Creating a technological bond between great-grandmother and grandchild

On one of my other postings, I have talked about how I am so thankful and blessed for being a part of the generation that I am in. We are after the Baby Boomers and before Generation Y. I heard that they are called 'Generation Y' for a reason. “Y move out of my parents house? Y pay my own bills?” But I joke....kind of. My mother is a part of the baby-boomer generation. She is also very close to Victoria. But she is really close to my daughter. So close that my daughter named my grandchild after her. What an honor that must be! We want to make sure that she is a part of this baby's life as we are. Unfortunately she lives about 25 miles away so she cannot see her precious great-granddaughter as much as she would like. But we have found a way that we can connect on a daily basis: Facetime. Having the special incentive to use this technology means she can be there to view the milestones at the tips of her fingers at any time. This is a great way to keep in touch with what is going on in the family, not only with Victoria but us too. There is a survey that shows 20% of the grandparents that were interviewed use such technology to 'touch base' with their grandchildren at least once or twice a week.

Grandparents of a generation or two ago would probably not accept anything other than the telephone for communication with their children and/or grandchildren (if the internet were available back then). But the grandparents of this day and age frequent social networks anyway; so using programs such as Skype, Facetime or Google Hangouts on any device they own in the form of a laptop, desktop, tablet or cell phone is easier to keep in touch with their babies' babies. That brings me to my own mother. She wants to make sure she stays in my daughter's life as much as possible (as she should). When my daughter was in high school, they would spend hours (literally hours) on the phone like teenagers chatting away to each other. They are so close, they share the same likeness of music thus going to concerts of that genre together. They are that close. So you can see how much my daughter wants to share special moments of Victoria with my mother. It is almost a daily occurrence that there is communication on Facetime. Be it lunchtime or bath time, my mother gets to see my grand daughter and my daughter, Victoria gets to actually see and get to know her great grandmother and I get to see my mother daily. As her adult-child, it brings me comfort knowing that my mother is okay.

12 things I want to show you about my 8 month old grand daughter Victoria Renee

Ok...I didn't write the 7 things I have learned about my grand daughter Victoria Renee. BUT she has made some improvements during the 7 month and I would love to show you the pictures instead. Today is Victoria's 8th month of life. I want to show you now that she is starting to leave the infant world and go straight to becoming a little kid. Its hard to believe that my grand daughter isn't a baby in a bassinet anymore. She is really growing up and I have become closer and closer to the little booger. We have gone from this:

To this:

Now we are to this:

Somewhere in between 22-25 lbs, she is starting to lunge forward to position herself to crawl. One of these days she will do it and hopefully it will be in my presence. Her mother holds her up in a standing position as she holds on to the coffee table in the living room. She is definitely on her way. From eating this way:

Eventually eating in a high chair:

And finally she is an ol' pro!

As you know, I am her babysitter while her mother works. There have been times when things are kind of hard keeping her on a schedule but all in all, she is a very easy baby to deal with. I set a schedule for her sleeping and she has grown into it wonderfully. We have gone from this:

To this:

And at times.....I find her playing in her crib when she is supposed to be in dreamland

She does a lot of things on her own, though.

And she even tries to push herself by doing different things, such as holding the bottle in one hand then switching to the other hand......

She really thinks she is cool. Thats ok because I think she's an awesome kid. Not a baby but a kid.

A Wonderful Day at Shriner's Circus

The alarm blared next to my bed as I struggled to find my glasses on my nightstand. The sun had already broke through the clouds and the sky became clear. As I lay in bed, I hear commotion in the kitchen with Victoria sitting in her high chair and her mother feeding her oatmeal with fruit. She has been 'finding her voice' for days now and shrieks (screaming out loud) to hear her own voice. Two wonderful faces to wake up to. (And my black cat Shaddow as well!) Today was the day we are going to the Shriner's Circus with Victoria. I kinda had the feeling that she would do well with crowds but with the loud noise I wasn't sure about. Today was also the day that she was promoted from her carrier to a 'big girl' car seat. Not the 'big, big girl' kind of car seat but the kind that toddlers are in. She is a husky 21 lbs. But she is also over 27 inches long. Big girl! But I bet when she starts crawling (which she is showing signs) that weight will melt off

her. Fat babies are cute babies! As we were walking into the Thomson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN there were people with children everywhere. I was kind of nervous, myself being in large crowds. And I had my grand daughter in my arms so I had to make sure I kept a straight face and took care of the task at hand. We searched for our seats in the dark in the nose-bleed section. Yes it was packed with children screaming from excitement everywhere! My daughter found seats for us and I handed Victoria to her so I could take pictures of her first experience with the circus. There were tigers balancing on beams jumping through fiery hoops and elephants dancing. There were trained dogs balancing on the backs of their trainer wowing the crowds. Victoria did enjoy it but the loud acoustics and flashing lights bothered her. After a few attempts to get her to look, we decided to retreat to the corridor of the arena so Victoria will feel a bit easier with all the hoopla that was before her. Finally we were standing in the corridor looking at the action that was happening inside the arena. I noticed a stand that sold wands that light-up. I decided to buy Victoria a big pink light-up wand. She was mesmerized by the flashing lights. It was great! She seemed so excited to see her new present come to life with just a push of a button. Fortunately that diverted her attention from the flashing lights and the loud noises coming from inside the arena. Then an announcement came on the speakers saying that there will be an intermission and a display of pony rides and elephant rides were presented to the little children. My daughter was so excited that she grabbed Victoria and announced that she will go down to see if she is old enough to ride a pony. I told her that she was probably too young and the clowns will probably scare the crap out of her. Like always, she paid no attention to me and walked down to the bottom of the arena where the pony rides were. I stayed up in the corridor searching for them to just get a glimpse of my baby and her baby within the crowds of other parents. I noticed that my daughter was next to a crowd of people strapping on harnesses for Victoria to ride a pony. I honestly couldn't believe it! She is only 7 months old and she is enjoying what other kids way-older than her- are enjoying. My daughter and a helper walked in a circular-motion following a circle of ponies attached to one another. Victoria enjoyed every minute! Soon the ride was over and she had to leave her pony. I was hoping that she would come back up to where I was standing but they were

