My Grandchild’s Journey:

A little over 3 years ago, upon learning of the impending birth of my first grandchild, I decided to document my thoughts so I could share them someday with what I didn’t know at the time would be my first of 2 grandsons.  I ended up writing 8 short pieces over several months and then got busy on other projects and discontinued my journal.  Over the next few days I’ll publish these raw drafts as a tribute to my first grandson and his little brother who is now closing in on his fourth month among us. Since they were short entries, I’ll be posting them 2 at a time.

My Grandchild’s Journey: Part 5

At 22 weeks, my grandson has more than doubled his size in a little over a month.  In another 2 weeks he’ll enter his third trimester, beginning his rapid acceleration in development towards his debut with the world on or about March 19, 2011.

As his nervous system develops, his sense of touch and taste are being readied for the countless sensations that await him in the new world he is about to enter.

He is now about the size of a cabbage and is already beginning to recognize the sound of his mother’s voice.

While our grandson develops under the perfectly synchronized and watchful eye of Mother Nature, my wife and I are discussing how we want to be addressed by our first grandchild.  Will he use the traditional mom- mom and pop- pop or something else?  I say leave it up to him, and of course, his soon-to-be grandmother has other ideas.

Whatever he decides to call me, I look forward to helping him avoid making some of the mistakes I have made, while knowing he will encounter the inevitable ups and downs we all face in life.  I want him to know that I’ll be there for him to keep his head screwed on straight during the high times and to provide consolation and comfort during his low times.

My grandson will be coming into the world during a very dangerous and difficult time.  Our political leaders have mortgaged his future for nothing other than securing their re-election and appeasing special interest groups.  Fanatical terrorists are targeting my grandson’s homeland in the name of a perverted interpretation of their religion, with a mission to kill Americans for no other reason than we are who we are.

My grandson’s generation has a lot of work to do to clean up the mess he is being born into.  I know that he will be up to the challenge.

My Grandson’s Journey: Part 6  (written 9/11/11)

It’s been awhile since my last post and a lot has happened.  My grandson was born exactly one month early and is now nearly 7 months old.  He is healthy and happy and a joy to be around.

As a grandparent I treasure every moment I am with him and enjoy his company as much or more than the time I spend with others who think their communication skills are more evolved than his.  I question their assertion on this point at times but hold my tongue.

As I reflect today on the horrible events that occurred 10 years ago on 9/11, I realize how fragile life is and how precious the time that I spend with my grandson is.  Tomorrow is not guaranteed and I am committed to doing everything in my power and to give everything I have, including my life, if need be, to insure a safe and happy life for my grandson.

I never imagined how special being a grandparent would be until I was able to hold this little boy in my arms as he slept, to comfort him when he was startled by a noise, or to hold him as he drinks his bottle and falls asleep, his stomach full, and knowing that he feels loved and safe in my arms.

Its grandparents’ day next Wednesday at his daycare center.  I can’t wait!

My Grandchild’s Journey:

A little over 3 years ago, upon learning of the impending birth of my first grandchild, I decided to document my thoughts so I could share them someday with what I didn’t know at the time would be my first of 2 grandsons.  I ended up writing 8 short pieces over several months and then got busy on other projects and discontinued my journal.  Over the next few days I’ll publish these raw drafts as a tribute to my first grandson and his little brother who is now closing in on his fourth month among us. Since they were short entries, I’ll be posting them 2 at a time.

My Grandchild’s Journey: Part 3

At 18 weeks it’s official.  My grandchild is now my grandson.

At 18 weeks my grandson’s arms, legs, fingers, and toes are formed and functional.  His spine, ribs, and the rest of his 206 bones are clearly visible by sonogram.  The two hemispheres of his brain are easily seen even though he only weighs 7 ounces.

As my family and I viewed the sonogram, my daughter’s doctor pointed out the indisputable evidence that her baby was indeed a boy.

Now, picking a name and choosing the right room colors and baby furniture takes on a new sense of urgency for my daughter and her husband, while the rest of the family debates what football team’s colors the newest member of our family should wear on the trip home from the hospital next March.

At 18 weeks my grandson was trying to put his thumb in his mouth.  He was moving on his own and we could see his heart beating in his chest.

At 18 weeks my grandson is already a part of our family as we continue to watch him grow and develop.

And at 18 weeks, under current U.S. law, my grandson could still be aborted simply because his parents decided that now is not the right time to have a baby.

Thousands of times every day in America a baby’s fate is determined in this manner and the chance for a new life to make its mark on the world is denied.

My grandson will be given the opportunity to make his mark on the world and he’ll do it with the love and support of his family.

I can only hope that his presence in the world will inspire just one more person to make the right choice and choose life.

My Grandchild’s Journey: Part 4

At 20 weeks my grandson is the size of an eggplant and weighs about 11 ounces.  And my beautiful and very petite daughter has barely gained a pound.  She is, however, beginning to display a slight rounding on her normally flat stomach, evidence of the new and rapidly developing life nestled comfortably inside, having now completed slightly more than half his journey to birth.

At this stage of life my grandson is able to discern and react to sound.  He is becoming more active and the resulting feeling described by my daughter as fluttering in her stomach is becoming more frequent.

As his growth and development accelerates, my grandson is moving his new found arms and legs with more vigor, almost as if he were testing them to learn how to use them and discovering what they are for.

When my grandson is welcomed to the world next March, he will begin his life in a world full of unprecedented challenges and opportunities.  As a family, we will always be honest with him about life’s challenges while we teach him that the only real limits in life are the ones we place upon ourselves.

I hope my grandson will read this someday and know that my generation did everything in our power to make the world a better place for his generation.  I hope he will grow up in a society that has renewed its reverence for life at every stage, from conception to natural death.   And I hope that he learns very early in life, not to take anything too seriously.

And finally, after what I pray is a long and fruitful life, I hope he can look back and reflect on his life and know that the world is a better place because he was here.