There are many many reasons to want to visit a newborn in your family. Consider some of them: you so want to see what he is like -- the movements, gestures, you want to witness them. You want to touch that soft skin, comfort a restless moment. You want to support the family as well -- let them know how much you love them and are there for them in this new configuration. And you really want to have that commemorative photo -- not just of him, but of you and him. Of you and him and the sibs. Of you and him and the extended family. Because all those older photos are now missing someone. The framed picture of all your grandkids? It needs to be updated.
Photos figure big in these first visits. You just can't wait to have that record of him now being part of your life. Forever your grandson (or nephew or brother). Indeed, one of my daughters commented that with her family's first encounter with her newborn child, the photo taking took up most of the time of the visit.
As you know, photos are big in my life on any day. They're part of my daily storytelling. I am almost never without a camera at my side. I take lots of pictures. The kids are used to it, the grandkids are used to it. Maybe they think I was born with a camera slung over my shoulder. There are benefits, there are costs, but gogs does pull out that little clicking machine an awful lot. When I first saw Sandpiper, I couldn't wait to hold him and take a picture of him. In that order, thank goodness!
So of course, Sandpiper's extended family, too, wants to see him. All the ones living in Chicago are coming up today for their own moment with the little guy. And for those first photos with him.
It is a brilliant day! A stunning May day of sunshine and profound spring colors. A little cool still, but nothing offputting. Splendid to the core!
(morning path)
(Getting ready for breakfast, still inside for the warmth of it. The flowers today include a bunch of clipped wild indigo. I love this flower so much and it is now in full bloom all over the farmette flower beds.)
Today is the day Ed drives out with me so that he can meet Sandpiper. (He waited until things settled a bit for the young family.) Now, Ed has zero experience with babies and so it is always very funny to see this tall big guy handle the short wee one. I get the other two kids in on the action.
I am happy to see that at this point, there are no big hiccups. Everything is moving along well. And everyone is excited and ready for the descent of the family.
But first, before their arrival, Ed and I return to our farmette planting projects. The trees are in -- all 67 of them, but of course, the gardens do not stand still. There's stuff to be done! Ed and I work on chipping a new bed with the hope of controlling the weeds a little, though I know that I'll never get a grip on them until the plants mature and crowd out most of the junk that spreads like rapid fire. For now, I do as much pulling as I can (my fingers show great evidence of the constancy of the effort) and then we chip.
Okay, it's time to go back to the young family's home. Cars of family members arrive. Aunt, uncle, cousin. Other grandparents. Here are just some of those photos I talked about:
(my daughter, her nephew)
(Because the kids are not immunized and some adults are at risk even when immunized, we stay outside. Mostly with masks.)
Of course, it's all very spirited! And there's plenty of great pizza and fresh Wisconsin asparagus and veggies and fruits and beers and who know what else.
This is what you wait for in those darker moments -- a time when we can all exhale, together, and admire the new guy, and play and eat and play some more
(I love FaceTime, but this is so much better!)
The next two days will have plenty of visiting moments. Small conversations, exchanged stories stuck in when one child or the another is not catching our attention.
(daughters, sisters, moms)
Evening. Look up, admire the almost full moon, take a moment to feel the joy of being alive, of belonging, of having that picture of yourself with a loved one, or with two, or three.
(and now there are four!)
With love...