surrounded by a bunch of clowns that took pictures with my grand daughter. If she was scared she never let it show. Then my daughter took her to get her face painted in the form of a cat. Yes she was young but I am so glad that my daughter introduced her to that type of social action. She didn't cry or become irritated. She just smiled and was very attentive. Basically she people-watched. As I sit here trying to find the words to put into this blog, I smile to the fact that my daughter had shown me what a true parent does. Its never too early to make memories with your babies.

I am proud of the mommy that she is becoming.

How much is too much baby TV time?

If I read another article about how television damages our children's way of thinking, I am literally going to scream. I mean, there is nothing wrong with watching an educational video with your grand child. Or am I wrong? True, sitting your grand child in front of the TV so you can get the house done or chat with your friends online isn't what this is about. Sure they want a bit of a break so they can do some personal things. Ok..ok this is what this article is about. I've read up on a few subjects and I think I have found an alternative way to appease both the parent and the child. I realize every generation after generation says the same thing: the younger generation is in a world of trouble. Yes. This is true as well. But as we help our children raise their children (in my case, they both live with me), I have to think like both a 'grand parent' and a 'parent' when Victoria is in my care. While my daughter is trying to spend quality time with her daughter before she goes to work or attends a class in college, I have to keep her mind occupied during my time with her. I understand she is now 5 months old. Wow! Another month she will be half a year old! (But I digress.) I wish I had learn to do this when my daughter was her age. As many grandparents often do, I could kick myself in the seat of my pants when I think of all the things I feel like I 'robbed' my child when she was young. Thank (enter your deity here) I have been given the opportunity to rectify it through Victoria. I am not saying I was a neglectful mother. I was young and youthfulness isn't always a good thing. My sister who teaches children before they start kindergarten (to prepare them for that big milestone) told me before Victoria was born that their brains are evolving on a daily basis. That is kind of a 'no-brainer'. In so many words, I believe the great Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You learn something new everyday”. But how can she learn something new if I don't help initiate her learning process? Stick her in front of a television? That definitely won't do. If I did that, I would be robbing another generation in my family of critical thinking and I don't think that is fair. Not fair to my

daughter, my grand daughter and to the world. Schedules and routines are two different things I have found. A sleep schedule or an eating schedule is what Victoria follows (although it is very hard to follow when she is teething.) Routines are wonderful. They aren't 'time-pressing' and easy to follow. I have a routine set up for her as soon as her mother leaves for work that doesn't involve the television. I don't want to fall into that trap which I rely on the television screen to occupy her time. I want her to imagine, explore and ponder. Yes. I realize that she is still 5 months...True eventually she will become engaged in her saturday morning cartoons or watch YouTube videos (under strict guidance) but I want to prolong this as long as I can. There is nothing wrong with playing with puzzles or reading a book. Giving them the initiative to use hand-and-eye coordination opens up a lot of new avenues. Self-disciple is paramount in anyone's life and showing them early will help with their future. They also can become re-programmed to eventually become good listeners, learners, strengthen their fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, become more creative and help them find a way to have self-worth with a better sense of self. As a grandparent, giving presents is what we live for, is it not? Giving the gift of 'focusing', 'creative thought' and cultivating it through the years is a present that is sure to develop self-assurance. http://www.janetlansbury.com/2010/07/a-creative-alternative-to-baby-tv-time/

5 things I have learned about my grand daughter Victoria Renee ~

Celebrating my grand daughter's up-coming 5th month of living (I can't believe 5 months!!) I have learned a lot of things about her that are very individual. Being so young and having such a strong personality so soon, she has given me the wonderful chance to learn about what her likes and dislikes are. 1. No matter how she sleeps (always on her back), Victoria finds a way to have her feet sticking out of the blanket with both arms high above her head. 2. Her favorite toy is a “Glow Worm” that my bestie gave her. Followed by a cloth maraca and a cloth rattle in the form of Winnie the Pooh. She also loves her "Prince George" or "George" while she is sleeping. 3. Victoria has a bad habit of pulling her hair when she is sleepy. Now she is starting to suck her thumb. We are desperately trying to refrain this. 4. I am an avid watcher of 'The Big Bang Theory”. 9 times out of 10, she is watching it with me. At any moment, i.e. changing her diaper, feeding her or just having tummy time on the floor, she hears the theme song and stops whatever she is doing just to watch the opening credits. 5. Her mother has successfully found all her ticklish spots. Originally I would guess that she would be ticklish on her chunky thighs but no. Mostly on her sides and her tummy followed by the bottom of her feet.

