how will the newest family member respond to meeting 13 family members at the same time?
meeting the newest family member was such a thrill for me.
my three children and their families arrived in pittsburgh,pa for a weekend of celebrating 4 generations. coming together, 14 of us, we were all super excited to meet the newest family member. the anticipation was building for me and also for great-grandma, nan. i had to share this baby boy with 13 other people on my first meeting!
my heart had been so full of happiness and joy for this time together. i had so many emotions. would the new grandbaby like me? he was at that age of 8-9 months of possible “stranger danger”, where new faces are scary at his age. side note, this is my most favorite baby age!
i thought of baby toys i could bring along and favorite board books to read to him.
the day finally arrived. everyone was so late getting in that they went straight to bed. the next morning the east coast family was sipping coffee and hot chocolate in our pj’s waiting for the west coast families to wake up.
downstairs they came, son, taylor and wife emily and the newest family member, owen, and the room went silent. no one moved or said a thing. it was hilarious when i think back on it. we are never quiet. i made myself sit still, but inside i wanted to run over and grab that baby boy and kiss his face endlessly for 30 seconds.
the baby looked at each of us and we gave him time to get comfortable in his new surroundings. gradually and slowly, the other grandkids began to hand him toys and talk to him. his mom and dad took turns sitting on the floor with him as he ventured around the room.
it was my turn to meet the newest family member
it was finally my turn and i was so afraid i would scared him with all the excitement i was feeling. i thought my heart would burst at any moment. he played near me for a bit and then i picked him up and HE DIDN’T CRY. it was so wonderful, beyond words really how much you can love someone so completely. it continues to amaze me. grandbaby number 6 is just as wonderful as each of the other five awesome grandchildren.
the rest of our time together continued to build our relationship. we read books and i talked non-stop about things i wanted him to know. we ate, walked, and talked about all the important stuff in life. we played chase which meant that i chased him as he crawled away with lightning speed, climbed stairs over and over, and examined all kinds of pumpkins and gourds.
it was a perfect weekend. having all my babies together and of course, being a grammie is the most wonderful gift.
read grammie doula’s latest blog post about preparing baby and baby items during a storm or power outage.
more about grammie doula:
i offer in-person and virtual postpartum doula support in sw virginia and my clients call me “grammie doula”. i have 25 years as a labor and delivery nurse and then 10 years as a birth photographer.
i am a mom to 3 grown children, 6 grandchildren and a baby in heaven. i live in a cabin in the woods with my gray-bearded husband and two pets that prefer his company over mine! ~laura
