When we were expecting our first child, we didn't want to know the gender ahead of time, and we said we didn't care whether it was a boy or a girl, but I think we were both really excited that it was a boy-----and our choice of a girl name was awful, so I was especially relieved! Six years later, big brother was adamant that he was having a baby brother, and we tried to find out the gender ahead of time, but to no avail. When the doctor announced in the delivery room, "It's a boy!", I breathed a sigh of relief. I could do this, I knew about boys.
I knew NOTHING about raising little girls. I'm not a girly-girl by any means, very low maintenance, not into makeup or manicures or shoes or shopping or dance or gymnastics. I would have struggled raising girls, I'm sure. When I was pregnant, I had maternity dresses that had ties on the sides, and Brian and I struggled figuring out how to tie the bows so that they weren't lopsided. We taught 3-year-olds in Sunday School for years, and if a little girl came to us with her hair clip or bow in hand, we just had to say, "Put that in your cubby until your parents come back." We sure didn't know how to get it back in her hair!
Fast forward 30+ years, and we've been blessed to add two daughters to our family, by way of our sons finding and marrying wonderful women. I’m so thankful for the Godly parents who raised these girls, and that they and our sons found each other. They are building strong homes and families, and we are so proud of them.
Nine years ago this week we were awaiting the birth of our first grandchild - a granddaughter, no less! To say we were excited would be an understatement, at the very least. I had made her more hair bows than any one child could ever wear (I ended up donating a lot of them, because I had gone just a wee bit overboard.). I taught myself to smock, and made her a couple of things. We developed an eye for all things girl - clothes, dolls, pink Legos (PINK Legos???), ruffles, cute little hats, and those precious tiny baby shoes - and suddenly we were grandparents of a beautiful little girl who stole our hearts. We dropped everything to babysit, we started the annual “Christmas Craft Sleepover at Pa and Granna’s,” Date Nights at the beach - we couldn’t imagine it getting any better.
But, as happens, she grew, she learned to walk, and to talk, and to say “Pa” and “Granna,” and every stage was better and better. We collected pictures on our phones, stories on the tip of our tongues, and we could compete with any other grandparent who thought they had the world’s most amazing grandchild!
Almost three years later, sweet little girl had a baby sister, so we had another granddaughter! We got to have double the fun — learning new things as the older one grew, and reliving memories as the younger one became her own sweet little person. Christmas Craft sleepovers were double the fun, we had “formal dinners,” complete with pearls (except Pa!), and we put on our best wedding attire when Prince Harry and Princess Meghan got married. We were really getting the hang of this girl stuff! We go to softball games, and basketball, and gymnastics, and school programs - and we want everyone to know they are “ours”.
And now we’re exactly where we were 9 years ago this week - awaiting the birth of another grandchild, granddaughter #3! A completely new dynamic has been added as the first two can’t wait to have a first cousin. We can’t wait to meet this new little one and begin including her in the existing traditions, while adding new ones we haven’t even thought of yet. It will be so much fun watching the older two with her - at 6 and 9 they are at great ages to interact with her, unlike their daddy who at 4 carried his first cousin across a room upside-down!
Someday, we just may have a boy in this mix of girls, and you know what? That would be great, too, and I’m sure trucks, and baseball cars, and mud would all come back to us instantly. Grandchildren are a blessing, no matter the gender.
But for now, when is that granddaughter going to make her appearance? Granna’s arms are ready to hold her, and tell her about all the adventures we’re going to have!