Coexisting with a baby and a kitty cat

Want to harness physical, social, emotional and cognitive development from your child? It can all be found by encouraging interaction with the family pet. It doesn't matter if it is a dog, cat, horse or goldfish, the main ingredient is a sense of companionship that is offered by animals. Having a pet is sometimes what everyone had as a child as they get interaction with warm fuzzy entertainment given by the animal. My 'pet of choice' was always a feline. As long as I can remember, I have always had a cat by my side. In bad times and good, my feline friends were always there for me when I felt like I was alone. We have a feline, as you know. His name is Shaddow. I have always loved all my cats in my past. But this cat has a very special place in my heart. I originally adopted/rescued him from the local Humane society in Palm Beach county along with my mother and daughter down in South Florida. Shaddow was originally rescued for my daughter but chose me as his favorite. We got him at six months although by the looks of body which dealt with malnutrition, he looked four months old. By the time he was nine months old, he had already learned how to fetch. We had taught him with cloth kitty toy balls as we threw them up the stairs, he would catch them and bring them downstairs to us. Now he is just a Tomcat, and old man. He has had his day. During the 6 of the 9 months, we made sure that we left blankets out for Shaddow to smell. Now, Victoria's scent wasn't on the items at this time but the smell of baby items were around so he would get used to knowing that our scents were different than the scent that was on the items. I wasn't expecting him to rub his face on these items but to understand that something or someone is arriving soon and to understand that our family is expanding, not excluding him. I really want him to learn this. While my daughter would work on the computer working on her college classes, she would invite Shaddow to sleep next to her. Her touch and scent obviously comforted him because he would sit by her constantly. Seeing them both sit on the couch made me think back to when she was a little girl and he was a kitten. My daughter played violin and cello. She went to a performing arts school during that time. Every time..and I mean every time she practiced her craft, Shaddow would come running from any place in the house just to sit in her empty case to sit and listen to her play. There are times when he would meow with the music as she ran the strings with the bow. We have wonderful memories with this feline. Finally the day to return home with our new bundle of joy, Shaddow was hanging around the house (probably sleeping in his

makeshift bed I prepared for him in my bedroom closet). After the family and friends have left us alone with our little entity, Shaddow came out of his secluded lair and came up to sniff Victoria's foot. Then he walked away uninterested. And that is what we wanted to happen. Still, even now the bedroom room is closed during sleep, including naps. Because even though we love him with all our hearts, he is still a feline. On a positive note, Shaddow is going to give her so many responsibilities. True, I did rescue Shaddow for my daughter to learn responsibilities but that was a moot point. Shaddow decided that I am going to be his alpha female or maybe he just views me as another cat. Whatever the case, he is going to do his part to help her grow. Emotionally, physically and mentally he will be there. All she has to do is grow.

Victoria and her 3 month, 4 week milestones

Lately, we have been experiencing milestones with Victoria. She can now sit in her bouncer and reach for the dangling toys on the patted overhead bar. Well...a little bit. She actually grazes them with her left hand. As a grandmother, I think that is the best thing since sliced bread. Lol But what is even better is when she holds up her hands for me to pick her up. Its not a whole-hearted hands-out stretching-the-arms-out but its close. I see it. While it warms my heart so much, I wish she would hold her hands up to her mother who is always working. So. I mentioned that Victoria is going through a few milestones during her 3rd month of life. We want to believe she is teething. She shows all the signs except refusing food. (She is a member of this family; she never refuses food). Its hard to imagine all of the saliva that comes out of her mouth on a daily basis and then some. There is never a moment when she has a drop of saliva dangling from her bottom lip which, to me, signifies a baby. If we aren't careful and forget to put on a bib, you would find a big wet spot of drool on her shirt. Once we discovered a chaffed red ring around her neck from all the drool. A good friend of ours suggested baby powder but we found out that baby powder brings more bacteria to the 'fatty folds' and 'extra chins' that Victoria has gained over the 3 months of life. Mommy learned that using Desitin or some other form of diaper rash cream will do the job. She is also very fussy and bites on everything she can put in her mouth. Mommy decided to get a gallon storage bag and insert all of Victoria's teething rings 'just in case' and promptly put them in the freezer. We will never know if this is the reason of her little 'actions' but just in case, we keep this on the table. Victoria still does not like 'Tummy Time'. I've heard that most babies have a problem with this. When we place her on her stomach, she fusses. I shouldn't let this concern me. I've heard that some babies favor either side of their bodies and mostly use that side to view their surroundings. Victoria seems to favor her left side. Like I said before in the paragraph above, she uses her left hand to touch the dangling toys above her in her bouncer. I can tell when she is exhausted while playing or

watching “Baby Einstein” videos because she looks to the left. I Victoria Renee 6-30-14am assuming the left side of her neck muscles are tighter than her right. We have been helping her move her head to look straight, eventually looking right. This is a concern I hope her mother talks to the doctor about. She has her four month appointment in a few days to get her next series of her immunizations. So this means we are going to have to wait to see her roll over...maybe....because she could surprise us. She already does 'mini-scoots' and likes to see her surroundings in ways she couldn't before. As I mentioned before, her mother goes to work. I feel my daughter (and most working mother's) feel cheated because Victoria does pay attention to me more than her own mother. This is why I have to step back and let her mother care for her during the times when she is off of work allowing my daughter to bond with her mother. http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-3-month-olds-development-week-4_1477212.bc

