# 578 - WE are Multiplying!

Babies are amazing. When around a baby you adore, you're simultaneously invigorated, drained, goofy, on alert, willing to do anything for the next giggle, and wanting the little one to have better than you could've dreamed of having. 

I'm a Nana.

Sometimes, I can't believe I'm a Nana. Some of my friends are still raising children, but I've got #5 grandbaby on the way. 

Having grandbabies is akin to expecting wonderful surprises, constantly.

Grandbabies keep you on your toes.

This last several days (Monday through Friday), I stayed at my youngest daughter's house while her husband had surgery to reattach his shoulder. Yes, it sounds as bad as it really is. 

Stefanie and Brice had a tough week in front of them, and I had this near-two-year-old to watch over for the duration, complete with baby monitor at night for me to handle middle-of-the-night issues so Daddy and Mommy could confront post-surgery agonies.

This is Lily. My youngest grandbaby. She is Stefanie and Brice's first child. 

If you are a longtime reader you'll remember that Stefanie is my youngest daughter. If you don't remember, feel free to read old posts dating back years and years... 

Like her older sister, Stefie took her time to do everything in order... college, marriage, a career, then babies. It came as a challenging shock to learn she'd have to work hard along with planned interventions, unexpected setbacks, and deep heartaches to become a mommy. However, she'd worked hard at everything in life, so this wouldn't be any different. 

Stefie approached serious hurdles with pregnancy and childbirth with gusto, determined to conquer each. And yes, she had bad days that dragged her low to the ground, but she also had days of elation and cloud-walking. 

Stefie taught me a good deal about the aguish of infertility and its numerous side-effects, some devastating... the worst is when a blessed baby is on the way, then suddenly is not.

I think people strive to have babies for more than a legacy. Babies fill us with hope, make us dream of a better future, and prompt us to lean into each new day with extra gusto. 

Growth is the goal.

Growth is phenomenal for the baby and parents.

And the grandparents.

Especially for this Nana.

I am entertained by my grandbabies. Little things matter. I wish I could incorporate multiple lifetimes into one day... with enough time for my own life and its duties, then more for Coraline, Hank, Augustus, Lily, and more to spare for the little one on the way.

Alas, time doesn't work this way. 

However, sweet, precious love is enduring. 

Love cannot be contained. 

Love cannot be defined. 

Love is infinite while a human's existence is finite.

Within us, the infinite and the finite coexist.

Twenty-four hours is generous, yet woefully brief. 

All I know is... a linear ticking of allotted time whirls onward. Each second is one momentary chance that disappears. You better not waste time worrying about the long gone second of time or you'll miss out on the one you're in right now.

As a grandparent, the directions of your love grow exponentially. It is difficult to logistically work out details that exist between you and your grandbabies... distance, your own daily responsibilities and household, travel issues, their rules and your antiquated rules, and other considerations, such as remembering that a grandparent is (most often) a guest to the household with the grandchild.

That being said, my daughters and their husbands cannot do one thing more to make me feel more welcomed, loved, and appreciated when I'm at their homes. As the kids get older, I go there less often, and they come to me more more often. That's a bonus.

Since three of my grandkids are a two hours drive North, and the other is two hours away in the opposite direction, I must make a concerted effort to visit. One direction is mostly down country roads with great views of rural Texas, and the other direction takes me straight through the heart of Houston to skirt alongside skyscrapers and a stadium that has been re-named one time too many. 

Enron is still on the brain.

Little ones question life through exploration and an innate inquisitiveness. They expose us to new perspectives and encourage us to ponder things we haven't considered in ages.

For instance... rain. This week, Lily reminded me to be thoughtful of how rain falls from the sky, but when in the house, we are free from raindrops falling on our head. 

Yes, we adults know full well that this is due to the marvel of construction, but a little one who has been outside in a storm and rushed indoors will look at the ceiling in expectation of continued rain.

Marvelous.

Life is full of eye-catching details. When we get older, our eyes aren't as easy to "catch," but being around a small child can fill you with fresh reasons to take a another look or two.

Lily will be two years old in a couple of days. She's a tiny one, just like her momma. Our family has been thrilled to have her join the clan. 

I've discovered that every time a new child joins the family, you cannot remember how it was to exist without them. A tiny person who is destined to be part of us becomes etched upon the whole of our existence. 

We are no longer "we" without them.

Babies on the way are celebrated and counted as part of us, completely. 

And at this point, our "we" is swelling as we speak. This tickles me happy.

My oldest daughter, Heather, has three incredible kiddos. It's cool that my daughters' children are cousins. Cousins are people on this planet who are linked by some magical connection, as if invisible strands of blood bound them together for life.

The family photo above is from last Christmas (2019). I like this shot over the cleaned-up version. The chaos brought by little ones isn't a bad thing. The kids make the photo interesting. It's natural.

Those two gals struggling with the youngest ones in their arms are my daughters... my pride and joy. Those two gals have grown to be women I admire and respect, each bringing me untold joy. Heather and Stefanie are so different, yet so alike and full of particulars. Each of my daughters is fascinating in their own right. 

For now, they are in the middle of interesting careers; they're wives and mothers, and they are among my closest of friends.

I loved being their mother when they were teeny-tiny, and I love being their mother now. Today, I love being the one and only Nana to their children. I chose "Nana" after carefully ensuring the other grandmothers in the extended family didn't use the same name, and my oldest grandchild, Coraline, got the honor of sealing the name for all time after she used it. 

For me, being a "Nana" is a high badge of honor. 

No matter what my "title" might be, nothing can beat the connections I share with the small ones in our family. 

Those connections come with intent. 

I SEE the children. 

I don't look AT their eyes, I look INTO their eyes, which opens mine for them to do the same. 

I see the PERSON they are at that moment. 

It's the coolest.

When raising my girls, I thought EVERY stage was my next "new" favorite. And now, with the grandkids, I feel the same. 

It's all gravy. 

The good kind. 

You can't leave one drop behind.

My week with Lily is finished, but her daddy, Brice, has a long road ahead for healing. He's in great shape, and I'm hoping the worst of his surgery ordeal is behind him. Recovery isn't for wimps, that's for sure. 

He'll be eligible to begin physical therapy in about five-six weeks, but for now, his body has got to allow the hardware reattachments to take hold, for permanence. 

Back at home, things are not as fun as when I am with Lily. Although, I suppose it's been good for my body to rest since I give deserving loved ones my ALL. 

As I get ready for bed, I think of the lessons Lily re-taught me:

1. Find easy laughs with those who truly matter. 

2. Give your best to those who care about you day and night.

3. Never take it for granted that the rain doesn't land on your face while you're in bed. 

I hope everyone is enjoying this New Year... 2021. I'm excited for it since "We" are multiplying! The fifth will be here mid-summer!