He's here!
Dear reader, I present another most precious treasure in my life: my perfect grandson Nicholas.
Is he not a most adorable, sweet little guy? He clocked in at a little over eight pounds and at nineteen inches long, which is very respectable. My daughter, Sian, who had never carried a baby to term before, was thrilled that everything went smoothly with Nick's delivery. The only minor complication Nicholas suffered was a slightly elevated bilirubin count, and after we kept him wrapped in an ultraviolet light blanket (that's a thing!) for a day and he started chugging down on milk and getting his digestive tract working, he was just fine.
I stayed the night at Sian's and Nathan's house the night before Sian was scheduled for the C-section just so I didn't have to make the long drive to their house in the dark of the wee hours of the morning. The hospital didn't allow any visitors except for Nathan, so my three-year-old grandson, Tyler, and I hung out together for a few days. We had a great time. He's such a great kid, and I loved snuggling with him when he wasn't bouncing around like toddlers do. I bought some wooden beads, paint, and plastic cord our first day hanging out together. Tyler helped me paint the beads (though he enjoyed "accidentally" painting my fingers more), and then I tied a knot in the cord and showed him how to string the beads, which he called "plugging it in" every time he managed to string the cord through the hole in the bead. He spent two hours playing with those that first day.
Tyler would not pose nicely for a picture with his brother, but I love his silly little self.
Tyler didn't really grasp the concept of having a little brother at first, but he welcomed the addition of a tiny baby into the household with remarkable aplomb. There were a few near-misses as Tyler is still getting used to being careful around a fragile baby, but no damage has been done. What made my heart melt was when Tyler, sitting happily wedged in between his parents, whom he had missed a great deal, said, "Now we're four buddies, not three buddies!" If you don't believe a three-year-old can say something like that, keep in mind that this kid can already read thanks to his mother's patient teaching. The first night I was there, he and I counted to 150 (I was merely trying to help him relax and get sleepy because it was bedtime, but he just kept counting). He's a very, very intelligent child, but he also has a gentle and tender heart. I love it when I say, "How are you, Tyler?" and he responds, "I'm happy!" while wearing a big smile.
I stayed with my loves for a week and tried to ease their transition from one child to two as much as possible, though I don't think the shock wears off for a few weeks at least. They're tired, and Sian is recovering from a C-section, but they'll survive. Nathan's mother is coming to stay with them for a couple weeks, as well, and I'm sure they'll be very grateful for her help, as well. She's a lovely woman.
To be able to hold such a dear little infant boy for hours on end was a delight, and I'll get to do it again when I take Husband down to meet his new grandson this weekend. Husband bought a bunch of new books for Tyler, as well--books our kids loved when they were little--so it will be double the fun.
How am I? I'm happy.