Experiencing both sides of the generational fence

If there was one thing I have always wanted to do if Mamae was still alive would be to introduce her to the internet. I bet she would have loved the ability to chat with people from different countries or find that her inbox was filled with daily recipes for her to try...or critique. I have always heard from my mother that Mamae was an excellent cook. Not just excellent but rivaling with the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck or Jamie Oliver. She was that good. Believe me when I tell you I have heard plenty of stories. I was lucky enough to be born in a time when we didn't have to worry about checking-in to our parents every 15 minutes to be sure that we are safe. We came home from playing hide-and-go-seek or ghost-in-the-graveyard well after the streetlights turned on. We were able to drink out of a garden hose and not have our parents worry if there is some kind of metallic poison running through the water hose. I can remember living in Ft. Carson, CO as a six year old sitting in the front seat of the car without a seatbelt. But I am also very lucky to be a part of the technological age. There is no way I could live without my laptop or cell phone. I have departed ways with the days of cable television (or even rabbit ears for that matter). Like everyone else in the 21st century, my home phone is not attached to the wall...except when its charging. Even my own mother, who is a proud member of the 'baby boomers', would not be able to survive without her Netflix running through her Wii on her smartTV. Still...she needs her cable in her life. That is probably the only thing from her past that she still holds dear to her heart. I, however am trying to break free from the cable company. Have you ever met a person in their 60s that texts with their loved ones on a regular

basis? She Facetimes us when we are giving the baby a bath or other times when Victoria does something new and wonderful. Technology is a wonderful thing so far. And I am so glad I got to experience both sides of the fence.

All in the name of Baseball!!!

Next week will be my daughter's 21st birthday. I don't know how I feel about that. She isn't my 'little ladybug' anymore but has her own 'little ladybug' now. She will be a full fledged adult and the change isn't easy for me to accept. Now all I have are memories of her in her uniforms of the many clubs and teams she had joined. Being a single mom since she was four, I was the lucky one for being there at all those meetings and baseball games. My daughter was one of only two girls on an all-boy baseball team. After weeks of research, I wasn't able to find an all-female team. After calling the local paper, we were to meet at a municipal park that was down the road from where my daughter and I lived. I can't remember if we were the first ones at the park or the last ones there but I do remember it was sort of nerve-racking trying to find the place. We had a great time at practices. I usually sit alone. But I did learn that over half the team's mothers were single moms...like me. Struggling Sara at last practice to keep their children in a healthy home....like I was. Not only did a baseball team with wonderful little individuals join together but we, as single mothers, found strength and hope in each other that formed lasting relationships. Little did I know that one of the baseball players and his mom became one of our Facebook friends, Google friends and our best friends in good times and in bad. My favorite memory about that time in my daughter's life is meeting very good friends on the bleachers, watching our loves play ball (and hard), then meeting up at the local Taco Bell restaurant after practice. Those are days I will miss.

After a hard day, this smile cheers me up!

It seems as I get older its harder and harder to accept things. I don't always mean to be such a snot, but I am. I want Victoria and I to have a very healthy relationship without any distractions from anyone, including my daughter. I know that sounds harsh but that is how I feel. Today was the day that was decided who has custodial rights to Victoria. I woke up early in the morning to rush to Victoria's crib while her mother was still sleeping in her bed. Her little diaper was full from her deep slumber through the hours of eight o'clock pm til six o'clock am. She has had this type of sleep schedule for a few months now and I am not changing it by sleeping in. My daughter wakes in my absence to take care of her so I am comforted to know that she will wake up at an appropriate hour every day. But today was an extra important day for me to spend with my Photon.

As I am sitting on the couch in a quiet room, I feed her and she is looking directly into my eyes as if to tell me, “Everything will be alright today, Grandma Titi.” My eyes well up with tears trying to believe that they aren't going to take my grand daughter away. I have invested so much time and energy into knowing her, having her know who I am. Holding on to her tight, I start crying but knowing that little girl will never know how scared I am and how heartbreaking it is to see her go. But then I have to realize on how the other grandmother feels. Nana. She is and wants to be an important part of her first and only grand daughter's life too. It's hard to 'share'. I never had to share my daughter with her father so this was really hard for me. Nana deserves to have special times with her grand daughter too. Why is that so hard for me to realize? I stayed home babysitting Victoria and my two nephews while my bestie came over with her two children. We spent the day watching the boys play while we took turns holding Victoria, passing her back and forth as if it were our last time. My bestie is the best bestie I have ever had. She came over with her boys in a pirate ensemble to entice my nephews with a scavenger hunt. They came with eye-patches, pirate hats, scarves and a treasure map for the kids to discover a bounty full of gold coins hidden in the house.

At the end of the day, I learn that the verdict is actually in everyone's favor. My daughter gets full custody while Victoria's father sees her part of the week. That is pretty fair. But why do I still feel stressed? I've been stressed throughout her little life of three months. But I have been extra stressed starting in the month of June. Now you know why I haven't been adding many blog posts. I have to admit I have lost a lot of followers but my true followers have stayed tuned for my updates. And for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's been a hard month but I promise I will provide more interesting reading material for my followers.

Victoria the Water Baby

Its summertime in the northern hemisphere of our wonderful home and with the beauty of the weather, we all want to go out and play. What? You say babies can't? Oh they certainly can (with a lot of precautions). The leaves on the trees have finally emerged from their deep sleep, the bees (although very scarce) are buzzing around the flowers hoping to get pollen and spread it around. I guess that is why I love bees so much. There is a light breeze flowing in the air and the sun seems to dance around a few cirrus clouds in the sky. Yes, summertime is finally here for us to enjoy, even for babies.

