Life has gotten interesting of late. And I haven’t had as much opportunity to join with Lisa-Jo as I’d like. But when I saw this week’s prompt, I went to my draft pile and pulled this one up. I started to write it a week ago, to note what feels like a great, big, massive change in our lives – our youngest grandchild will no longer require our weekly care.
Gasp. She begins pre-school next week. How can this be??
So, you’ll see where I began the timed part of this post – and I surprised myself with where I went from there. Isn’t that always the way with 5 Minute Friday??
(Pictures added both before and after the 5 minutes!)
Lilly – one-hour old
About 10 months old.
Feeding the bluejays with Poppy.
Tough girl pose – 15 months.
Playing doctor, 18 months.
Sweetness at 22 months.
Just a little uncertainty, also 22 months.
A series of wild-hair shots. Oh, my – yes. About 2 years old.
At her 2nd birthday party.
Under some semblance of control with Aunt Lisa, just past her 2nd birthday.
Lilly at 2 years, 6 months – how can it be?
A little dress-up play, three weeks ago.
Perhaps a cell phone would have been simpler for this little jaunt??
Every Wednesday since June of 2010,
she has come to our house to play.
And eat.
And sleep.
She was four months old when we began,
and I was just weeks out of the hospital,
and more tired than I knew.
So when nap time came,
I would put her down on the bed next to me.
I’d run the TV softly to create a little white noise,
and sit next to her while she slept,
my computer on my lap.
During those first months,
I would do email,
research for teaching or preaching,
and wonder what the looming world
of retirement would be like.
Since the end of that year,
I’ve used Lilly’s nap time to
read blogs,
check Facebook,
think about posts,
write posts,
and watch her while she sleeps.
START:
Two days ago marked the end of an era for us,
an end to babies.
First there were our own three,
each of them remarkable,
unique,
full of fun and curiosity and determination.
Then those three grew up,
met some pretty amazing partners,
and started having babies of their own.
Three boys from daughter number one –
one, two, three.
Three boys from daughter number two –
one, two, three.
Loud, rough-and tumble,
some more than others –
wonderful promise of sturdy men to come.
Then, just one month after that last boy,
our boy and his wife had a GIRL.
Glory be.
And nearly four years and one miscarriage later,
another girl.
And now, they tell me, they are done.
Their family is complete.
So.
Will I live to see great-grandbabies?
It’s within the realm of possibility –
our eldest is 21.
But I’m not sure it’s within the realm
of probability.
Everyone waits theses days.
We married young,
had kids while we were kids.
Not so much anymore.
There is education to be gotten,
jobs to be found,
houses to be bought,
lives to be lived.
And that’s all wonderful. . .
but . . .
I wouldn’t change a thing about our journey.
I loved growing up TOGETHER,
hanging on by a shoestring,
having babies before we had the money for them,
and loving every (well, almost every!) minute of it.
So,
change comes.
And we?
We roll with it,
or
it rolls right over us.
STOP.
Maybe I won’t miss this mess every week . . .
. . . and maybe I won’t miss this weekly menagerie as I tried to get a very sleep-resistant girl to acquiesce . . .
But this?
(at 15 months old)
And this? (last week)
And yes, THIS (two days ago) I will most definitely miss.
She now covers almost the entire bed . . .
and watch her while she sleeps.
START:
Two days ago marked the end of an era for us,
an end to babies.
First there were our own three,
each of them remarkable,
unique,
full of fun and curiosity and determination.
Then those three grew up,
met some pretty amazing partners,
and started having babies of their own.
Three boys from daughter number one –
one, two, three.
Three boys from daughter number two –
one, two, three.
Loud, rough-and tumble,
some more than others –
wonderful promise of sturdy men to come.
Then, just one month after that last boy,
our boy and his wife had a GIRL.
Glory be.
And nearly four years and one miscarriage later,
another girl.
And now, they tell me, they are done.
Their family is complete.
So.
Will I live to see great-grandbabies?
It’s within the realm of possibility –
our eldest is 21.
But I’m not sure it’s within the realm
of probability.
Everyone waits theses days.
We married young,
had kids while we were kids.
Not so much anymore.
There is education to be gotten,
jobs to be found,
houses to be bought,
lives to be lived.
And that’s all wonderful. . .
but . . .
I wouldn’t change a thing about our journey.
I loved growing up TOGETHER,
hanging on by a shoestring,
having babies before we had the money for them,
and loving every (well, almost every!) minute of it.
So,
change comes.
And we?
We roll with it,
or
it rolls right over us.
STOP.
Maybe I won’t miss this mess every week . . .
. . . and maybe I won’t miss this weekly menagerie as I tried to get a very sleep-resistant girl to acquiesce . . .
But this?
(at 15 months old)
And this? (last week)
And yes, THIS (two days ago) I will most definitely miss.
She now covers almost the entire bed . . .
. . . and sometimes adjusts herself to make contact, her head on my leg as I type.
Sigh.
Glory, Diana. We’ve got one going to Kindergarten and I nearly cracked up this week, just the weight of all this (good) transition. But it wasn’t that part that brought me to tears here. It was the last part you wrote, about growing up together, and having babies before you had the money to. All of this, resonates so deeply. Thank you.
Yeah, we did all of that. And I’m not sorry – never have been. Sometimes I worry about the generations coming up behind us – so many think they have to have all the pieces in place before they marry, before they have babies. You really don’t – in fact it’s often a lot of fun when you don’t. I don’t want to make light of those who suffer endlessly without enough resources – but I also don’t want to downplay how important it can be to do some things before your life is ‘perfect’ – because daggone it – it never will be, you know??
Yes Diana – not much choice there. Our oldest grandchild is 21 too, but I don’t see great grand babies on the horizon. The youngest grandchild is 8….sigh. Seriously, where do the years go? We do have hope though – our 34 year old daughter and her husband haven’t started their family yet. I’m looking forward to a couple more babies (although, as I’m sure you understand, I don’t ask exactly when). I always enjoy your writing Diana.
Thanks, Linda! Yes, you understand better than many – I know that. And how lovely that there may yet be babies on your horizon. The only hard part about babies this late in our life is that it is highly unlikely we’ll live to see them settled in life. We give what we can while we can, I guess.
I know… well, I’m learning! I needed to hear this today. Thank you.
Love this post, the poem, and the adorable photos of your lovely, last granddaughter. She has been blessed with wonderful grandparents!
Thanks for coming by and commenting, Jennifer. I read your comment and wondered…what poem? Then I went back and thought maybe the last section read a little like a poem? If so, it was completely unintentional. Perhaps writing about this last baby makes me poetic without even knowing it!
just lovely — oh the little “limbs” of her, asleep. Thank you for this interlude!
Little ones asleep always get me, Eileen. Thanks for stopping by!