Winding down in the south. Heading north soon.

It would be ridiculous to think that these parents of my two treasured grandchildren would need (or think they need) my presence here much longer. The time has come to start thinking about going home. Home to my husband, my dog and my life.

As I suspected, bringing baby #2 home goes a whole lot better when the parents know what to expect. There are no surprises, and if there are a few little glitches, these parents know that they just adjust and adapt, rather than fight it.

From the first night Charlotte came home, Mike and Jen had their roles clearly defined. The night went without a hitch. Both parents got some sleep and therefore the next day was easy to face. Mike took Sam to work for a few hours and Jen and Charlotte felt so well and confident in their roles as mommie and daughter that they briefly attended Esther's surprise 30th birthday party. I didn't get out of my pj's for the first month if I recall...

Jen and I have had many discussions regarding the differences of raising children in past generations over my almost 3 week stay. My grandmother stayed in her hospital bed for two weeks, my generation drank Carnation milk from a can and when my three children were born in the 80's, I always thought  I was doing the right thing. And I was doing the best I could for that time period with the knowledge I had. Somehow we all survived despite the fact that looking back now, some of it seems rather absurd and superfluous. Why did we think that our baby needed a daily bath and why did it take me three babies to figure out that it was okay to sleep with a baby nestled in beside me? Remember how strick "the rules" were regarding that? My grandmother and my mom were brilliant moms in their day. They were my role models. Dedicated. Responsible. Kind. Gentle. Loving and caring. A beautiful singing voice goes a long way, too...thanks Mom, I still love to hear you sing.

Babies come home after a 24 hour period.This is similar in Canadian hospitals and not exclusive to the USA due to their exorbitant medical costs. Perhaps in another decade all babies will be born at home. What is clear however, regardless of what generation we hail from, all a baby really needs is constant tender care. Instinct plays a big part and of course a good milk supply won't hurt either but if your approach is confident and consistent, I think your baby will thrive in the strength and security of your loving arms.

In reality, I didn't really do much this time compared to my first nanny assignment in 2007. Basically I simply occupied Jen's time during the wait and I was a good excuse to get out and about Seattle. I know I was of service in babysitting Sam when Mike, Jen and Charlotte were at the hospital and that did give them peace of mind but other than that I was pretty much here for my own enjoyment.

So let's talk about that. My enjoyment. Me. Regular Grandma. My friend Shelley wanted me to remind her about the newborn "smell" and so please let me share what it is like to hold your grandaughter for the first time. I walked in to the room. My eyes went straight to my baby girl, the mother of the new baby girl. But her eyes were locked on Charlotte who lay across the room under a warming light. She (Jennifer) looked radiant and oh so beautiful and I told her so. My son-in-law was doing the biggest and best dance of excitement and anticipation. He was in love and he had fallen hard. In love with his wife and his children. It was so very clear to see it for what it was. Pure joy. And the feeling of gratitude and relief was so tangible in that room I could taste it. No keener parents. No one more ready and able.

So I washed my hands and I settled into the rocker and I eagerly reached out for my new grandchild that my son in law so gently offered. I won't soon forget it because I promised myself this time around would be different. I wouldn't be in such an emotional fog. I wanted to really feel it for what it was. The moment in time when I came face to face with a new life, a life that would alter mine forever and a life that I would love unconditionally until the day I die. Shelley...she smelled divine. Yes, that was the word you used to describe her and you are correct. Divine. Delicious. Dreamy. How proud I felt at that moment. I just don't have the words for it.

I highly recommend grandparenting. It has all the perks but none of the hard work needed to raise a child to become a good citizen of our world. I can assist and watch over from a distance and maybe sometimes (okay, quite a bit) I will open my mouth and state the obvious just in case they didn't already know...but for most part it is a role of observation. The best thing about being a grandparent is that we do have the wisdom to know that time marches on so quickly. We take the time to look at the caterpillar in the deep grass for 17 minutes, we are delighted to pick up rocks off the beach and then wash them off in our best salad bowl on the patio and we understand the importance of not rushing life because we did that once ourselves and now we fervently wish we had not.

This new family of four needs time now to get to know each other and although it is going to be painful to say goodbye I know I will return again and again, just like a bad penny with a clicking bite plate.

Thanks Jen and Mike for putting up with me and letting me be a part of this special time.

Regular Grandma loves Sam and Charlotte so, so much.

xo