When I gave birth to my daughter, it was the middle of summer in South Florida. It was hot, humid and I was miserable. My only daily ensemble that I wore was a tank top with shorts (and as most natives do) wore nothing but flip-flops. The only comfort that I could find would be in a room with an air conditioner. That was it. That was all I needed. Fortunately my daughter gave birth right before spring. The days were often over-cast with a cool breeze at night. Given the earlier phenomenon of the Polar Vortex, the predictions of the weather haven't been simple to forecast. The seasons are now upon us earlier on the East Coast of the US than before. But what about that hot sun? Isn't it funny that the sun is only in it's “middle-aged” years but to us, we often feel like a newly hatched egg on a hot sidewalk cooking ever-so-slowly? Last saturday, my daughter and Victoria were invited to a pool party. This was her first time without any parental advice and had to go at it alone. Understandably I was scared, but not as scared as I thought I would be. My daughter was well-equipped with mothering information. After all, she is the one with the instinct so why should I butt in? My daughter proved to me that she can tackle this 'mothering skill' and I have to have more faith in her. Getting her things together from room to room, I was following her with a mental checklist offering advice of what I would think she might need. After the advice was given to her, she prepared Victoria's diaper bag that has Winnie the Pooh across the front. A family member bought her some “swimmer” diapers for Victoria to wear while she was in the pool. Donned with sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat, my grand daughter was almost ready to go to the party. With a full diaper bag of regular size 2 diapers, wipes, 5 empty bottles, powder formula and a bottle of drinking water, she was set into her carrier that is also “Winnie the Pooh” print. Her ride (from a family member) finally came to pick her up. She was so excited that she can finally get out of the house and spend some quality time with family. Of course I was texting her every five minutes to ask if the air was on in the car on the way, was she too cold if the air, in fact, was on too much. I would ask if she was hungry or if it is time for her next feeding. Or even if she needed a diaper change and I am not there to do it. Still, I am only the grandmother. But my daughter came to her baby's rescue. I was happy to learn that she only had her in the sun for approximately 5 minutes, (just to take a few pictures) that she was indeed in a pool setting. Dressed in her long onsie, hat (that covered her neck as well), sunglasses and sunscreen, my daughter walked with her across the shallow end of the pool. She knew that you shouldn't keep a baby out in the direct sun and stayed for the next 10 minutes under the overhang of the pool deck. As soon as she got

home, Victoria was whisked away to a bath. My daughter knew that sunscreen wasn't good for baby's skin so she carefully washed it away with a wash cloth. After careful examination, Victoria was 'lotioned up' and fitted with a brand-new onsie as she sat in her lounger (better known as her throne).

The Easter Bunny: An Obtainable Goal

Boy! Are my dogs barking! What a fun day I had on Easter eve. This morning was no different from the rest, fixing bottles and preparing her diaper bag to spend the day with Victoria's daddy and her Nana. As we hurry to get ready to go see the elusive Easter Bunny, I make sure we have enough diapers and wipes while my daughter is getting her hair ready. This is Victoria's first Easter and we will get a picture even if we have to get an old stuffed animal out and set it next to her in the living room. But being parents and grandparents that we are, we want to make sure it is professionally done. At first, I thought it was silly to have a one-month old all gussied up to take a picture and not even know what was going on around her. I used to think that in my younger years. I remember when my daughter was still an infant, her father and I brought her to the mall to see Santa Claus. Well...her grandmother wanted a picture and I was too narrow-minded to see that they wanted a picture and enjoy their grandchild in the arms of Santa. Now I know how they originally felt. The night before my daughter's friend posted something on Facebook about the Easter Bunny and pictures in the mall of our little town. We made plans with Daddy and Nana to accompany us to achieve our goal. As we were walking into the courtyard in the mall, we noticed....nothing. No long lines, no kids running around chasing one another, no bows of pink and green to signify 'come take a picture with the Easter Bunny'. Nothing. My daughter went up to an employee to ask if the Easter Bunny already came for a visit to the mall. The lady looked at her and said, “We have decided not to have the Easter Bunny here this year.” This year? My grand daughter is finally born and you decide that you aren't going to have the Easter Bunny come to your mall this year?? Nana and I did not take the word 'NO'. Back to the car we go. We also heard about a park nearby and they were hosting the Easter Bunny. It was our town's Park and Recreation. If we hurry, we can finally lay our 'grandparent' eyes on this elusive Easter Bunny and snap a picture with him holding our bundle of joy. We see many people walking with their kids to their cars as they carry baskets of eggs and other belonging, collecting their children from running out into the street. We parked the car and I walked up to a bystander. I asked her if the Easter Bunny was going to show up today. “You missed him an hour ago! He was here but left!” I turned to Nana and threw my hands in the air. Nana wasn't going down without a fight either. We are going to see this child with an Easter Bunny even if we have to dress up like one ourselves and take a picture! Back at Nana's house, we had a lovely dinner: steak with baked potatoes and corn on the cob. It was good for us to gather our strength while we decide to go to the next city to see if they have an Easter Bunny on display. Nana called the mall clerk and received some good news. We found out that one of the bigger malls does have a professional Easter Bunny (and the best part is we can get pictures!) It was 20 minutes away but that didn't stop us. As we pulled into the mall, we could see a lot of people walking back and forth going into the doors of the mall, exiting the building. I was prepared to wait in line, no matter how long, just to see Victoria and the Easter Bunny. Walking into the courtyard, there is the Easter Bunny we have been searching for all day!!! AND the line wasn't long. I noticed people with baby carriages taking out their babies for the Easter Bunny to hold. I didn't feel so bad after that.

