A Sweet Little Girlie

  I became a Marmee (grandmother) at forty two and it has been such a joy and blessing. A little while ago my daughter had her second baby. For the first pregnancy she found out the gender but for this pregnancy she and her husband decided to keep it a surprise. People were divided on their guesses but my daughter was hoping against hope for a girl. She is adopted and the relationships she has had to navigate with myself and her birth mother and other mothers in her life have been challenging at times. The hope of a little girl to mother and bond with felt extra special. 

I was able to be there for the labor and delivery, and was there for the moment when we found out that this baby was indeed a girl!

My daughter had a challenging pregnancy on all levels. She has a young toddler, she was so sick to the point of needing to be hospitalized, she had gestational diabetes and more. At the end of the pregnancy she tried to induce labor twice hoping to meet the baby and have some of the challenging, almost unbearable, pregnancy symptoms leave. However this baby was not willing to vacate on demand! 

Finally she went in to get a non stress test and was told her water could be broken because she was dilated so far already. Thankfully baby came just a few short hours after that. There were many many moments of the labor and delivery that were poignant and beautiful and powerful. Having a baby is such a vulnerable and painful experience. My daughter was strong and surrounded by love and care and her baby was welcomed into a family that will cherish her and support her in any way possible. 

I am so thankful she is here and all is well.

Baby Adaleigh was seven pounds and four ounces and the second smallest baby in our immediate family. Her brother had arrived at nine pounds four ounces so this girlie seems SO petite. She has been so snuggly and so sweet and just such a blessing. Her big brother adores her and her aunties and uncles cannot handle her cuteness.

A Full House

 August now holds three birthdays for our family. My son turned twelve and this summer he changed drastically from a little boy to a young man. My baby turned three and is quickly becoming less and less a baby. Pretty soon the life I have known for so long will change. I won't have a baby co sleeping, nursing, and needing me to be on call twenty four seven. I will have some body autonomy of sorts and some more freedom. I can't fathom it at this moment but it is on the horizon. 

Also this August I became a Marmee for the second time. My daughter had her baby in late August. This was so exciting and also such a relief. The pregnancy was not easy and the waiting for the baby to come became more than she could manage in some respects. Thankfully the labor and delivery were quick and drama free and this tiny soul has been calm and sweet and such a joyous welcome addition to our home. We have eleven people living here now. 

Oh September

 The coming of Autumn is a promise of beauty but also a farewell. The corn is ready to harvest and the roses still bloom. Last night my daughter came home with buckets of flowers and joy. She wanted to make bouquets and today we did. To live where there are such defined seasons is a blessing I don't take for granted. This summer has been hot and smokey and during August we barely saw blue skies. Each morning the windows were open beckoning in what cool air there was before the heat of the day hit like a brick. It was a quiet summer in that we were not out and about. It was a loud summer in that the fighting and anxiety was brutal! I feel even more exhausted now than I did before summer started and that's not saying much but it is saying something. I guess I have given every shred of myself I had to give and there is good in that. So here is to another summer ~ the summer of 2026. We made it through, and we had the most beautiful moments.