NEXT BLOG WILL BE OF CANADIAN CONTENT

I am leaving tomorrow. I'm coming home Bob. Saying goodbye to Sam. (Jen and Mike who?) But not for long. I will be back on Sept. 18th because my grandson has me registered in a "Grandparenting" seminar held at the Swedish Medical Center. As if I need any help. I am "the" grandmother of all grandmothers! Just ask my son-in-law. No, please don't....

My son-in-law is the best crib player and salmon fisherman in Washington State.

A few days make a big difference. There is now a small semblance of a sleeping pattern beginning to form and the start to a daily routine has surfaced. Jen says she is getting to know her son better each day and he is definitely sold on her! Mike gave Sam his first bath and with each "first", these new parents are gaining confidence and realizing that they indeed have what it takes to love and carefully nurture a young baby.

I would have returned to Canada today had it not been for Sam's pediatrician visit this afternoon. It's important that I stick around just on the off chance that Dr. Chrisinger has to report anything less than 150% perfect. Already we all can agree that Sam not only looks great, he also shows clear evidence that he will be in the front of the line for the gifted program at preschool. (You know, your sarcasm is NOT becoming.)

Has anyone seen the "Sex and the City" episode when Miranda's baby looses his umbilical cord stub and the cat eats it? Jen and Mike have 4 cats...............

Great Grandma Lois arrived yesterday and it was anticipated like the Queen's visit to Canada. We cooked and cleaned, showered and shaved and put on our very best duds in time to greet her. Great Grandma walked in with no less than 17 gifts, (give or take) and enough tears and love for all the babies in the Pacific Northwest. If it was any different, we would have been so disappointed. Mom and I went out for dinner at the end of the day leaving Jen and Mike to enjoy their first quiet dinner together as a family. (Fresh salmon that Mike had caught earlier in the Puyallup River.)

At dinner, I let Mom have it. Both barrels. The entire story of my three week stay in Seattle. I told her how much fun Jen and I had the first week; shopping and getting last minute jobs done. I managed to hold back my tears when I gave her my side of the labour and delivery story and I closed with a brief summation of life from this day forward for the new family of three. What I didn't tell her was what I am about to say now...something Jennifer shared with me several days ago in a very public forum on purpose, so she would be forced to keep her emotions in check. Now public places have never stopped me from getting emotionally distraught (the loud ugly kind of cry) so I chose not to share this story with my mom at the restaurant last night. Until now.

Jennifer told me that at the exact moment in time when she saw Samuel just seconds after his birth, he looked at her directly and in his eyes she saw reflected the eyes of her G.G. her Great Grandma Vera who passed away last summer. My mother's mother. She recognized the eyes immediately and remembers her vivid and powerful realization despite all the excitement and energy in the room.

G.G. had come home to visit Jennifer just one more time.

Peace.


P.S. Jen just text messaged me from the Doctor's office. Guess who weighs 7 lbs. 15 oz.? Yeah, baby!