I want Victoria to know that there are so many people out there that care about her. That care about her being HERE. The love that her Nana and I express for her is so powerful. We are the lucky ones. We are Victoria's hip grandmothers.

Hey Grandma Titi! I'm 3 weeks old!!!!

We have finally made it to THREE WEEKS! There is a lot that has gone on in this household. 'Somebody' has decided to start sleeping all day and is awake for most of the night. That does go with our 'former' sleep schedule. It was just my daughter and me when we would sleep til noon on weekends and at least nine during the weekdays. Ahhh what a change. And I am positive there will be more changes to come. The constipation she was experiencing has 'hopefully' come to an end. See, I was told that she has acid reflux. The pediatrician gave us the medicine she needed and because of the reflux that cleared up, her constipation went away. Thank goodness she can now lay comfortably in her swing and has stopped making those painful-looking facial expressions. Shaddow finally met her first hand. We have been leaving her blankets and spit-up rags out in the open for weeks so that he can smell her scent. Shaddow is a very, very good cat with an awesome disposition. We are very lucky to have

him. He did, however walked up to her swing (while she was in it) and smelled her hand. We watched him closely to see what he will do. What he did next surprised me. He started smelling her hand then rubbed his face on her hand. That means that he accepts her into his 'group' of 'fellow felines'. lol We took a picture of him during his meeting with her...then casually walked away. I believe we are still in the 'danger zone' for an infant. Every little fever or jolt that she has makes me jump. She is also trying to focus with her eyes. She seems to know both her parents. And the other day my daughter was holding her, I called to Victoria and she turned her head in my direction. I hope that means something.

Dear Victoria Renee ~

Dear Victoria Renee ~ Today you came into our lives with such grace and made our lives worth living. You remind us that there are positives in life. You are a blessing to my heart and I love you. Before you were born at 9:48 pm Monday 3-10-2014, before your mommy's water broke while she was being admitted into the hospital, before mommy woke me up at 1:00 am Sunday that she was dripping fluid, your mother and I was saying goodbye to your grandfather at the airport. I wished that he could see you in real life. You came into this world a little more than 24 hours away from when we left him off. It's okay, though. Perhaps he and his fiance, your step-grandmother can come for a visit. That would be nice. While you were waiting to come into this world, I have to say that I was worried if your mother was going to make it. I mean, I questioned why your mother couldn't dilate passed 3 centimeters in a matter of 18 hours. We were all pacing in the hallways; both mommy's family and daddy's family. Finally the doctor told us that your mother needed a cesarean which really scared me. As she was being wheeled into the operating room, she could hear the Beatles playing on the overhead speakers. I also know that when you were lifted from your mother's open belly, the song "Here comes the sun" was playing.

Grampa's Visit

As I look out the window, I can see the sun rise above the clouds. It has been unseasonably warm on a wednesday and I knew just the style of clothes I wanted to wear when we pick up my daughter's father from the airport. He came up from West Palm Beach, Florida (my hometown) in hopes that the baby will be born during his stay. Unfortunately he would have to return on Sunday but there is so much we can do during his stay.

Walking into the airport to the escalators, I notice there are not very many people running around to grab their bags or check in at the rental cars area. Soon my daughter will be able to see her father who she hasn't been able to hug in two years. We finally found some comfortable benches to sit and wait until he gets off the plane. We notice a lady (maybe in her 20s) waiting for her boyfriend to come off the same plane. My daughter strikes up a conversation with her while I look on. Just to joke with my daughter, I tell her. “There he is!” My daughter jumps up, looking at the empty ramp and giggles “No he isn't” with a smile. I continued to do that two or three more times until she stops paying attention to me. Suddenly there are people walking down the ramp that just got off the plane, the same one her father is getting off. “There he is! There he is!” I shouted. She didn't even turn her head from not believing me. He walked up to me, gave me a hug and turn to her. She jumped up in his arms like a child. “Daddy! I've missed you!” I whispered in her ear, “Told you he was coming.” Day 2 of Grampa's visit was rather exciting. We decided to ditch the Smokey Mountains and explore what Knoxville has to offer. As we are driving along, I have the great idea to drive to a place where I love to walk around and check out the local shops and art galleries. This is downtown Knoxville in a place called “Gay Street”. It has beautiful architecture of the different buildings. There is a place right beside it called “Market Square”. Its set in the middle of Market Square downtown with a concrete stage and the shops are surrounding it. During early fall, the city of Knoxville provides a big screen that shows family-friendly movies so the whole family can have a wonderful evening sitting on blankets and sipping on soft drinks (if they wish). Today it is empty. Still...no baby.

Day 3 of Grampa's visit was even more exciting. Although I personally prefer the city where there is civilization, my daughter and her father decided they wanted to go to the mountains. To me, it was a no-brainer to get my daughter to walk and hopefully dilate a little bit. When they asked me to go, I shrugged and said “Sure”. I made a few sandwiches, brought some fruit and packed my backpack with water. It was a beautiful day! Seems every time I go to Cade's Cove, in the Smokey Mountains National Park, its always a beautiful day! A few cumulus here and there but no rain clouds. Being in the mountains, you still have to wear a light jacket though. It was a very old place. We toured a cemetery and the headstones were dated as far back as the 1880s. We also got to see some deer feeding on the grass and a lot of other wildlife. Still...no baby. Day 3- Cades Cove Day 4 of Grampa's visit was a cloudy, dreary day. I wanted to stay and clean up the house a bit and her father stayed in his hotel room. It wasn't a very eventful day at all. Still...no baby.

