I can't help, falling in love with you....

I'm baaaack! I've been MIA for a while. All writers hit blocks in the road along the way and I guess this was my time. I've moved the block out of the way and I think I'm good to go. So strap yourself in and hang on...here we go....

About three months ago on Easter Sunday, Little Darling Number One and Darlingette stopped by with a gift basket for us. There were Easter eggs, some cookies for the boys and two gifts wrapped in tissue paper nestled in the basket. I zoned in on the chocolate immediately but Darlingette interrupted my rapture and told us to open the wrapped gifts. I gave Steve the one meant for him, and I sat with mine in my lap ready to open them at the same time. I carefully peeled back one corner of the paper and saw the word...Grandma. Grandma???? Grandma...oops the kids had gotten confused and given me a gift meant for my mom. Wait...Grandma?????? Could it be??? The rest is a blur. I remember leaping to my feet and hugging people...crying, babbling....I don't really remember what I said but whatever the words were they couldn't possibly have matched the joy in my heart. I was going to be a grandmother!

Fast forward....Darlingette had asked me if I'd like to go with her to her midwife appointment so I could hear the baby's heartbeat. Well she didn't have to ask me twice! Yesterday's date has been circled on the calendar with hearts and stars adorning it for the past several weeks. We arrived at the midwife's office and Darlingette told me she would go in and get all the preliminary stuff out of the way and then they would come out and get me when it was time to listen to the heartbeat. I waited...and waited...and waited. I paced and read the diplomas on the wall several hundred times (to reassure myself that these people were in fact qualified to take care of MY daughter-in-law and our precious baby) and waited some more. It seemed like an eternity and finally the midwife came out and told me to come in. I sat on a chair and waited some more while she got her little apparatus out and placed it on Darlingette. We heard a bunch of noises, clicks and then.....there it was...my grandbaby's heartbeat!!! Oh what a sound..it was musical, rhythmic......brilliant (yes heartbeats can be brilliant). Now, I've loved this baby from the minute we were told he/she was coming but in that moment I fell IN love with him/her. You know the love you feel for your kids...like you would lay down your life for them, give them the world in a neat little package..that love? Well there it was again. I don't have to tell you grandmothers reading this what it feels like. You know. It's an overwhelming, heartwarming, all encompassing, wonderful love. You are all members of an exclusive club...the Grandmother Club..and now I've got a membership card. I still have a few more months to wait until I receive the gold card. The card that makes it official. But for now I get to think about, daydream and plan for all the wonderful times I have waiting for me when Deebee (a name I came up with..a combination of his parent's initials) is born. I can't wait to watch my son, my firstborn...hold his child in his arms for the first time. I can't wait to see my husband step into the role of Grandad and teach this baby the things my grandfather taught us. I can't wait to hold the first member of the next generation of our family and tell him/her all about the adventures that await. There are so many exciting and wonderful memories to be made. But for now we wait...and wait some more. I am counting down the months, weeks, days, hours, minutes.... until that day (or night) in December when the baby finally arrives. It can't come fast enough for me but I know Deebee has important things to do between now and then. Until then...I'll continue to dream, plan...and shop!