Yesterday morning, dark o’clock:
Me: “So am I going on this trip by myself or are you coming with me?” (Sometimes my husband is difficult to wake up in the mornings. Sometimes, I am.)
Him: (leaping out of bed, suddenly awake at last.)
So we hit the road later than planned. Got to security, had the boarding passes, went to pull out my wallet and ID.
No wallet.
Me, wondering: so is he going to go on this trip by himself, or am I coming with him?
He spared me the sun exposure to run back to the car himself to see if it had fallen out of my purse there. That, and, I don’t run too fast and there truly was no time to spare. I plunked down, just out of the way of the people coming up the stairs there at San Jose’s new terminal as I searched again for the wallet I already knew wasn’t in there because I’d already taken nearly everything out of my purse and my knitting bag.
A clearly pregnant young woman was very sympathetic when I, feeling rather in the way, half-apologized: I was supposed to be going to see my first grandchild for the first time but…
Did she pray for me? I don’t know. I do know that my husband is not the go-to guy when you want a missing thing found.
He found it! (I wish I could somehow tell her to thank her for her kindness, whoever she was.)
The security guy saw him coming back and waved us to the front and got us immediately through his part. Thank you San Jose Airport security.
Remember how I say I don’t read knitting charts well with my head injury, that the x’s just bounce around? Yeah, and so I headed us to the gate one shy of the one we were supposed to go to. Richard, stressed, read the leaving time there and the relative lack of people and pronounced, “It’s 8:40. We’ve missed our flight.”
I stared at him disbelieving and in my fatigue could only exclaim, in the protest of a small child, “Is not!”
Is not indeed. Next gate. We got there after the boarding line had formed but just before the fliers filed on. Too close, way too close. We are not morning people and it showed.
And from there on out it was all wonderful. I finished Kim’s soft Malabrigo hat in the air and she later pronounced the colorway perfect. Our son picked us up in his in-laws’ car: his wife had needed a break from the snow and cold and some time to decompress at home, showing off the baby to her friends and family, and so they were blessing the baby in her parents’ ward.
To say we fell utterly in love at first sight, even more than we ever did before via pictures and Skype, would be a vast understatement that anyone who’s ever seen their own child or grandchild for the first time would understand instantly. Parker is perfect. And when he looked in our eyes, his new ones a little wobbly from each other, our hearts were claimed forever and we knew each other as if he had already been in our family always.
Soft words and gentle rocking when he was screaming tired, and he settled down in my arms and drifted, quieting, to sleep. Bliss.
His other grandmother fed us and the other relatives who came and the brunch was beautiful, delicious, and carefully done within the realm of my ability–I can see why our daughter-in-law is such a nice person–and then we were off to church for the baby blessing. Kim waited till Parker was about to be taken up to the stand before wrapping him up in that lace christening blanket I’d brought with me, just to make sure it was pristine in the moment it came for.
Babies being only human.
In some ways.
Kim and her whole family were very generous in letting us have cuddle time, and I remember as a new mom how hard it was not to snatch my baby back to hold mine to myself. She got to see how tenderly her father-in-law cradled and snuggled him, and I loved her observing and learning more about where her own husband had gotten his tender touch from.
After the blessing, with the rest of the service continuing on, my Richard held Parker for awhile and then offered me a turn. Kim’s mother’s close friend, sitting on the other side of me, clearly so ached to hold him too that I knew that as the visiting grandmother the highest gift I could offer her was some of my limited time with him–and that she knew it too, though the only words spoken were a, “Would you like to hold him?” and an “Oh of course!” whispered back with such intense wishing and gratitude.
And then I got to see how much this dear woman loved my grandson, very much as if he were her own.
What more could I ask for him to have in his life? My son married into a good family with good friends and we are fortunate to be gathered into their circle. Kim is just the best.
Her mom fed us dinner, too, we visited, we rocked Parker some more, and then we were back to the airport and on our way. I started a new hat…
I took no pictures. Our son has a better camera than mine and he took many and I am happy to wait to see them. But we will both carry forever the pictures in our minds of that beautiful, beautiful baby boy, surrounded on all sides, as were we, by love.
