Mama and New Baby, Zuzu

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Originally uploaded by Porkbone

I got my Christmas wish. I arrived in Wisconsin to "be there" just in case the baby, that was due December 22, should arrive early. The baby decided to come very early! She was born December 4 at 3:35 in the afternoon (approximately). I had barely 48 hours of "training" to take over the job of caring for Alison, who is now 30 months old. We call it a Christmas Miracle, because it went so well. We can also posit that Ali is a resilient youngster, smart enough to know that Grandma was there for an important reason and that it would be best to go along with the program.

We played inside and outside in the snow. I read her stories and fed her lunch and played the "pretty rock soup" game many, many times. We learned how to sing Frosty the Snowman and in this process I learned to understand Ali's words well enough so that I only had to fake it a few times--"sure, honey, whatever you say".

Ali was non-plussed by the baby, even after she had been home for 12 days, but she was beginning to be interested in observing her when she had her diaper changed and when she had a sponge bath. She quickly named her doll Baby Zuzu and began to give her sponge baths, too. As I watched her attempting to adjust to this huge change in her life, I felt like I ought to apologize to my first daughter for not being more sensitive to her feelings when her little sister was born. It was clear that Ali knew her world was now different. And maybe not different in a better way!

But I got my Christmas Wish. I was there to help and to hold my newest grandchild when she was brand new and barely awake to the world yet. I was there to see my granddaughter's reaction and, in some small way, to help her through the first days. We got to know each other much better this trip. Maybe when I visit her next she will remember the Grandma that played pretty rocks with her and made "reedy, reedy big houses" with her wooden blocks, and sang Frost the Snow Man with her. I can only hope!