Huxley Stephen, five days old, how do you like the world so far?

Hux really likes to sleep.

Hux had his first trip to the doctor on Friday and everything looks good. Thursday night he was awake a lot, so the doctor suggested that Katherine and Gabe try to limit his naps to no longer than two hours at a time. But keeping the little guy awake when he wants to sleep is kind of a challenge.

Gabe says Hux is like his very own TV - he just likes gazing at his face for hours on end and just holding the little guy in his arms. We all know that better than most, Gabe has maintained his child-like wonder and enthusiasm for life, so Gabe is kind of like a kid on Christmas morning who got the toy he wanted so badly and can hardly believe the wish came true.

Katherine's kisses keep coming too. She said that is one thing Hux will never lack - kisses from his Mom.

I got to read him his first books on Friday too - One is called On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier, and the other is On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman.
A favorite line from the second book: "On the night you were born, the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered, 'Life will never be the same.' Because there had never been anyone like you... ever in the world." When I was reading to him, Hux looked at the pictures and paid close attention. I know he loved hearing the stories.

Carrie came by to meet Hux. All of Katherine and Gabe's friends have been stopping by to meet Huxley 

Saturday morning Hux met his Grandpa Stephen through a video chat.

Hux is most content when his Mom is nearby.

After a lot of fun with Mom and Dad during the day,  Hux slept better Friday night.

When Gabe is trying to keep Hux awake, he tells him about all the fun things they will do together - skiing, and riding bikes and discovering the world. These comments reminded me of the old Streisand song addressed to a four day old baby asking how she likes the world so far. So here is a variation on the theme:

Huxley Stephen, five days old, how do you like the world so far?
Huxley Stephen, five days old, what a lucky, lucky, lucky little boy you are.
For you have mountains to ski on,
swings to be swung on, bikes to be riding on,
trees to climb on.
You have days to be young on, nights to sleep on, toys you can wind up,
grass to be lying on, books to be read, and stars when you look up.
You have the sun shining, and wind in your hair,
slides to be sliding on, dancing leaves in the air,
dogs to be caring for, love to be giving,
dreams to be daring for long as you are living.
Huxley Stephen, what a lucky, lucky, lucky little boy you are.

Huxley's Homecoming

Hux started the day with calm

Gabe and Katherine dressed Hux in his first outfit 

The hat was knitted by volunteers at the hospital

Getting Hux safely secured in his car seat

Hux, ready for his first car ride. 

Wednesday began with all the preparations for Huxley and Katherine to be dismissed from the hospital.   Hux was checked, tested, and snipped. Katherine and Gabe completed a questionnaire asking if they knew what to do in every possible crisis. The doctor came in and gave more instructions about what to do if... Katherine was given a shot to prevent pertussis, which is on the rise. Gabe and I made appointments to get our vaccinations tomorrow at the health center in Bellevue, a few miles south of Hailey.

One of the major concerns was to make sure that the car seat was properly secured in the car and that Hux was properly fastened into the car seat. After a bit of adjustment to make sure the seat belt in Katherine's car was working correctly, Gabe, Kath, and Hux drove away and I followed driving Gabe's car. We got to the red light at the intersection of the hospital parking lot and Highway 75, and we sat for five minutes at the light without a green light. The two cars ahead of us had already run the red light, so I suspected that the light was questionable. It should be said that there is road work going on at the intersection and on several times when leaving the hospital, I have encountered a road worker directing traffic and overriding the light. As we sat and waited and waited at the light, I could not believe that, at the very first light the Schroder family encountered with their precious cargo safely strapped into his seat, the traffic light was not functioning and Gabe had to run the light to get out on the highway. We did enter the flow of traffic safely and proceeded down the highway, picked up some lunch and then got home. I left them to have their first night at home together.

Were you born yesterday?

Mom and baby on birthday.

