Speaking of "flowers"....

Hello baby Jacinta..

I'm your Nana!

In the past, it was usually I who got the telephone call, one where I was being summoned to hurry over to watch the other younger children when a new baby entered into this young couple’s fold.

However, the only telephone call we were to receive with this recent little grandbaby blessing, was the announcement of labor at hand and the news of the subsequent birth of "Jacinta Marie". Words cannot express what incredible and cheery news this was for all of us in the east, literally lifting up our hearts, while other heartaches were seemingly wrapped around the same timing this birth day.

I will be bold and admit here that indeed it was great relief all went well with the birthing, after previous complications could've prevented such a happy occasion and end result. When the cheerful news rang in, I was out driving at the time, and the cell phone rang with my hubby filling me in with the news. It filled me with a deep and heartfelt joy, so much so, I cried and almost had to pull over to the shoulder of the road for a moment to recover.

Having to rely on the telephone call as a messenger vessel was very difficult, leaving us all on edge. I'm obviously very fine now since that day, especially now that I've met this little bundle of great joy!

mommy and baby

Since then, six weeks had passed and other than a few photos, we hadn’t yet been able to meet face to face. Nana here (moi) was beginning to grow tired of waiting, and I was beginning to experience itchy feet. Naturally it became a part of my impulsive nature to hurry up and fly over to meet and greet her.

daddy and baby

• I wanted to “smell” that baby smell wee ones emitted into their cuddles.

• I wanted to kiss her wee cherub cheeks and tell her she is beautiful.

• I wanted her to know my voice, however possible that might be.

• I wanted her to know who I was, her very happy Nana.

• I wanted to see the little family now complete with baby in their midst. And I did.

We chose to keep our trip west a secret for various reasons. When I called our son’s home and asked what they were busy doing that one evening when I had arrived, he answered he was hanging around, tired after a long day of work, holding baby, and everyone else was winding down for the day after the dinner hour. He wasn’t expecting me to announce I’d be right over in about ten minutes and asked where I was, still not cluing in of course. I think he still didn’t realize what I was saying when I mentioned I really was in town. Alas, it all clicked and my young daughter and I headed to their home. They in turn, chose to keep our visit a secret from their other children, so what fun we had knocking on the door and seeing the reaction from everyone.

Knock, Knock...who's there?
She's visiting her older brother and his family, and so am I.

Where was she? I had to see her right away!

My proud son was beaming, so happy to see his mother and obviously thrilled to show off his new “flower” within his quiver. In turn, I was equally pleased to meet her at long last, and face to face too.

Jacinta’s eight year old Auntie loved every minute of her visit with her many nieces and nephews. She was a real trooper considering she only had knowledge of this trip the evening before we left, shortly after the dinner hour. Her suitcase was packed, she just needed to get some sleep and we'd be flying west in approximately eight hours from her bed time. So surprised, she wasn't really prepared, but then, it was such a delight to watch her blossom with the privilege of traveling with mommy alone.

She just loves spending time with her nieces and nephews!

A few of the nieces/nephews here warming up with a hot beverage after a day outdoors in the snow. Yes, it snowed in Vancouver, but not the nice snow we encounter in the east, rather a wet and cold to the bone kind of snow instead.

Warming up our soccer player in the center here.

Yikes! One of our grand-daughters played soccer in that horrible weather and she was soaking wet! Warming up was a good thing.

Twins? Same outfits never worn at the same time before.

All of the stolen moments once our arrival was announced, had everyone scurrying about, and we tried to spend as much time as allowable visiting all our grown children and their families as best we could. Time though was indeed a factor, never long enough for sure.

And for our youngest daughter, our visit also included time spent hanging around with her older siblings, though I must admit much of those stolen moments offered me no desire to capture enough photos, so these will have to suffice. It's here I realize many people within our family were missing from the photos I ended up with, so sorry everyone. Mom dropped the ball...

Oldest and youngest daughters together with mommy.

My oldest brother and his wife.

Another older sister to surprise.