Being a Grandparent

Becoming a Grandmother wasn't exactly on my list of thing to do but once the initial shock of being told my daughter was pregnant wore off I became somewhat excited. Through the pregnancy I prayed for a healthy baby but as the days approached for the birth my thoughts turned to my daughter. Because of a back problem she would have a cesarean and with that brought fears for her safety. I knew she wouldn't be awake fore the birth but I was adamant that her and her boyfriend would be the first to meet their new baby. Ryan was almost two hours old before my husband, myself, the boyfriends mother and sister met him but that was fine because all that mattered was that my daughter and her boyfriend met him first and that Mother and baby were doing fine.

Prior to Ryans birth other Grandmothers told me my life would change. I now wouldn't be able to go shopping without buying something for Ryan. He's now over 6 months old and I still haven't fallen into that category of shopping. I have pretty much always shopped on an as needed basis and this doesn't appear to have changed.

I'd like to think the time I spend with Ryan is quality time. I talk to him and he tries to reply by making all sorts of cute but foreign sounds. I enjoy being around him at feed time and giving him his bottle. I've noticed he can be a real time waster. I find myself just watching him and wondering what goes thru his mind. As a Mom when my kids were babies I was busy doing the Mommy thing looking after them, a husband and home and don't remember if I ever really sat there looking at them in almost a trance. When it came time for my kids to have immunizations I never gave it any thought and just had it done. As a Grandmother you question why they are having them and research the benefits and side effects.

I've looked after Ryan quite a few times but my daughter has always brought him to my house. The other day I was visiting them and she wanted me to take him home with me for a few hours so she put the carseat in my car and I strapped him in and off we went. I needed to stop at the grocery store so I got him out of the carseat and put him into the shopping cat and into the store we went. It seemed strange having a baby with me. Once the shopping was finished I put him back into the car and then put the groceries in and headed to my house. Part way home all of a sudden I began feeling really nervous. Just the thought of me being responsible for this little life seemed so overwhelming. I've always been an alert driver but all of a sudden I was looking even closer for dangers wanting to make sure we arrived at my house safe and well. When we arrived at my house I took all the groceries out of the car before taking Ryan into the house. Once inside I sat down with him letting out a sigh and saying to him that I didn't remember shopping with a baby being so stressful and tiring. He just looked at me and smiles and immediately a calmness came over me and I knew that being a Grandma was a good thing.