Time with our Grandson

As many of you know, Craig and Laura have been living in Raleigh, North Carolina, since the middle of May, babysitting our grandson Joseph while his parents work. He was born this January; we have now been with him from age 4 months to 10 months. A lot happens in that time! We got excited by seeing him roll over for the first time. Then we were happy along with him when he could sit up by himself. We watched him learn to scoot in various ways for a month or so, then scooting changed to crawling, and then in another two weeks or so we had a highly mobile little person constantly exploring all over the house; going up stairs, under, over and around furniture and finding all sorts of hazards we never expected. Beware of the rubber tip on the end of the door stopper; it can be removed by little fingers, and it is just the right size to choke on.

I have three sons of my own so I know I have been through all these things before, but it has surprised me how much I have forgotten. I suppose with my own babies I was working and had lots of other responsibilities and distractions.  Joseph, in contrast, has my undivided attention during my 40 or so hours a week with him.  As a grandparent I leave all worrying and decisions to his parents; I certainly do some work, and there is a fair amount of tedium involved, but most of my time is spent in just enjoying him.  It is a great joy to share the rhythms of his little life; figuring out when it is time to eat and how much, when to try for a nap, when to insist on a nap, and  when to leave a content baby be. It is amazing that somebody who cannot yet walk spends so much time on two feet; he is constantly on the move and is interested in everything that can be touched or pulled or tasted.

Unfortunately for most of the past month, Laura has had to be in western Kentucky with her parents. Joe at 95 has become increasingly weak and Nan has needed Laura’s help in caring for him. Hopefully with the help of hospice and some paid caregivers Laura will be able to return to Raleigh, perhaps after Thanksgiving. It is our plan to be here till the end of December, then Joseph will be a  year old and will start daycare. He has no fear of strangers and he seems to like everybody, so I suspect he will make the transition without much trouble. 

How’s living in the basement?  It is just fine; it is a very nice basement. We have a kitchen, plenty of space, some windows, our own door, and good Wi-Fi. It is quite comfortable. We have enjoyed Raleigh much more since the weather has cooled off; it was fairly miserable in July and August with high temperatures  and humidity that we were not used to. We have also especially enjoyed spending time with our son Noah and daughter-in-law Meredith. We share the evening meal with them and some weekend activities. It has been lots of fun to be around these gracious and accomplished young people; there is a lot to be said for a multi-generational household. 

Hopefully, Laura will be back soon. Meanwhile I am looking forward to soon taking walks with my aspiring biped.

This last picture reminds me of reading The Rainbow by D.H. Lawrence in college and a paragraph I still remember 45 years later. To paraphrase: “The child looked from one to the other, and he saw them established to his safety, and he was free. He played between them in confidence, having the assurance on his right and and the assurance on his left. His father and mother met to the span of the heavens, and he, the child, was free to play in the space beneath, between.”