Friday, April 18, 2008

Remembrances of Chet and Irene ...

When I was a girl, few things thrilled like a visit from our out-of-town relatives, especially a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Staude. Perhaps it was because it happened so rarely ~ they far preferred staying home on the farm in Saint Joe, MI, and we were more than happy to visit them there. But a few times, usually in the early fall after the grape harvest was complete, Grandma and Grandpa made the drive to Saint Louis to see us. We would be excited for days before their visit. When "the day" would finally arrive, my sister and I were overwhelmed with anticipation! The school day simply crawled by as we grew more and more excited (and pity our poor parents who had to answer again and again, "What time will they be here?!").

Finally, we would be home ~ waiting at the front window, watching ... watching ... and then! we would see them! Now that I am a grown-up, and recognize how strangely tiring it is drive across the country, I simply can't imagine how my grandparents managed to keep pace with us as we hurtled ourselves out of the front door and down the lawn to meet them before they had more than one foot out of the car!

Grandparents coming to visit were a very big deal, indeed!

This weekend, Sydney's Nanny Jameson is here to visit. Watching her tenderly love on and coo over her baby granddaughter, I am coming to understand how my Grandparents found the energy to love on us even after long hours of travel. Her gasp of joy, mingled with just a little wistfulness as she saw her little Sydney (who was taking a nap, of course!) for the first time in 2-months, touched my heart. And Sydney, even as young as she is, seems keenly aware that she has the undivided attention of our house guest. Nanny played and held and fed and rocked and bathed and snuggled with Sydney ~ and she's only been here since 2:30 this afternoon! She came bearing gifts in a suitcase bigger than the MINI and probably wants to stay forever! Sydney is blessed indeed, even only 15-weeks old, to have Nanny come to visit. (Grandad Jameson, we know you are reading this and are here in spirit! Next time!)

I feel thankful that my daughter has the blessing of something I did not have (and isn't that the sort of thing so many of us want for our children?). She has doting grandparents here in town, who are part of her "every day" moments, which is a relationship I never knew. And she also has the blessing of "far away" grandparents, whose special visits become a source of such excitement and "spoiling" and fun that you just can't wait and you never want them to end.

Sydney has both and as hard as it is for Nanny and Grandad Jameson to live so far away, we want them to know that they have a special role in Sydney's life and we love it when they are here!

What a weekend lies ahead!

3 comments:

Katrina said...

What a great post! And what a lucky little girl indeed to have such wonderful grandparents all around her! I love her little bathtub by the by. I always just bend at awkward angles and hold Rhy in a cradle hold while in the BIG tub. She's perfectly safe, but I get horrible cramps from bending over the side of the tub and holding her! Maybe it's time for me to start using the kitchen sink!!!

+gmjameson said...

It's a great tub! Here's a link to a review: http://toys.about.com/od/toptentoysof2004/gr/babybath.htm

We love it because it creates a continuous flow of water. (And then of course we wrap the child in a heated towel from the dryer ... we've been told "obviously you are new parents" ;-) Sometimes I think, "Man! I want a spa bath and then a warm wrap." Maybe I should use the kitchen sink? ;-)

Brian & Erin said...

Your post about grandparents from far away warms my heart. That was the saddest part of moving from St. Louis for me, leaving the grandparents behind. My Mom comes in town next month and I can't wait! Micaiah is oblivious at this point, so I'll probably still be the one waiting anxiously at the window. Some things never change I guess! :)

-E

P.S. Micaiah's head measured 15 and 1/8th inches. I have no idea what percentile that is, so it doesn't mean much to me! :) She seems to have forgiven us for letting the mean nurse give her shots. (Actually the nurse was great, but I would hold a grudge against anyone giving me five shots...) She was back to her old self after a day or so! Thanks for asking!