Monday, March 10, 2014

Becoming a "Ya-Ya"

On January 25, 2014, David and I became the proud grandparents of a precious little baby boy, Adam Joseph. It was a day that we recorded on video so as not to ever forget the excited feelings of becoming grandparents, nor forget the over anxious nervousness of watching our oldest child and son become a father for the first time. I discovered on that day that no matter what is said, what is done, or what is given or taken away, there is little that can destroy the moment of pure love when you look into the eyes of that first grand baby.  It was pure joy!

I packed for the hospital with anticipation that the labor of my daughter-in-law would be short. I carried the necessary items for David and me that included blankets and pillows, camcorder and camera, phone chargers and a large surge protector, water and snacks, makeup, toothbrushes and mouth wash. It was all we needed to make it through the evening. David was reluctant to want to leave before midnight, so I set the alarm to get us up by 12:30 a.m. for a quick shower. Even at the alarm, David kept pestering me that our daughter-in-law would not have this baby until after dawn. How right he was; however, I chose to be the mother-in-law that was ever-present and available for anything, and both of us made it to the hospital before 1:15 a.m., ready for action.

As we entered the emergency room area, you would never have known we had an emergency. We WAITED for almost 35 minutes before anyone was able to speak to us. The skeleton crew at 1:35 a.m. was a bit busy; or so it seemed, and it took even longer for the security personnel  to show up to make us eligible to pass through the locked doors. ID's and all had to be shown and as we waited for verification, our daughter-in-law's family came out of the hospital area. It seemed our daughter-in-law's younger brothers were heading back home to rest rather than wait with the rest of the grandparents for the anticipated moment of our precious delivery. They shared with us necessary bits of information and went on their way; and my husband glared at me intently, knowing he had given up a peaceful night's sleep in his king sized bed for a restless evening in a chair. I smiled and said nothing as we entered the hospital with our "visitor's pass" glued to our chests. It was a quiet walk to the Labor and Delivery ward.

We entered the Labor and Delivery waiting room and were met with a bitter coldness, much like the temperature from outside. It was cold. No, it was very cold and ached my arthritis to the bone! Apparently, from details later discovered by the maintenance workers coming in and out of the area, the heat in the waiting room was not working and the temperature remained at a high of 55 degrees. David and I found out through the night that the stairwell was warmer than the room itself and we took turns defrosting in that area. For the most part, we both remained bundled up in our coats and scarves and blankets, watching Turner Classic Movies throughout the early morning hours.

At dawn, there was still no baby, to our dismay. The desire to meet this little man of ours had heightened our senses. The high level of anticipation could be felt among all of the grandparents. And the mother? Sweetly nestled in her hospital bed with her pillows supporting her feet and back. She was resting after receiving her epidural. That, my dear, is a cure for any kind of pain!

While our daughter-in-law rested, everyone decided around 6:30 a.m. to make a quick visit to the cafeteria downstairs for a hearty breakfast. David decided to stay in the frigid waiting room in case anything happened or anyone arrived while the rest of us were away. The cafeteria was pleasantly the warmest region of the hospital. Apparently, that area had heat. Our daughter-in-law's parents, Dan and Jan, bought David and me breakfast that morning and that was such a delight to our taste buds. Sausage biscuits with grape jam and butter and a HOT roasted coffee! A tasty combination for souls who have cut out bread from their diets! The coffee was warming and heated up our tired and cold bodies.

The paternal great-grandparents-to-be, Larry and Barbara, arrived at 9:30 a.m. with a bag full of special danishes from Camden's most famous local baker, Mr. Pete. They were delicious! After taking on the sausage biscuits, we realized our diets were shot for the day, so pastries became part of our morning. Raspberry and cream cheese filled pastries and praline delights were among the selections. Pastry bread aroma filled the cold room, warming the senses of those friends arriving for any news of the baby. Phone calls galore came across the three phones David and I had available in the waiting area, while Face Book posts and comments rang out, friends wanting pictures of the action and such. David remained in charge of the social media via phone calls and texts. He was so good in that department. Friends from Columbia, Darlington, Camden and Lugoff kept his fingers working for hours. I, on the other hand, talked with my parents and others we knew who worked at Kershaw Health and had read that we were awaiting the arrival of Adam Joseph. It was so kind of them to check on us and acknowledge our son and daughter-in-law.

At 11:35, I heard some commotion from the labor room and saw my son walking down the hallway towards us with such an animated look upon his face that both David and I knew something was or had happened that was joyous! His black shirt he had worn was soaked through around the neck and his eyes were puffy and red; not from a sleepless night, but from tears...he had been crying tears of jubilance!

"He is 21 inches long, Mom, and he weighs 8.25 pounds!" he exclaimed in his excitement. My heart about leaped with elation! I watched as David's face turned red as he smiled ear to ear, grabbing up the video camera and camera that were both on charge. My mother looked up puzzled seeing everyone moving about.

"Is he here?" my mother asked.

"Dad, he is beautiful and he is so long!" cried our son. They embraced each other in a connection between two generations of men; one becoming, one evolving into a new role.

The event left us all speechless; our grandson left us all in awe; his adorable face, his beautiful hands and feet, and his wandering eyes in his attempt to take in the lights and sounds and emotions were all overwhelming. Everyone cried. It was the happiest cry I had ever had. I still, to this day, feel the elated emotions I felt that day  each time I hold him in my arms. It refreshes and renews me like a Ya-Ya is supposed to feel.







Addendum: David and I discovered later in the evening of Saturday, January 25, 2014, that Adam Joseph, or "AJ" as David sweetly adorns him, was born on his deceased Great-Great Grandfather, Bomer Hall's, and my beloved deceased cousin, Roger Jennings Davis's, birthdays. What a wonderful way to celebrate Adam Joseph's day by remembering others so precious to our family's lives and to his heritage.


No comments:

Post a Comment