The Nana Club

April 1st I joined the Nana Club. My first grandchild was born that day. His birth date was appropriate; he was not due for 12 more days and I had planned my show season remembering that neither of MY babies were born on time let alone early! My daughter called the day before, kinda stammering around that maybe these contractions meant something. I packed my bag. I kept working. Later, when she called and said they were going to the hospital, "just in case..." I put the bag in the van. I was pacing when my son-in-law called and said "It's a go!" I drove off and my life has never been the same.

I met this little fella when he was 20 minutes old. He looked around, he looked adorable. I totally fell in love the first time I saw him. He was tiny, but a complete replica of his Daddy. And he was my first grandchild. Bliss. They brought him home and I was fortunate enough to be asked to help settle them in. It was a Nana's dream, helping her daughter embrace the most important and wonderful task of her life.

Back home, my friends welcomed me into the Club. The queen of babies, friend Deb took me out for dinner to a perfect lady's place and introduced me to online photo albums and modern breast feeding stuff and all the upcoming joys of my new station in life. Older sister and my original teacher about babies, Patti filled me with wisdom and brought back memories of our babies together so many years ago. Naturalist and earth mother friend Maria delighted me with anecdotes about her own new grand daughter as we virtually danced about the computer with our delight! More friends poured out of the woodwork with their good wishes and over and over said the words "There is nothing like it..."

It continues to be wonderful. I accompanied my grandson and his mommy to the Nature Center at their state park last Friday. He is old enough now at almost 4 months to decide what he likes and is interested in. He bounced and stared and cooed over the squirrels at the bird feeder and in the pictures in the exhibits. His eyes and head followed the turtle as it swam back and forth in its little tank. And he bravely looked out through a porthole in the shipwreck exhibit as if to see his future unfold. That was in my mind anyway, because I am a Nana.

I watched him an entire day by myself while his mommy ran the market in town. We played, we cuddled. We had bottles and we burped. We laughed and we made plans. We talked about plants and leaves and felt bark for the first time. We found our first cicada shell. And we vowed to teach each other every single thing we know. It was a wonderful, simple, normal day, but I will never forget it.

About 4 months ago I joined the Nana Club. And you know what? There's nothing like it.