We walked back again down that long terminal. Exit: stage left. Back to our car in the night, and my door had been caught all day on something in Richard’s haste to get back to me. I wondered if the battery was dead or if the Prius was sufficiently protected from losing power that way. Were we going on this last leg of the trip with our car, or not?
It carried us on our way just fine.
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Awww, what a lovely day you had after the stressful start. (St Anthony is the patron saint of lost objects; he’s very efficient!)
Your words totally convey what a wondeful moment it was to finally hold little Parker in your arms. And what a great family he’s been born into- he’ll be transferred from cuddle to cuddle for a looooong time to come. Lucky baby, he’s making me jealous 🙂
Comment by tinebeest 02.21.11 @ 11:57 pmWhat a great day. It will be in your heart forever. I love the way you put little Parker in your posts. It gives us all a way to know him too. Thanks for sharing your precious little guy.
Comment by pat Flores 02.22.11 @ 5:03 amAngels watching over you and your family, You are truly blessed. I hope we won’t have to wait to long to see some of the pictures your son took, Your vivid description of the christening ceremony , is clear in my mind’s eye. Have a blessed day. Thank heavens for hubby’s.
Comment by kris 02.22.11 @ 5:43 amAwww. Sniffly, and not just from the random acts of sinus. Another beautiful post (and I loved your punny comment over on the Harlot’s blog). So glad that you were able to be there for Parker’s blessing, and that love (as always) was the magic word.
Comment by Lynn 02.22.11 @ 6:29 amThe photos will come. In the meantime, you have that warm heart, the memory of how he felt in your arms…
I’m so glad the wallet was found and that kind TSA person waved you right through!
Comment by Channon 02.22.11 @ 7:32 amWhat an adventure! My heart was racing with you when I read your post for the first time. hihihi
I couldn’t be happier for you all (well, except for the ordeal at the airport, of course) – I am sure you all went to bed smiling that night, even Parker. 😉
Comment by Suzanne in Montreal 02.22.11 @ 8:26 amhow wonderful that you FINALLY got to hold him! nothing is sweeter — and that guardian angel was with you the whole way
Comment by Bev 02.22.11 @ 8:59 amI’m sure glad you found your wallet–since I’m sure you would have gone anyway, and I don’t want to read in the newspaper about the wild haired lady with pointy sticks who burst through security, caught the plane just before it lifted off, and then clung to the landing gear all through the flight–just to see her grandson.
Comment by LauraN 02.22.11 @ 9:09 amDoggone it,you put tears in my eyes.
Comment by sherry in Idaho 02.22.11 @ 9:22 amAre you another of those “always an adventure” families? Glad you made all your connections in the end.
Comment by Ruth 02.22.11 @ 9:43 amBeautiful! Photos are good; in person is better — much better! And fabulous families all around. That’s best!
Parker looks like he is crooning a song.
Comment by Don Meyer 02.22.11 @ 10:32 amSo glad you could be there for such an important event, and that you shared your adventure with us!
Comment by Barbara S. 02.22.11 @ 10:47 amWell, I can only think of things to say that come from my tradition, but I’m sure it fits yours as well. Mazel Tov! May your grandson live a healthy life, a life of good deeds, prayer, and learning–and a life of happiness and joy. May you celebrate with him and dance at his wedding!
Comment by Joanne 02.22.11 @ 12:15 pmTears in my eyes remembering the first time I locked eyes with my grandson. Pure bliss, there is no other feeling like it. A bond that can never be broken. Congratulations!
Comment by Julie 02.22.11 @ 2:49 pmOoohhhh, hug time with Parker! How precious, and how priceless! And what a gift Kim and her family are to your family. I’m so glad you got to snuggle Parker, finally! Can’t wait to see the pictures…
Comment by Pegi 02.22.11 @ 3:24 pmAt first I thought how wonderful that you got to be there for Parker’s blessing, then I realized that you and so many have been blessing him for months and months now.
But I am so glad you’ve had him in your arms, finally! So very, very glad!
Comment by twinsetellen 02.22.11 @ 4:14 pmLeave a comment
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