Katherine with Hux, one day old

Hux, were you born yesterday? That has been the running joke today since all Hux really wants to do is sleep. He is happiest in either Gabe's or Katherine's arms. Hux is a very mellow guy. He likes to sleep so much that Katherine has to tickle his feet or put a cold wash cloth on his tummy to wake him up enough to feed him. The nurses and doctor said that he should eat at least every three hours, but Hux apparently has his own schedule in mind.  He likes to have his hands up around his face too, so it is a bit of a challenge to find a feeding position that he likes. But today Katherine had him face the food source directly, and he had both hands up and on her skin, so in this position our little guy seemed to develop an appreciation for another great pleasure in life - eating.

Gabe and Katherine's friends, Kat and Brad have a baby girl Georgia Beatrice, who was born June 9.  They all came over to visit Gabe and Katherine last week, and it was then that the "were you born yesterday?" jokes were shared.  Kat, remembering how nice it was when friends brought them food to the hospital,  brought lunch today and told Hux she had a girlfriend waiting for him. Massey and Olin came to visit today too and brought a beautiful hydrangea to celebrate Hux's arrival. Kathy Carson also sent a beautiful bouquet with sunflowers. Katherine and Gabe are certainly rich in friendships.

Massey meets Hux

I also got to hold Huxley Stephen today for the second time. I held him yesterday while Katherine and Gabe ate their dinner. But today they had their hands free, so I got Katherine to take the first of what I hope will be many pictures taken of Hux and me together doing fun things. I can't wait to read him a story.

Hux with his Granny Sweet P. 

The Rain Maker

June 24, 2013

We all know Katherine and Gabe each chose to move to Idaho because of the beauty and the healthy life style that the people here pursue. They met each other here eight years ago. However, one of the persistent problems facing this area is that it can get very dry in summer and there can be forest fires. So everyone welcomes the rain when it comes in spring and early summer. I have been here since June 12, and on many days we have had cloudy overcast conditions, but no rain.

But today, as Huxley Stephen Schroder was entering the world, it rained and it is still raining. So, we are calling him the rain maker - that special one who, according to legend,  brings life and energy to the world. Here are some pictures of the beautiful place where they live.

we saw these red poppies on our walk yesterday.

This is the view from Katherine's room.

This hospital is very small and intimate.

Welcome to the world, Huxley Stephen Schroder

June 24, 2013

Huxley Stephen Schroder

At 12:37 PM, baby Huxley was born. We arrived at the hospital at around 7 AM, the doctor broke Katherine's water around 8:30 AM, and Katherine took two walks around the hospital trying to get things rolling.  Around 10:30, contractions got pretty intense, but Katherine and Gabe were well prepared and I was able to help some too. Katherine had previously decided to go without an epidural. The Doctor told her she was getting close and she started to push. She pushed for awhile, but honestly I don't know how long. Gabe and I were positioned on either side of Katherine and helped her bear down by holding on to her legs and propping her up behind each shoulder. I was so delighted to be able to help her so directly.

The baby came out with a healthy cry and pink color. He weighs 7 lbs. 12 oz. and is 19 inches long. We all agree his fingers are long and he likes to keep his hands up around his face.

Here are a few more pictures of the baby and proud parents.

One of Dad's first tasks is texting family and friends. 

Katherine's labor was a total of four hours. No wonder they all look so  wonderful.

I called Grandpa Stephen in Doha and woke him up to tell him about his grandson and namesake. Then I talked to David and others in the family. Gabe called his Mom, Dad and brother too. From Denver to Doha  from Orlando to Atlanta, everyone was so happy to hear the news of this little guy's safe delivery into this world.

The Waiting Game

I arrived in Ketchum on June 12, and today is June 21, the longest day of the year. Katherine's due date is June 23, so I guess we should not be surprised that the baby has not arrived yet. But we have the summer solstice today and a Super Moon on Sunday, so we are sure something wonderful is about to happen.



Katherine has continued to hike/walk every day. Earlier in the week we walked with Anna and her dog Leo.

The view from our walk

Poppies and other flowers blooming near where I am living.

 I have been participating in a writing workshop this week sponsored by the Arts Center which is housed in Ezra Pound's birth place. Our class was actually in the barn behind the house.