Day 5 was Grampa's last day to visit. We went to a few shops around town and drove to different places. His itinerary said that he needs to be at the airport by 5:00 pm so thats where we spent most of the time hanging out, talking and going down memory lane. As we three said our last goodbyes, my daughter shed a few tears, looked down at her belly and whispered in her father's ear “Sorry Daddy, still no baby.”

The Baby Shower

Looking out the window, I see the sun has finally shown its face after a month and a half of cold bitter days. Many times I had promised never to venture out of my apartment in the snow and today was no different. Rewinding the clock back to the night before, I again watched the snow fall to the ground hoping that this would not ruin my daughter's baby shower. We had to go to the next town over where my sister lives to celebrate. We had everything prepared for this day. As my daughter and I stared helplessly at the newly-fallen snow, we were both crossing our fingers in hopes that tomorrow will indeed be a day for us to remember. As a rule, I never leave the house without cleaning up. I don't want to come back home to a mess before I create a new mess. Both my daughter and I rush around back and forth throughout the house looking for last minute messes to clean, getting our outfits together or fixing our hair and make-up. As we run to catch our ride, I quickly feed our cat and grab the house key. She is already down in the car as I make sure my jacket is on zipping up the front. Looking around the ground, I can already see the snow melting which is actually making me smile.

We arrived at my sister's house to see her and her best friend decorating the living/dining room with splashes of light pink and dark pink streamers. Both women always seemed to have the best attitude and the brightest smile on their faces....and it was only 9 a.m. Actually, the house seemed to radiate good feelings. I was with family and friends and it was going to be a great day. Everyone finally came who was originally invited. Family meeting friends for the first time was very entertaining. The guests played many games hosted by my sister. "How well do you know mommy" and "baby animal names" were just a fraction of the games that they all played. I was in the kitchen helping with preparation to set out the food on the tables. Finally it was time to open up the baby shower gifts. Everyone sat around encircling my daughter who sat in the dead-center of the living room. Opening up the cards and carefully ripping the wrapping paper, I tried to take as many pictures as I could. Finally I had run out of space on my camera phone. Luckily my friend made sure she picked up where I left off. Everyone enjoyed cake and chattered back and forth with each other. It was a good time and a very successful baby shower. As the guests take their leave from my sister's house, my best friend asks me if she can take me home to bring the vast

amounts of presents for Victoria. I agreed that I would love to catch a ride back to town while my daughter stayed behind with my sister and my mother to finish cleaning the house. As we brought up all the gifts and compiled them into the baby's room, we look at all the presents that were bought for Victoria and breathed a sigh of relief. Now we have everything we need to welcome the baby.

To My Grandmother Mamae

Life continues to move on. I listen to my daughter and her 'health nurse' sitting in the living room as my daughter asks her questions about her pregnancy. As a woman on her 33rd week of pregnancy, she has been dealing with 'those nasty Braxton-Hicks' but still dealing with nausea and leg cramps. Victoria is almost here and I seriously can not wait! My daughter will be a good mother, great individual and a strong woman.

Speaking of strong women, today is my Mamae's 104th birthday. I've decided to honor her by letting everyone know how much she means to me. She is my maternal grandmother who I have always wanted to meet; alas she passed before I was born. I've always wanted to be able to go spend the night over at Grandma's house like my other friends who have had wonderful memories of being with their grandparents. The more older I get, the more I realize how important having grandparents in your life is. How they don't have to become the disciplinarian, how they can form strong bonds offriendship on a level that no one can break. My mother and my daughter are the best of friends. (My daughter tells me that they are and my mother agrees). I didn't get to know Mamae on a personal level, I hear stories of the things she used to do, her style, her cooking (and I hear her cooking skills could rival with the likes of Julia Child) and how loving and comforting she would make her children feel. Yes, I have heard she was very possessively kind with her children, (a very loving woman). She loved animals. She had a Corgi dog decades ago which I heard that the animal was a force to be reckon with. But still, she loved the dog. And obviously the dog loved her. I could imagine how easy it would be to fall in love with my grandmother. I could imagine her being with me although I have always felt her presence since I was a little girl.

Imagine sitting here having a lovely conversation over a cup of coffee with her asking as many questions that time would allow for us to be together...or just looking at her beautifully youthful face while tears well up in my eyes...or introducing the inventions that she never got to be influenced by since her untimely death. Of course, I would love to show her the internet. She would have loved to google the latest recipes or build her own website (after a while of internet-experience) about cooking with a few ingredients to 'How to host a dinner'. I miss her although I have never met her. (It might sound strange but its a feeling I've always had). And I think she would have wanted to meet me. I wonder if she had a french accent, her daily disposition and what made her tick. I wonder of so many things about her but I see them through my mother: the youthful gene that my mother possesses, the love that 'no matter what, I will always love you, even if you are wrong' attitude and bending over backwards to make sure you get what you need done. That is my family and I continue to honor Mamae by being the best grandmother I know she would want me to be. Happy birthday, Mamae. I love you so...

What? Grandmothers and more Grandmothers!

