It was October 6, 2011 at 3:06am when I first met him. He
was very quiet with enormous blue eyes that curiously took in everything around
him. He did not cry for more than a second as he protested the cold air in the
hospital room and instantly quieted as he was placed in his mother’s waiting
arms. He was so tall for someone so new. He was perfect in every way. We
counted his fingers and toes, tested his hearing and eye sight and watched as
he was weighed and measured. I snapped a multitude of pictures of the labor,
delivery and first hour of his life. It felt like I had been waiting forever
for him to get here.
After he was wrapped up, nursed for the first time and
satiated, we were allowed to hold him. I looked into those deep blue pools of
wonder and saw my whole life come full circle. I was amazed at the overwhelming
emotions I felt holding this amazing little boy. My blood was racing; my eyes
were teary; and my heart was melting all at the same time. Exhaustion
disappeared during these thrilling moments as I treasured this little extension
of my daughter. I felt warm and tingly and instantly protective.
It is now almost ten months later and this boy has grown
like mad. He is gotten taller, grown some hair and cut 6 teeth. His eyes are
bluer than ever and his personality is hilariously amazing. He is learning so
quickly and mimics everything we do. He is our little alarm clock and makes
sure that we know when it is time to feed him or give him a “ba”. He loves the
A, B, C’s and Row Your Boat but his favorite song is Baby Boy sung to any tune.
We snuggle and watch Veggie Tales, splash in the bath tub and take turns making
funny noises. His piano is a source of entertainment as we pound out melodies
that Bach and Beethoven would be jealous of. He says mama, meh (grandma) and pa
(grandpa) and struggles with saying something for Ciara, his aunt. Usually he
just points at her and yells. He also loves the big puppy and reaches out for
him to get lots and lots of kisses – gross.
Because they live with us, I get to start every single
morning with hugs and kisses from this little man. He is such a morning person
that he starts my days with a smile and feeling of joy. There are, literally,
hundreds of pictures of him on my iPhone and, aside from bible verses; he is
what I talk about on Facebook and Twitter. When people at work ask me how my
weekend was, I usually regale them with stories of what the baby did over the
weekend. When his mother brought him to see me at my office, I said “This is my
grandson, Tristan.” Then, a couple minutes later, “Oh and this is my daughter,
Brianna.” I have heard that happens when you become a grandparent.
In case you cannot tell, my show ‘n’ not tell essay was designed
to show you my overwhelming love and pride for my grandson. He truly does make
my life better every single day.