Ezra Pound's Birth place in Hailey, Idaho

Katherine on our hike on the summer solstice

It's been overcast and cold the past few days, but the flowers are blooming everywhere.

Today we hiked Heidelberg,  a trail near their home and one not too far off the road. Katherine at one point wished out loud for her water to break, but I expressed a wish that it not happen on the trail with only me on hand.  

Father's Day Part Two

Katherine and Gabe have been focusing on the challenge ahead by practicing their breathing and experimenting with relaxation techniques. I am amazed that for childbirth today, women are discouraged from lying on their backs and are provided diagrams of various possible positions to relieve back labor and to help the baby move down the birth canal. I think of the misery the women of my generation, and earlier ones too, experienced when we were strapped down on our backs with fetal monitors and other forms of torture. Today, Kath also downloaded an app that helps keep track of the length of contractions and the length of the intervals between contractions. We also looked at short videos that demonstrate child birth positions and techniques for the coaches to use to relieve stress and provide some pleasurable sensations to counter the painful ones.

In the afternoon, Gabe, Katherine and I went for a hike. Gabe says we climbed 1,000 feet on this two hour hike. It has been a beautiful Idaho summer day - warmer than it has been since I arrived Wednesday. Here are some pictures I took on the hike. Katherine has been hiking almost every day of her pregnancy. On this hike, we were all hoping that the little guy was moving into the starting position.

In this shot, it is easy to see why everyone comments that the baby must be coming soon.

On the hike we got to enjoy a beautiful view of Baldy in the distance and an array of wild flowers all around us.

These are some of my favorites.

I also love all the yellow daisies - Katherine commented that there are more yellow flowers blooming this year than any other year she can remember. 

I am so happy I can be here to share in this part of  Katherine's life.

These two picked this beautiful part of the country as their home. That's how they found each other.  Gabe says it was  eight years ago on June 23 when they met, and June 23 is the due date of their baby.

Father's Day

This Father's Day Sunday started with a video chat with Stephen in Doha, David and Kati and Charli (the dog) in Atlanta, and Gabe, Katherine and me in Ketchum.  The little guy made his presence known with a foot pushing out on Katherine's side.

It was the first time we have successfully completed a video chat with all of us and so was a great way to celebrate this far-flung family's Father's Day.

This was taken the last time we were all together

We are all looking forward to July 4 when Stephen, David and Kati will arrive in Ketchum, and we will  all enjoy the beautiful Idaho mountains  and a brand new baby together.

The Growing Family

The little guy's crib with his collection of toy animals. The Qatar camel is a favorite.

The nursery is not quite complete. Pictures and mobile need to be hung. I am sleeping in the room for now, so the space is a bit tight. But it is fun imagining that in a few weeks at most there will be a new little life inhabiting the space. Katherine looks great. She has done such a good job of watching her weight and she seems to be suffering very few of the typical discomforts that women who are nine months pregnant suffer.

She and Gabe had some beautiful pictures taken. This practice seems like a lovely way to document this stage of their growing family.

Gabe's humor is always a delight. 

Tonight, we are staying home and doing some serious talking about the birth plan. Gabe and Katherine are still trying to decide on whether or not to hire their birth class teacher, Larson, as their doula. Another friend, Kat, just recently delivered and wrote to Katherine about how wonderful it was to have Larson present for the birth of their son. We got to see Kat and Will and baby at the hospital when we visited Wednesday. The baby was delivered a bit early and weighs just over 5 lbs. He was tightly swaddled, so he looked like a large peanut when we met him.

My favorite picture of the ones they had taken is this one- two beautiful people in the beautiful place where they live.

The Beginning

Katherine and the little guy

First, just deciding on the title of this blog took me to some interesting places. I thought of all kinds of variations, but each one was already taken... I checked out a rapper named Grand and listened to a few lines of one of his songs (very explicit lyrics). I checked out the Good Granny's Guide (seemed very British). I thought of Sweet P's Memories (since Sweet P is the granny nick name I have been considering), but that was taken by a florist with special funeral arrangements (there's also a musical group named Sweet P).

