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| Hallie's baby announcement (quilling) |
Well, guess what! Hallie and Nick are expecting a little boy who will arrive as summer becomes autumn. Mike and I were stunned to hear these glad tidings. After all, our grandchildren are 26, 25, 23, 20, 17, and 12 going on 20. We had not anticipated this blessed event. I had to sit down for half an hour to contemplate the implications.
Hallie didn’t say it was a secret, and that’s good because we didn’t keep it. But it was still early, and I didn’t think we should make a general announcement just yet. And since I wasn’t talking about what was uppermost on my mind, the writing muse lost interest and went away. She’s like that.
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| Congratulatory card, c. 1953 |
But the grandmother muse came out. I searched the internet for the latest in baby boy wear. I learned to work with cuddle fabrics and made a self-binding blanket that’s oh-so-soft. I shopped for flannel in cute designs, and now I have a knee-deep stash waiting for me to hem receiving blankets. I bought plain onesies to embroider. And to keep track of my ideas, I started a new Pinterest board titled “Little Boy Johnson.” My plans were interrupted by the “Modular Home Refresh,” and now I’m trying to find my sewing muse.
During my contemplation of life with “Little Boy,” I envisioned our group walks at the farm – down the lane to the bottom and back up steep Plank’s Pitch to the top where it’s still not flat. It would be quite a trek for a little guy. (It’s become quite a trek for me, especially when it’s hot!) His parents might pack him for a while, but we can’t carry him forever, and a stroller would be difficult in the gravel. Besides, there will be years when he won’t want to walk two miles.
“I
know,” I exclaimed to myself, “we need a wagon!” I shared my revelation with
Hallie and Mike, and they agreed. Both said it should have pneumatic wheels. New
wagons are expensive, so we decided to shop for a used one, and Hallie found a
dandy one on Craigslist in the Seattle area. The starting price was high but
gradually came down as it failed to sell. She kept an eye on it until it was affordable,
and then she snapped it up.
She
and Nick brought the wagon with them on their recent visit. It’s a tangible
reminder that “Little Boy” is on his way. KW
I am STILL contemplating the implications. Ha ha! You are lucky your contemplation only took 30 minutes!
ReplyDeleteOh! My implications aren't as far-reaching as yours. That said, you'll be amazed how quickly you'll adapt to having this little boy in your family.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited!! Glad you have made it public! (Yes, Hallie, she told!) Great Aunt Chris is thrilled for Little Boy Johnson and for you all!!!!
ReplyDeleteAs always, you were among the first to hear the news, Chris.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Hallie and Nick. And to the grandparents:) So exciting. A new baby in the family. I'm so happy for you all!
ReplyDeleteAnd I forgot to say that I love the wagon!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the nice messages, Becky and Chris.
ReplyDeleteI was pretty happy to have found exactly the wagon I was hoping for at a really good price. It seemed way too early to purchase it, but I figured car space would be limited if we waited until his arrival.
We had a similar wagon when our children were small. In fact, I think that wagon was a "gift" from Ford when Mother bought one of the station wagons and they passed that gift on to us. A wagon is handy, so when the kids outgrew it, Mike began to use it to haul garbage cans to the street, etc. So, when I mentioned that Little Guy would need a wagon, we agreed that it would be handy to have one whether it works for Little Boy or not.
ReplyDeleteMy dad brought my childhood wagon to the farm and it was here for years. Don't know what happened to it.
We bought a wagon when the grandboys started arriving. It's not a wooden one, but a big sturdy red one. We still have it and Dan uses it to haul our big flower pots out in the spring and back to the sunroom in the fall. I have happy memories of pulling the boys around in it.
ReplyDeleteAnd Hallie--you're correct! You won't have much room in your car when little guy shows up! Neither set of our parents had baby items at their homes so we hauled everything when we went to visit. And let me tell you, two babies, 10 1/2 months apart, meant that we hauled ALOT of stuff!! Big stuff!!
I'm willing to invest in a uaws high chair and crib. I haven't shopped yet. I thought maybe Milo would help me, but he's so busy -- just doesn't have time. I need to hit the thrift stores myself.
ReplyDelete