Grandfathers are just window dressing when their grandchildren are being born.....But just wait until later!
Rosemary and Me
It was going to be an exciting day for me. My favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals, were in the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Pirates and I was set for a fun day of watching baseball and rooting for the home team. Well, little did I know just how exciting a day it would be!
My daughter April was pregnant and 4 days past her due date. Usually babies decide to be born in the middle of the night. But not Rosemary! She decided she may just arrive during this crucial game. Well, some things are just more important than others and my wife and I were off to the hospital to greet our new granddaughter! The process was moving along slowly after we arrived and it looked like it would be a while before the big event. The game was about to start and I thought what a great way to pass the time until my new granddaughter decided she wanted to appear. My wife Kathy was in control of grandparent duty.
In the delivery waiting room, another family was gathering. My younger daughter Rachel and I asked them if they had a baby on the way? Surprisingly they said no, without an explanation. But the group grew as we waited for Rosemary. There were three or four men coming in and out of the room, four or five women and four kids between three months and six years old. This didn't count our Rosemary's two families who were waiting with anticipation.
A couple of the men from the other family seemed interested in the playoff game but the ladies chattered and the kids played. This was all fine, but not a great way to watch the game. Small screen, lots of noise, people in and out, and an indoor picnic going on when the weather outside was beyond wonderful!
Rachel and I decided to go to her house to watch the game while she fed her nine month old son, my grandson. She lived only 10 minutes away and we figured we could be notified when things were moving along with Rosemary's birth. We left, paid the exorbitant garage fee and headed south to Rachel's house. We were about 2 minutes down the road when Rachel got a call. The baby was coming...NOW!
Rachel wanted so badly to be in the room when the baby came! She was driving and whipped her car around at the first opportunity. We had no time to park the car - so as we approached the parking garage, we stopped, Rachel jumped out, and I ran around to the driver's side to park in the garage.
Of course the garage was jammed. I finally found a spot and sprinted to the 5th floor of Barnes hospital. On the way up I ran into Rosemary's uncle and other grandfather. They had just arrived and I showed them where to go. We got to the waiting room at 2:30 pm and Rosemary was born at 2:39. We all got to see her soon after … and she was just perfect!
It's now two days later. My daughter, son-in-law and, now, TWO granddaughters are heading home as I write this. My wife Kathy and I would be there waiting, but I think they need some time to gather themselves.
Being a new grandfather is as exciting as being a new father! When you trust the parents to be great parents, it as a gift. As a grandfather, you can be a loving influence, a trusted source of support, and the one who can break the rules for his grand kids and still have the rules be respected.
The Cardinals lost that day, 5-3 to the Pirates. But the day was an unqualified win for me and my family. One of the happiest days of my life! Unusual on a day when my favorite team lost a playoff game.
Being a dad is a true blessing! But one of the greatest things about being a dad is the prospect of someday being a granddad! It IS the greatest!! I can't wait to spoil Rosemary!
My daughter April was pregnant and 4 days past her due date. Usually babies decide to be born in the middle of the night. But not Rosemary! She decided she may just arrive during this crucial game. Well, some things are just more important than others and my wife and I were off to the hospital to greet our new granddaughter! The process was moving along slowly after we arrived and it looked like it would be a while before the big event. The game was about to start and I thought what a great way to pass the time until my new granddaughter decided she wanted to appear. My wife Kathy was in control of grandparent duty.
In the delivery waiting room, another family was gathering. My younger daughter Rachel and I asked them if they had a baby on the way? Surprisingly they said no, without an explanation. But the group grew as we waited for Rosemary. There were three or four men coming in and out of the room, four or five women and four kids between three months and six years old. This didn't count our Rosemary's two families who were waiting with anticipation.
A couple of the men from the other family seemed interested in the playoff game but the ladies chattered and the kids played. This was all fine, but not a great way to watch the game. Small screen, lots of noise, people in and out, and an indoor picnic going on when the weather outside was beyond wonderful!
Rachel and I decided to go to her house to watch the game while she fed her nine month old son, my grandson. She lived only 10 minutes away and we figured we could be notified when things were moving along with Rosemary's birth. We left, paid the exorbitant garage fee and headed south to Rachel's house. We were about 2 minutes down the road when Rachel got a call. The baby was coming...NOW!
Rachel wanted so badly to be in the room when the baby came! She was driving and whipped her car around at the first opportunity. We had no time to park the car - so as we approached the parking garage, we stopped, Rachel jumped out, and I ran around to the driver's side to park in the garage.
Of course the garage was jammed. I finally found a spot and sprinted to the 5th floor of Barnes hospital. On the way up I ran into Rosemary's uncle and other grandfather. They had just arrived and I showed them where to go. We got to the waiting room at 2:30 pm and Rosemary was born at 2:39. We all got to see her soon after … and she was just perfect!
It's now two days later. My daughter, son-in-law and, now, TWO granddaughters are heading home as I write this. My wife Kathy and I would be there waiting, but I think they need some time to gather themselves.
Being a new grandfather is as exciting as being a new father! When you trust the parents to be great parents, it as a gift. As a grandfather, you can be a loving influence, a trusted source of support, and the one who can break the rules for his grand kids and still have the rules be respected.
The Cardinals lost that day, 5-3 to the Pirates. But the day was an unqualified win for me and my family. One of the happiest days of my life! Unusual on a day when my favorite team lost a playoff game.
Being a dad is a true blessing! But one of the greatest things about being a dad is the prospect of someday being a granddad! It IS the greatest!! I can't wait to spoil Rosemary!