I was also curious about the meaning of "grand" and how this role came to be called that, so I looked up the etymology and definitions of grand. The etymology was not as interesting as the various definitions taken from dictionary.com:
Grand - impressive in size, appearance, or general effect: grand mountain scenery.

2.

stately, majestic, or dignified: In front of an audience her manner is grand and regal.

3.

highly ambitious or idealistic: grand ideas for bettering the political situation.

4.

magnificent or splendid: a grand palace.

5.

noble or revered: a grand old man.

Ever since  Katherine first called me in October to tell me she just found out she was pregnant, I have been like any new grandparent, excited about this new phase of life and eager to be grand... in every sense of that word (except  the large size). I wondered if there were any grandmother's guides to acquaint me with the latest in child rearing. I started to think about the kind of grandmother I would like to be. But most of all I was just so grateful that I was .... getting to be grand (finally a blog title that was available). So I am hoping to approach this new role and be magnificent and splendid, idealistic, noble and revered. Yes, highly ambitious. So, I begin.

Gabe and Katherine 

Yesterday, June 12, 2013, I arrived in Ketchum, Idaho, so I could be here for the birth. When Katherine and Gabe were in Florida in April for a baby shower, I asked them if it was important to them that I be present for the birth, and Katherine immediately said yes and Gabe agreed, so I have been planning, but knowing when it would be the right time to come is not easy. The official due date is June 23, but her doctor told her that, because of her measurements, she thought the baby would come earlier, and gave June 16 as a revised due date.  So, here I am on June 12. At her latest doctor appointment, the doctor told Katherine that she is already three centimeters dilated, so I am thinking that my timing was right.

I am staying with Katherine and Gabe for a few nights (five... is that too many?) and then I will move into a condo we have rented for the rest of the summer - until August 28. I am lucky that this grandchild's birth is coming at a time in my life when I am free to devote my full attention to this new role. I spent the first year of retirement from my fulltime teaching career substitute teaching as much as I could, and adjusting to Stephen's new employment in a foreign country. My family is now spread out around the world - Katherine and Gabe in Ketchum, Idaho, David and Kati in Atlanta, Georgia, Stephen in Doha, Qatar,  and me primarily in Maitland, Florida. So the prospect of leaving a lonely house in Maitland for a summer in Ketchum with a new baby to tend to was an easy choice.

When I arrived yesterday, I went straight to the hospital for the final birthing class. I got to see the maternity ward... or perhaps the right language is now the birthing center, but it is in a hospital. The room was large and comfortable, equipped with a television, a DVD player and small refrigerator, which Gabe commented would be great for all kinds of snacks. The hospital clearly has made every attempt to combine the comfort of a home delivery with the safety of a hospital.

The next part of the class was a presentation by the lactation specialist. She was a bit soft spoken, but gave a lot of good information about the benefits of breastfeeding and on specific techniques - how to hold the baby - how to avoid some of the common problems, and assured all the moms and dads that she would be available to help them once the baby is born. At the end, she asked me if I had anything to add, and I wasn't expecting that and I immediately got choked up... not surprising. What I offered is that breast feeding is not easy, so many people will challenge your choice or make you feel like you are doing something wrong, but the support of the husband is so important. I shared that when David was born, he was 9lb. 4oz, and that I told everyone I only fed him once a day.... all day long. Stephen even bought me a button with a picture of a restaurant with a sign above it that read "Ever ready diner" with an arrow pointing down. I wore it and was always buoyed by Stephen's humor and support.

When Katherine, Gabe and I got back to the house, we talked a little bit about the birth plan, but decided we would do that in more detail another night, since it was already late. But Gabe asked me if I knew how to do infant CPR, and I told him no. So he explained the process to me. I loved watching Gabe demonstrate with specific guidelines, and I sensed that like any new parent he is adjusting to the awesome responsibility of having a new life to nurture and protect from all harm.