Close to Nowhere

A friend on my Facebook page was talking about her granddaughter recently. Seems like Hannah and husband are expecting their first child.

Hannah had just had a 3D ultrasound (the kind that shows you who the baby looks like) and my friend was saying how in love with the new baby she is already.

I really know the feeling. I got my second great-grandchild last week.

I wasn’t surprised oldest granddaughter Merideth and husband Tim had a little boy first. Tim is one of seven sons. The Chalks are a very male-oriented family.

When Mere and Tim announced that this time they were getting a little girl, there was shock all around.

Several of Tim’s uncles posted that Ruby June would be the first little girl born in that family in 52 years. That’s a lot of boys!

Shepard was the first little boy in our family since son Kris, who is in his 40s now. I’ve enjoyed having a little boy again. He’s one of those that you call “all boy.” And it’s wonderful. Although to be truthful, my two granddaughters were rough and tumble tomboys themselves.

Meeting Ruby June was spectacular. She has lots of dark hair (Shepard was bald and white blond) and even though she weighed seven pounds and 11 ounces, she seems like a tiny, little thing.

She was wrapped in a pink crocheted blanket that a friend’s mother had made for her and had on pink clothes. She is as different from big brother Shepard as night is from day, which is good. Shepard is perfect, but we don’t need another one. We needed a tiny, delicate little girl.

Mom and daughter are doing great. Dad will be OK eventually. Took him a while to get over Shepard’s birth, but he’s an old hand at it now.

I will have to brag about Mere and Tim. They have taken to parenthood with great joy. And they are excellent parents. In my mind though, sometimes, Mere is still the 11-year-old spending her life bossing her little sister around.

I guess granddaughter Remy was good practice. Mere certainly devoted enough time to raising her — just about from the time she was born.

Holding Ruby June is such a treasure. I tried to hold Shepard at the same time, but he was busy. His main joy with his new little sister is her toes.

He keeps trying to pull them off. All boy...