An Ode to Grandma

This is the earliest picture I have of Shane and his Grandma. She's been a huge help since Day 1.

Carrie's mother and father drove 3 hours one way to visit us in the hospital. When we brought Shane home, Grandma stayed with us for the next several weeks to help with cooking, cleaning, and keeping up morale. Carrie still has nerve damage from the emergency cesarean now, so you can imagine that she was hurting pretty bad then. Grandma had to have a lot of patience as the two new parents were running around and panicking over Shane's first poop diaper.

From then on, Grandma has made day trips driving three hours one way to help, and then three hours back home that night. In my eyes, that's an incredible amount of time to sacrifice. When Carrie's been sick, or Nana's been unavailable to watch Shane, Grandma has hopped in a car to come help when she can. She drove up two Thursdays in a row when Carrie and Shane were sick. That meant that Carrie had help every day of the week except for Friday when I could get home a little earlier. I can't thank her enough.

Over the summer, Grandma gave Carrie and I the chance to take our first vacation since Shane. Carrie and I drove down to visit for a day and then left Shane with Grandma and Grandpa for the next couple of nights. An earthquake struck, but we knew Shane was in good hands! (He loved the world shaking.) One of the hardest things about being a parent for me is that it's a non-stop endeavor. It was great to catch a breather before going back into the routine. She's offered to give us a few days respite again this summer or spring break! My wife already agreed and the two of them have been looking into different opportunities (Did I mention Grandma is a travel agent?).

In addition to being a help with Shane, Grandma has been a huge help around the house. That started before Shane was born. I owe my entire garden/backyard to Grandma! I also remember riding home in the back of her car sitting on top of our current front door. It's obvious where my wife gets her project-minded mentality. Whenever Grandma visits, the odds are high that my wife and her are researching/enacting some sort of project the two of them have been discussing (new child proof half-door for the stairs, fixing a light fixture, etc. etc.) I never know what I'll find if I leave house for work or an errand.

Thanks Grandma for all the help! Carrie, Shane, and I have been blessed to have had all the help!

Grandma with Shane's cousin, Sophia

Grandma's Idiosyncrasies:
1. Grandma likes nicknames. She calls Shane "the little beaner" (because he looked like a 'little bean' when he was first born!) and Grandpa nicknamed him 'scooter' for a while. My niece Sophia was called 'Mini' for so long I wondered if it was her middle name at one point!
2. Every time she visits, I find bags from Panera when I get home. I joke with Carrie that Panera is half the reason Grandma doesn't mind the long drive! Shane's the other half, of course.
3. My palette has become a mini-project for Grandma. She likes bringing over food or meals that have an ingredient or two more than I would normally want to eat. They're not always hits, but between my wife and mother-in-law I eat a lot more than peanut butter and bread these days!