Thursday? (Which is Mom's birthday, in any case!) I arrived home about half an hour ago, and after checking my email, decided a telling of the wonderful weekend I enjoyed would help me unwind.

Jaran, Shelley, and Jordan met me at the airport. Unfortunately, Jordan decided she was hungry, and then had to ride in her car seat, so I didn't get to hold her until we arrived back in Moore.

At (almost) two months, Jordan is still at the stage where she mostly sleeps and eats ... and plays for short periods. She's starting to turn over, holds her upper body very well, and may be teething. Her eyes open wide while she takes in the world, she kicks her arms and legs constantly, building up all those muscles. When she hears her Daddy's voice, her head turns to find him. Momma too, of course. And she even started responding to me while I was there. Big, toothless grins, just happy to have my attention.

Special memories ... her arm sneaking around my neck when I held her against my shoulder, so that she hugged me back. Reading her first book ... small board books with Mother Goose Rhymes. (I told Jaran that they had neglected her introduction to books; at 2 months she's off to a late start! What else do you expect an author to say?) She managed to get her eye on the page once in awhile and her uncontrolled hand movements connected with the pages from time to time. Holding her while she fussed and having her settle down to sleep, as if she felt perfectly secure in my arms. She favors Jaran quite a bit, although Shelley and I both hope she has her mother's (and sisters') sweet smile.

I held her for long hours, yes. But I was pleased that as much as I treasured the time with Jordan, I enjoyed the time with Savannah and Shannon just as much. Why? Because at 9 and 12 (26 days away from 13), the older girls have personalities and interests and do things. Shannon, as expected, played games with me (I wonder if she can talk anyone else into playing Candyland with her?) She's the little Mama, changing Jordan, feeding her, taking good care of her. She says she'd like to work with animals some day and I think she'd be good at it. (Shannon's interests and perspective on life have always reminded me of Jolene, on her good days.)

Savannah, who tests her parents' limits as all teens do, was surprisingly candid with me and impressed me her level-headed thinking. She dreams of being a middle school teacher who can inspire her students. I told Jaran that I feel like I am a grandmother to those two precious girls. I am intimate enough for Savannah to trust me with her thoughts and feelings but distant enough that I am outside the family dynamics. I hope I can encourage them both. I urged Jaran to tell both girls how proud I am of both of them.

We spent time at a park and at the science museum, made cards with the girls at home (a craft I brought with me), played "Mario Kart" on Wii lots of times. Jordan slept through the park and the museum but woke up at every restaurant. Hey, if everybody else is eating, why shouldn't she?

You know the only family member who seemed jealous of the baby?

The dog. Every time Shannon picked up Jordan, Muffin jumped up next to her as if to say, I used to be your baby. Muffin also claims Jordan's blankets and baby seats whenever they're unoccupied.

By the time I see Jordan again, she probably won't be so content to snuggle in my arms. She may be sitting and crawling and eager to explore. I am so glad I got to see her in these precious early days.

I also looked into an apartment for me and assisted living for Mom, and without any purposeful choice on my part, located two places that appear to be ideal ... that are about 10 blocks apart. That's closer than I am to Mom here in Denver! (Coincidence or Godincidence?) Those decisions have not been finalized, so I'll keep you updated.

I love being a grandmother.