We are Changing our Names to Grandma Laurie, Aunt Fudge, and Uncle Vern!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Yes, little Archer Ford is here.  He arrived on Tuesday after keeping us waiting for a long time.  Megan was induced Monday night and I woke up on Tuesday expecting a baby, only to find out not much was happening.  As the day stretched into night, it became apparent to me that my future grandson did not realize that his grandma was very impatient and did not like to be kept waiting.  I even texted my son-in-law around 4 pm that this kid was really starting to get on my nerves, hoping he could pass that information along to Megan and she could hurry the process up, but I noticed their texts stopped shortly after that text. I was afraid to call because anytime at the end of her pregnancy, if I asked Megan how she was feeling or if she had delivered the baby yet and forgot to call, she would yell into the receiver, “I SAID I WOULD CALL WHEN HE ARRIVED! STOP ASKING!!”  So, I was pretty sure she wouldn’t be happy if I called during the delivery and asked what was taking so long.  She can be real funny about stuff like that.

 

My daughter may tell you being in labor for 24 hours and eventually having to have a C-section was hard on her, but I am here to tell you it was harder on me.  That little fact can be kept between all of you and me.  In the past, whenever I have sent my son-in-law any kind of message, he almost always ignores the entire content of my text and just responds back with “LOL.” I tell my daughter all the time that I am starting to think LOL is just his way of saying, “Listening is Optional where Laurie is concerned,” and he is not reading anything I write.  I think I could write that I had just been in a car wreck and was at the hospital and he would write back LOL.  Megan’s labor was long and for some odd reason, she wasn’t answering my texts, which meant I had to rely on LOL man. Luckily, he did a sound job of updating, but waiting is not one of my strong suits.  I wanted to know if Megan was crying out, “my mother is my hero for going through this twice,” or cursing Doc between contractions, and all I got were tidbits like 8 cm., pushing, alternatives being discussed. 

 

If truth be told, I was shocked she didn’t wait until Thursday to have her baby, because it was John’s birthday.  It’s a running joke in our family that John is everybody’s favorite; despite the fact that I know I am the better parent.  Megan even told her obstetrician that she knew the first thing I would say when I found out she was to be induced just a couple of days before John’s birthday was that I wouldn’t be surprised it she drug the delivery out another couple of days just to deliver on his actual birthday.  I hate being predictable, but I said it, just like she predicted. In fact, when she called John on his birthday and he said, “You gave me the best gift I could ever get for my birthday,” I said, “she had better come up with something great for me, because I never got a grandkid on my birthday.”

 

Archer hadn’t been on earth two days when I got my first, “Mom, we don’t need your advice.  Doc and I are doing it our way.”  I get that a lot when I open my mouth, but so far it hasn’t stopped me from trying to dole out my snippets of wisdom.  John reminded me about the time we went to Megan’s and she said she had been cleaning for days, and then got mad when I said, “with actual cleaning products?” After that, we tried to work out a system where someone, instead of shouting for me to pipe down, could subtly let me know when I was overstepping my bounds.  Unfortunately, we still have this issue because I didn’t like John’s suggestion that he rap the back of my head and say, “zip it, Dear Abby,” or Megan’s suggestion that John hold his hand over my mouth and nose until I lost consciousness.  So, in other words, it is up to me to police myself and so far, the sheriff has been lax in her duties.  We will just have to see what the future holds, but if Archer starts calling me “Grandma Busybody,” I will know who to blame….John and Megan.

 

All kidding aside, we feel blessed with our new grandson. Hayley, Fudge and Vern are relishing their new roles as Aunts and Uncle, although I have been asked to stop talking baby talk on the phone and saying stuff like, “Aunt Fudgie and Uncle Vernie can’t wait to meet their new nephew.”  We are happy Megan and Doc had a healthy baby boy and can’t wait to meet him.  We still find it hard to believe that we are old enough to be grandparents.  Wish us luck!!

Introducing Archer Ford!

P.S. Megan called this morning to tell me the nurse said Archer's head measured 15 1/2" around and when I said he takes after grandma, "big head, big brain," John and she said in unison, "God help him!"

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Congratulations Grandma & Grandpa.... and Aunt Haley, Aunt Fudge, and Uncle Vern.  This is so exciting.  I'm sure you can't wait to hold him.  I can tell you from experience that as great as it is to snuggle our Doodles...snuggling our grand babies is even more incredibly awesome.  New baby smell is even better than new puppy smell if you can believe that!  I can't wait for your pictures.  I think that somewhere there must be a "new baby calendar".

[Charlotte and Bo]

Congratulations!  He is a beautiful boy and your family has been blessed.  By the way, he could do worse than to inherit his Grandma Laurie's sense of humor.

[F, Calla & Luca]

This beautiful baby will learn to laugh before he talks for sure.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Congratulations, Laurie! I am so happy for you and your family! Archer is a gorgeous baby and I can't wait to hear all about his first meeting with his Grandma Laurie!