Now that I’m a grandmother, I find myself thinking of my mother more frequently. Though I know comparisons are irrelevant, I reminisce about what my mother did as a grandmother when my kids were babies. She lived about as far away from us then as I live from my granddaughter […]
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My Granddaughter’s First Birthday — Another Early Valentine
As I mentioned in my last post, my granddaughter just passed her first birthday. My husband and I were privileged to visit her for the occasion and to celebrate with her, her parents, and other family members. We had other reasons for making the trip, but I timed it to […]
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Letters to My Grandchild: A Writing Exercise in Intimidation
Every once in a while I come across a book that intimidates me. Sometimes, it’s too long. Sometimes, it’s too literary or slow for my tastes, and I don’t want to commit. Sometimes, it’s just not appealing. I don’t like to stop books in the middle, but sometimes I do, […]
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Buying Christmas Gifts for My Granddaughter
I’ve always been amazed by this photograph of the gifts I received on my first Christmas. Granted, we spent that holiday with my maternal grandparents, and I was their first grandchild. They doted on me. I think my grandmother bought everything in sight for me that year. But really? An […]
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Picking Up After Baby’s Visit
I am writing this post just a few hours after I dropped my daughter and granddaughter off at the airport. We had a delightful week, with lots of grandma and baby time. I have been very fortunate to spend almost four weeks of my granddaughter’s 8-month life with her—I saw […]
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On Babies, Problems, Anxious People, and Answers
Babies and dogs are good listeners. Even when they aren’t paying attention, it is really easy to talk to them, to tell them your problems. They don’t care about anything other than their own needs, but at least they don’t offer advice. When I spent time with my granddaughter in […]
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Variations of Normal Through the Generations
My daughter tells me her parent/baby group shows her nine variations of normal. What her baby—my granddaughter—does is one variation. But measuring one baby against another is a pointless exercise. She is right. The baby books from past generations in my family show more variations of normal. Comparing these variations […]
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Insomnia at Six Months
I wrote in my last post about forgetting my laptop when I went to visit my granddaughter. Readers recommended I just play with the baby, and that’s what I did for the week I was with her. Peekaboo. Reading crinkle books and board books. Singing. Walks in the stroller. Practicing […]
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Forgetfulness and Flexibility
I went out of town last week with great plans for what I would accomplish. I would care for and play with my granddaughter, of course, but babies take naps, and surely I would have some down time. And then I got to the security line at the airport in […]
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From Old Photos to Aura Frame
I’ve written many times about photographs taken from my childhood or from my children’s childhood. When I was young, black and white snapshots were still the norm. My grandfather got a color camera sometime while I was still a toddler, but my dad didn’t get one of those snazzy new […]
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