Charli Arrives In Her Own Sweet Time.......

July started off with a bang!  Our Charli-girl made her appearance in the afternoon, after two nights and two days of labor, which her mother made look easy.  I do believe epidurals have come a long, long way in the last 20 years.   The rest of us spent a long day of waiting and watching, during which we did not eat, convinced that if we left we would miss everything.  I don't want to assume that she takes after the Beautiful Redhead in making us wait, but she did make us wait and wait we did, as we are wont to do when it comes to our girls.  They are worth it, and we have adjusted.  My Dad had just left in desperation to eat, and made it to the parking lot with my Oldest Baby when I texted him that she had arrived.  He only spent a few seconds deciding whether I could possibly be messing with him before they turned right around and came back to see our baby.

Our world just got smaller and our focus re-adjusted.

This was our first look at her, and our first picture of the new family.

For some strange reason, we could not get The Rockette to look up from that baby.  Which is exactly right.  :D

It's hard to take pictures while you are holding a baby, but if you will forgive my finger, I was gracious enough to stop kissing her sweet little neck long enough to snap this on day 7. Not bad for an old grandma.

Charli is perfect, of course, and the center of our world.  She has hair, which is new to me and I credit her mother for.  She has long fingers and toes.  She has the sweetest little voice, and we all attend her, just waiting for her to make a noise.  She has re-energized all of us.

I recognized those toes, and they got lots of kisses, too.  this is the first song I ever sang to my Charli-girl.  I'm no Elvis, but she has no idea who Elvis is at this point.

How to put into words what becoming a grandmother feels like?  I am not sure I have the right words.  To see your grown son pick a woman that sets your heart at ease is a blessing, and The Rockette has been nothing but.  I offered to go to the house and make sure laundry was done, wipe down everything, etc., just so it would done when they got home and they wouldn't have to worry about silly details like that when they had a new baby to worship.  In doing so I found a peace that I never expected.  The Rockette may be young, but she is an old soul.  She had prepared for everything, stocked up, organized and really there was not much to do.  I cannot imagine that many 25 year old's have prepared for the future like our Rockette.  She even looked glorious after giving birth, a feat pulled off by few indeed.

Can't take my off of you--ooo, You're just too good to be true-ooo.........this was the first song I ever sang to my own Beautiful Redhead.

Our Rock Star and the Rockette have a beautiful and harmonious home.  Charli has 3 cats and a dog, and everyone in that house is peaceful.  Just look at Turkey, the dog, if you don't believe me.  I credited this rescue dog with making The Rock Star a parent years ago.  I believe it kept him from the bar scene that so many young people fall prey to, as he had to get home to take care of Turkey instead of getting roaring drunk every night.  Then he met The Rockette, who was already past that point and has already been such a blessing to our family.  God works in mysterious ways, and I have about given up questioning.  Nothing I ever wanted more in this world than another daughter, and just look how that paid off!

Turkey's not worried.  About anything.  Unless it storms or firecrackers go off.

To know that your grown child has picked another grown child and now have made a family is the best feeling in the world.  I cannot find the words to express the feeling you get when you see your baby hold their own.  You feel relief, you feel so proud, and even though you know many of the things ahead of them, I did not worry a bit.  This may be unique to me, I guess it would depend on the child, but this worry is not mine.  Charli has two good parents.  I have no fear for her future on any account, and I thank God for this several times each day.

Day 1, The Rock Star sees his future.  My heart expanded 10 times it's normal size.

Day 7: There's no place like home.  She looks a lot like her daddy right now.  This child may never get put down until she demands her freedom.  I figure we have a year on the outside.

So now all I have to do is figure out how to live without kissing her at least once a week, or drive a lot.  Obviously my plan is to drive a lot.  :D  I tool around the city now just like I know where I am going, and The Rockette herself has pronounced me a grown up in this.  It's been a while since one so young made me feel proud of myself.  I have the feeling she will guide me in ways I can only imagine at this point, and that is a comfort to me.  My army of wooden spoon-wielding women just got a brand new recruit.  :D  Take heed, world: straighten up and fly right or suffer a blow from a wooden spoon upside "yo haid" .  Don't say you were not warned.

See those fingers?  Nana's piano awaits!

Great Grandad was exceedingly happy.  Talk about redemption!  He cried like a baby.  So did I.  We are cry-ers, we cain't hep it.  We are not ashamed.

And so begins the adventures of Charli.  Some things we will teach her, some things she will teach us.  I plan to hang onto every word she ever says, and I do not believe I am the only one.

There's that wise, unconcerned new born look that always makes me wonder how I measure up.  I will do my level best for good reviews.

Oh, my little Charli-girl, the things we will do........ Stay tuned because we have lots of fun and exciting times ahead.  Life goes on and on, and the twists and turns just keep getting better.  For now, we are head over heels in love and we plan to enjoy the honeymoon phase very much indeed.