It seems like EVERYONE loves their grandmother. I had a grandmother once. He had a grandmother once. She had a grandmother once. Grandmothers are a very important part of society. Lets rejoice and celebrate how wonderful it is to be a grandmother. After all, they are known to display humor as well as passing the baton to their children for giving birth to 'our reason for living'. Here are a few examples of 'the humorous grandmother'. Just to let you kiddies know, we still can be funny as well as responsible. Ok. Ok. So that wasn't THAT responsible. But it was funny! No one would expect that from a 'little ol' lady' (which I am not!) But it shows you, my faithful follower that Grandmothers can have a humorous side to them.We love our children's children and want to spend as much time as God will allow to see them grow. This especially goes for holidays. I am lucky enough to have my daughter live with me. So that means I will have my grand daughter live with me! Yay! Yes, having the two of them live with me will have many ups and downs but knowing they both have a safe roof over their head and food in their bellies is the utmost importance. While she finishes college, I can make sure everything else is taken care of. Of course, my energy level has gotten lower in the past few years..but I will find a way to regain that much-needed energy. Maybe this next clip can shed some light on regaining strength that I thought I've lost so many years ago with the Fibromyalgia! Grandmothers are a very important part of the family (even more-so now). In my family, the grandmother is the Matriarch and her word is law (or at least, considered). As a Native American proverb says, "Treat the Earth well, it was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children."

Baby..It's a Polar Vortex outside!

This has been an exceptionally long two weeks. First, my daughter had a prenatal appointment scheduled for 8 A.M. 20 minutes away from our house. A few days later we, like much of the Northwestern hemisphere, got to experience what is called the Polar Vortex of 2014. Like you, I have never been in a Polar Vortex. So, with my inquisitive mind, I decided to The midnight snowinvestigate about this amazing meteorological phenomenon and I have come to understand what it is and how it has affected me and the community around me. During the Polar Vortex it was safe to assume that most, if not all of the population in my small town had stayed inside. The wind chill was brutally cold for the most of us (even my friends and family down in South Florida got to experience this!) and the wind currents seemed to strike you down through to your soul, it was that bad. Fortunately my daughter and I had to (and I hate these words) hunker down before this atmospheric episode was upon us by shopping for the staples that we needed to fill our cupboards and refrigerator.. But what makes it such a tremendous scenario? The reason why it is such a tremendous scenario is because I grew up in a place where cyclones were the norm. This is not a tropical cyclone for what I am used to. This is a winter storm of epic proportions. So this has sparked my interests. I mean, come on! It was so cold in some parts of Canada that it brought on an earthquake in the tundra region. That must have been so frightening for the residents of that area. I'm pretty sure the citizens of the area in this day and age aren't used to that sort of thing. Not only are they not used to earthquakes but did you know that the temperature in some parts of Canada was lower, (yes lower) than the not-too-distant planet of Mars. Can you believe this?? What I REALLY can't believe is that my daughter was having a craving at 10 A.M.!! So as any good mother would do, I began to wrap my scarf around my neck, wore my cap and managed to find both my gloves while I took my heavy coat out of the closet. She wanted a jar of dill pickles and she 'had to have them'. I walk downstairs to the outside of my building and struggle to breathe the low-density in the air. As I am passing the naked trees and bushes, a current of bone-chilling wind blows through my body and makes me lose my breath. She better believe how much I love her. :) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/13/polar-vortex-scariest-word_n_4589975.html?utm_hp_ref=green http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/09/polar-vortex-strange-stories_n_4557126.html

Understanding Hypermesis and wanting it to stop.....NOW!

Having to watch my only child nauseous on a daily basis is so hard to look at. In a perfect world, I wish mothers-in-waiting would not have to deal with changes in their bodies or disruptions of their mental state. There would be fewer stories about the mother killing their own children or the notion that 'they are going crazy' only if they were given attention. Fortunately, my daughter has a very strong support system all around her to help her through such troubled times. Although she will Locket Grampa Joe and Grandma Cheryl got mommyhave to experience these things, she has a strong family that will always be there in her time of need. I hope she remembers that. On our last visit to the OBGYN, we were told that she has been dealing with Hypermesis Gravidarum, or simple 'Morning Sickness'. This is not so simple to deal with. Although my daughter has actually gained a few pounds in her pregnancy

(only 8 lbs due to the morning sickness since the beginning), she has been put on anti-nausea medicine and has been on bed-rest for the duration of her pregnancy. She has been able to eat a lot more and exercises frequently which I am glad and my stress-level has lowered a bit. Much of the population does not understand how severe this Hypermesis Gravidarum can be to an expectant mother and her unborn child. Not only is this severe form of nausea and vomiting during a period (or like my daughter's case) throughout the pregnancy term, but it has been described as preventing the adequate intake of the important foods and fluids that the mother and child need. If it is not treaded in a timely fashion, dehydration and nutritional deficiencies may happen, metabolic imbalances and difficulty with the daily activities can occur. Although HG is not fully understood and severely under examined, new theories and findings are emerging with every year. The finding are complex and it is thought to be a physiological disease caused by many factors. As the symptoms of the HG bring on other new symptoms, repeated vomiting and severe nausea rears its ugly head for a whole new set of other problems we have to worry about. Common complications can include debilitating fatigue, gastric irritation, ketosis and malnutrition. That, my friends is scary. Scary of not knowing what is going on inside my daughter's metabolism, scary to know this could potentially harm my grand daughter and scary to know there is little that I can do to combat it. How do you prevent this potentially life-threatening complications? As a mother, I want to take this pain and suffering that she is enduring...and experience it for myself so she doesn't have to. This is not over... For more in-depth information about Hypermesis Gravidarum or Morning Sickness, please visit: http://www.helpher.org/hyperemesis-gravidarum/ http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/hyperemesisgravidarum.html http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a1018905/hyperemesis-gravidarum