Baby is perfect. Huge rush of emotions when I saw my son holding his new baby.
Congratulations, @tx5athome! Very exciting!
Welcome, @rockymtnhigh2. This is the happiest thread on CC.
@anxiousmom, I retired about 3-1/2 months after GS was born, just in time for D to go back to work part time. I was also caring for my mother, who has since passed away. GS is two now and I have enjoyed every single minute with him.
I am Nana, as was my mom. GS chose Bapa for H, and we are hoping to keep it. My sisters/sisters-in-law are Nana and Mimi (two each) and my brothers/brothers-in-law are Papa, Opop, and Grandpa.
GD is one week old already. She is very alert and content, eating every two hours during the day and every three at night. She was almost eight pounds at birth. GS has warmed up to his sister and likes to help.
Congrats @tx5athome!
@tx5athome, congratulations! I teared up reading your comment about seeing your son holding his daughter - it brought back such a wonderful memory of seeing my S hold his son hours after he was born.
Welcome to this wonderful world of grandparenting. We hadn’t seen our GS in about 10 days so when we returned after a weekend away yesterday we headed straight to their apartment. They change so quickly - now he’s gobbling up his squash and sweet potatoes and sitting up by himself. We are so lucky to live so close to them.
How much are grandparents involved? Does it vary by family? My parents lived far away, but frequently visited and sent my kids stuff and called them on the phone. My SIL lives around the corner from her grandkids and sees them everyday and her husband (who is retired) watches their youngest grandchild. My SIL was a very very involved parent when her D was growing up. To each their own? Wondering what to do someday when my kids have kids…
I hope to be called Nana…
Great question to think about, @natty1988. I think it comes down to: 1. How much you can/want to be involved; 2. how much the child’s parents want you to be involved; and 3. Your relationship with your child and his/her significant other. In my mind, 2 is the all-important consideration, and 3 probably dictates 2 to some extent.
I was very close to my grandparents until they died. I grew up in their area, but remained close even after I moved away for college and beyond. They came to our games and performances, drove us to music lessons and sports practices when our parents couldn’t, occasionally brought over soup or watermelon (which was a real treat), and babysat so our parents could have vacations without us.
@frazzled1 very good points! I think you have to do what works best for you and your family. My SIL is a very involved grandma, but she was a very involved parent too. I definitely want to be involved and help out when needed, but I don’t want to overstep either. Guess, I’ll have to wait until the time comes! Congratulations to all the grandparents here!
I am sure others will not find this as funny as my family thought it was, but here goes…
My daughter is 35 weeks along and is attending a breastfeeding class offered by her OB group or the hospital: not sure which. There are 8 expecting mothers, 7 of which have their husbands in attendance. My daughter said it never crossed her mind to have her husband come; it’s not like he will be breast feeding the baby! What got to her was the woman in he front row with her husband, mother, MIL and sister! She said they were talking loudly throughout the class and all were asking many questions.
I decided this was a helicopter mom at her prime!
Mother and MIL? Goodness. The only reason I can imagine to bring them along would be if they weren’t in favor of or were skeptical of breast feeding in the first place. I mean, they really don’t need to know the details of how-to, do they??
Could some PLEASE speed up time a bit? DD is 26 weeks, and time is still moving at a snail’s pace! 13 more weeks of work until I retire!
GD got her helmet yesterday. On and off for a few days, and then 23 hours a day for at least 6 months. So far, so good! Still smiling away and not trying to yank it off!
DS, DIL and 12 day old GD spent the day at our house. GD is so cute I can’t stand it!!
@dentmom4 — I’m sorry, I missed whatever prior post you wrote about your GD’s helmet. How wonderful that she’s a good sport and not trying to yank it off.
One of our neighbors had to have surgery to open his skull because his bones fused too early when he was very young. He’s happily married and an architect now.
@HImom --not sure I mentioned the possibility of the helmet before. She started getting a flat head at one month because of the way she liked to sleep, especially in the recalled rocking bassinet. She looks fine from the front, but looking down on her, the back center to right is noticably flattened and she has two large knobs on either side.
DIL was unhappy with her pediatrician who basically blew it off, but I encouraged them to seek out another opinion because it is BAD. She spoke with a work colleague whose own son is in a helmet and went to the same major hospital and got things going. Definitely necessary.
My D’s friend’s son had to wear a helmet for similar reasons. He’s four now and doing great! Not happy with the pediatrician blowing it off. I hope she finds a new one!
Dh officially handed in his notice to his company here and will start in his new location near our older children in July. We all used to live near each other until we all moved in different directions 2 yrs ago b/c of work. I have missed my kids and their families so much. Dil is facing major reconstructive surgeries after major complications from her last delivery in Oct which led to their older kids living with us for months.
We are very involved grandparents and our kids are the ones who encouraged us to consider moving near them. I can’t wait! (Of course, our family dynamic is rather unique. Our youngest dd is best friends with her niece who is only 17 months younger than her. Our teenagers love babysitting their nieces and nephews. I will be helping homeschool the school-age kids.)
Love being a grandparent!
@dentmom4, sounds like the pediatrician should have taken more of an interest earlier. Glad a second opinion is addressing it.
Hope your DIL finds a pediatrician she can rely upon!
@HImom . Yes, this pediatrician hasn’t been the best. S and DIL like the convenience of her office, but they need someone more on top of things. I suggested they might want to check out the friend’s dr who referred her for her son’s helmet.
Agree that while convenience is nice @dentmom4, having medical advice that can be relied upon is more important. Especially with young ones, treating early can prevent problems from becoming much harder to address.
Unless baby girl decides to flip in the next three weeks, my daughter is heading for a C-Section. The baby has been in a breech position for well over a month, with her head resting on my daughter’s diaphragm. While she could still decide to turn, I think this little girl is happy in the position she is in! While I don’t wish surgery on anyone, this makes it easier for me to make the flight out.
Originally my daughter and SIL wanted my husband and I to be at the hospital for the delivery, if we could get a flight out once she went into labor. We were to only stay for two days or so, and then return home, only to come back two weeks later when my SIL went back to work. They wanted to spend those two weeks alone figuring out their new family. If my daughter indeed has a C-Section, she may want me to help out at home after the birth. Something they need to figure out.