Lucky 13

Our newest grandchild, a little boy named after two powerful saints, arrived on July 19--ten days before his due date.  He is our 6th grandson and our 13th grandchild.  (I like to say that we now have a baker's dozen, because any reference to baked goods makes me happy.)

His daddy, our oldest son, has recently started flying commercially, and he was scheduled to go out on a trip July 20-23. Even though they have lots of family (three brothers and their wives) and friends in the area who were willing to help out, I felt like it might be best if I could be there to set my daughter-in-law's mind at ease.  I wanted her to know that someone would be there with her if she went into labor when my boy was on his trip.  And even if nothing happened while he was away from home, I figured it would be nice for her to have another adult in the house to lighten her load at that point in her pregnancy.  My husband and I were up in NY taking care of our VRBO house on the lake, and we had planned to drive down to VA together on the 23rd, thinking that with a July 29 due date, that would be early enough.  But I started to worry that we would be too late; something told me I'd better get down there ASAP.

I hadn't been on an airplane in a while (long story--I can tell that one later), but I decided to two-leg it down to VA on the 20th.  Then when the flights that day looked like they were going to be too full, there was a last-minute decision to fly down on the 19th.  And what do you know: when I landed in NYC and turned my phone on, there was a text from my son saying that it looked like things were getting started that night.  Regina was having contractions and he was not going to be flying his trip the next day.  He was surprised and relieved to find out that I was already en route.  Through a flurry of texts, I was informed that son #3 was going to head over to his house to be with his four daughters until I got there.  I was picked up at the airport by son #4, and he lent me his extra car so I could drive over to his big brother's house to relieve son #3 of his babysitting duties.  I got to their house at 10:30 p.m. and the baby--their first boy after four girls--was born at 11:04.

Talk about great timing!

So lucky 13 is here!

Already posted this one on IG.

And I have been one busy Grammy for the past few days!  While mommy and baby are spending time together in bed, bonding and getting the nursing thing going, I have been reading books aloud, playing library (there is a budding librarian in the group), admiring drawings, telling aspiring novelists how to spell words, changing diapers, filling water cups, making grilled cheese sandwiches, organizing dance parties...well, you get the drift.

Which begs the question, you wonderful "mommy bloggers" out there who are in the trenches raising your young'uns: how in the world do you do it?  How do you have time to blog?  I miss blogging so much, but feel like I just don't have the time or energy to devote to it these days.  I have never been very good at multi-tasking; I can only juggle one ball at a time, I guess.  But I really would like to get back to writing posts here at String of Pearls.  There is something about playing around with words that is almost therapeutic for me.  Writers gotta write, I suppose.

Before I sign off, I thought I'd share a few pictures of the newest Pearl, our Lucky 13.  As you will see, he is well loved and doted upon by his older sisters.  I joked to my son that the little guy was going to be smothered with love by all those little mothers.  And he said, "Or literally smothered."  LOLOLOL!

This one has already been on IG, too.

My husband is on the road as I write this, driving down to VA to join me here and meet his new grandson.  I've really missed him, my "old building and loan pal." (That's one of our new terms of endearment for each other--and if you don't know where that line came from, I don't think we can be friends!  Just kidding, of course.)  I can't wait until he gets here.

Anyhoo--that's what's been going on in our neck of the woods!  (And boy is it wonderful that those woods are filled with so many people we love--our four oldest sons, their wives, and our 13-going-on-14 grandchildren! It's like an enchanted forest or something!)

Now I need to wrap this up and head on over to see the girls, who really hoped I would be there to have breakfast with them.  I'd been staying at their house until last night, when I decided that I needed to sleep in my own bed.  Thank goodness it's only 17 minutes from our place to theirs!

Okay then, bye for now...