Eyes that see the good in things- April 8, 2019

As I drove home the other night, I was happy to note that spring appears to be gaining ground and even might be winning in this power struggle it seems to be having with winter. The sun was low in the sky, turning the sky above the horizon a beautiful blend of pink and orange. The v-formation of geese in the sky was also a sign that the promise of spring was not too far away. However, it was the water standing in a field that caught my eye as the beautiful sunset was reflected in the flooded field. It made me feel like I was in lake country.

This weekend I made note of a few of the signs of spring around my yard. I heard the loud honking of geese the other day when I opened the door and not long after, we spotted robins in the front yard. Yesterday, I noticed that my peonies are up. Well, two of them are anyway. The other two are still buried under snow.

My mailbox is full of garden catalogs and the stores are bringing in the garden supplies. I’ve seen seeds, bedding plants and even little chicks in the stores. Not to mention the Easter merchandise that is showing up everywhere.

Bridal shower invitations and save the date cards are showing up in the mail that tell me the June wedding season isn’t all that far away either. While all of these are generally very important to me, there is one thing that seems to be overshadowing them all.

You see, I found out last fall that I was going to be a grandma for the first time. The baby is due the end of April. Yes, APRIL! That is THIS MONTH! That’s how I know that spring is almost here— because I have been waiting such a long time for this little one to arrive.

Now that it’s so close though, I realize that I have some things left to do before the big day arrives. There were a few little surprise things that I wanted to get done and it is time to get them done. Actually, my husband has a list of things to get done too. He just doesn’t realize it. His getting sick didn’t really play into my plans, so I guess I will have to wait patiently for him to get better before I give him my Honey-Do list. We have some baby-proofing to do!

I confess that I got a little carried away in buying baby things. It is so hard to resist though, isn’t it? Those little things are just so cute. They have had a “babylist” registry for quite some time now, so I can check and get an idea of the things that they would like. But some of what I buy is just stuff that I like. So far, the grandparents are the only people the babylist has been shared with, and I was surprised at how many things had been purchased and wondered if it had been mom or the other grandma who had been shopping.

I read not long ago that diaper spelled backward is repaid. The idea is that it should give the new parents something to think about, especially if they have some “bad baby behavior” that they might need to be repaid for. In this case, there really isn’t any. My daughter came home from the hospital and slept through the night her first night home.

You know, I am sure I am probably forgetting a few tantrums and fits of crying (and some of them had to have been from the baby, right?) but I would have to say that I really enjoyed the baby and preschool age.

So, the more time I have to get used to being a Grandma, the more I like the idea. I am still working but not as much, and I’m older now and I think I’ll have more patience than I did when I had little kids. I know that I will think there are fewer things that are worth losing sleep over. As a young mom I stressed about things that I had relatively little control over but as a Grandma, I can appreciate every hour we get to spend together.

Did I mention that our little baby is due the end of April? I didn’t think so. As far as I am concerned the end of April can’t come soon enough. Then I’ll get to meet that new little one who has already found a way into my heart. And that little one will be the best baby in the world. And if it’s not? That’s okay because I will love him or her anyway.

What a joy it will be to see that little bundle. I look forward to sharing Mother’s Day with my daughter this year, both of us so thankful for this little miracle. I recently read a quote by Teresa Bloomingdale, a writer and humorist. “If your baby is beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule, burps on demand and is an angel all the time –then you must be the grandma.”

We would love to share local stories about the good things your eyes are seeing.

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