Thursday, January 17, 2008

Granddaughter Report and Other News

I know you have all been waiting for a report on our trip to the Chicago area to meet the new granddaughter and to catch up with the rest of the family. So, let's get to the important part first. Here she is, Miss Clara.



As you might be able to tell, she is a great sleeper at this point. We got a glimpse of her eyes only a few times. As Henry says, she sleeps and she nurses. Actually, she also has a cute way of trying out all kinds of little sounds and practicing various movements with her lips--pursing, pouting, smiling, etc. She is a delight to hold and is giving her folks a relatively easy time so far. Her pediatrician says she is already growing. Her weight was up 4 ounces the last we knew.

Next are the requisite photos of her grandparents getting some cuddling time. Gosh but it is easy to forget how tiny these newborns are and how much time you can spend marveling at their existence.



Henry is going to be a wonderful big brother, I'm sure. He seems to have adapted well to Clara's entry into his world. Of course, I think he and Clara are lucky to have two excellent parents who will always have the best interests of each of their children first in mind. The fact that they made sure that Henry was the first person (after them) to meet and to hold Clara told me a lot about the importance of everyone in that little family of four. Grandpa loves them all, of course. Here is my first chance to hold these two grandchildren at the same time.


We had waited for Clara's birth to make our trip, including celebrating the holidays together. I had thought she would come much earlier and that a December trip might be possible. Alas, she decided to wait until January 8th to show up, and so we pretty much missed out on any holiday festivities. Nevertheless, we finally had a chance to exchange gifts. I previously posted photos of the other gifts I made for family members. Here is the wine rack I made for Betsy and Pete.


And here is Henry with the toy boat I made for him. He tried it out in his bath that evening and gave his orca a ride in the cargo hold. I have had the plan for this boat for a very long time. In fact, it was in a book called The Boy Mechanic that my mother gave to me in 1957. Years later, I made my first one for Will, when he was quite small. He, Rob, and Betsy all played with it so much that all the paint was worn off and several parts lost by the time they were grown. I think Will may still have whatever is left of that original one.


Henry had received a fun toy for Christmas that allows you to build various kinds of marble tracks. I thought it was great. He and I built a couple of different versions. Here he is with one that we started giving various names, the last of which was Henry's Giagantic Globular Gooble Gobbler. Try saying that fast several times in a row! Your tongue will get tangled in your eye teeth, and you won't be able to see what you're saying!


We ordered pizza one night and watched Disney's animated version of Tarzan. Some parts were a little intense for Henry, and so he appreciated the safety of Grandma's lap.


It was a great visit. We look forward to the next one, of course.

And so, we come to the end of the story.

1 comment:

LB said...

Beautiful!