Savannah – Page 12 – The Dackel Princess

Thursday Thirteen

I never thought anything could possibly come close to being as amazing as having my own children, until, I saw my daughter with her daughter!
Amanda is a natural mother. Watching her with Savannah, warms my heart.
I wish she could have had a regular birth, because the c-section has taken a lot out of her.
However, I have to say, she hardly ever complains!
It was so hard to leave and come home.
But my doggies and Hubby were so happy to see me.
I spent the first day home trying to catch up with laundry and cleaning.
I’m still hopelessly behind!
Lost 1 and a half pounds at Weight Watchers. Finally getting back on track!
I had to replant some cucumbers and tomatoes out in the garden, as the little chipmunks have eaten almost all of my plants!
I may have to get more cucumber plants.
I did get more Basil and planted that.
So far, the garden is doing really badly, but the patio potted plants are doing great!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. How many students were in your high school graduating class? Did you know most, if not all of them?

Two hundred something and yes, I knew almost all. Not on a really personal level, but I knew names and faces.

2. What was the last thing you photographed?

My granddaughter, Savannah Rose and her Mom, my daughter, Amanda!

3. Pickles-love ’em or loathe ’em? If its love what’s something you eat that needs a pickle?

Like ’em. I do like a nice kosher dill, but I am not a big pickle person. This is strange because I make pickles!

4. What’s a stereotype you seem to perpetuate without meaning to?

Not really sure. If I was blond, then it would be the dumb blond thing, but honestly, I can’t think of anything.

5. Ever been horse back riding? If so is it something you enjoy? If not, do you have any interest? Did you watch the Kentucky Derby? Will you be watching the last leg of the Triple Crown this weekend?

I love to watch the races and I have been riding, back when I was a child. I’ve always loved horses!

6. What’s your favorite ‘wedding’ movie?

“27 Dresses”! I loved that. I thought it was very funny. “Bridesmaids” was funny too, but a little too dark for me.

7. What is one ‘tourist attraction’ in the USA that you’d like to see in person?

Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii. I am fortunate enough to have visited many other of the USA’s tourist attractions! But look forward to this…Someday!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

This has been such a wonderful week for me. Watching my daughter become a mother was absolutely the best thing ever. I remember the day she was born, and it doesn’t seem so long ago. Now here she is, a new mother, herself. How wonderful this is! I was looking at pictures and I noticed that Mandy and her daughter look very much alike. It just made me smile. What do you think?

Mandy and me on the left and Miss Savannah Rose on the right.

A Weekend Of Mixed Emotions

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all, you never know when you will need an alibi!

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The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even for ever more.

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My weekend was full with a wide variety of things both marvelously happy and heartbreakingly sad.

With the birth of dearest Savannah, our world is now full of a sweet bright light! She is a gentle soul, a good sleeper, and the apple of her parent’s eyes, as well as her grandparent’s! Mandy is a natural mother and so good and calm with the baby. Matt is a good Papa Bear and very protective. I think the most heart warming thing was watching Mandy’s grandmother hold her only great-grandchild in her arms! That was true beauty!

Everyone is so happy to see her that we have banded together to fill her world with love! It’s a wonderful thing!

But just as our Savannah entered the world, our friends called to let us know that their 48 year old daughter has died from ovarian cancer. A wonderful young woman, with two small children, and a church filled with loving family and friends to say farewell.

I saw the face of her mother, my friend, and my heart broke for her. Her father, also looked terribly stricken as he tried to keep the family together, and my heart ached for him as well.

You see, this week and weekend was the best of times and some quite sad times too.

Bye-Bye

I’ve heard it said that grandchildren are the very best. That it is different from having your own children, but in so many ways, even better.

How is it possible, to open ones eyes one day and see a little bundle of joy, your daughter’s child, and absolutely, positively, fall in love!

Savannah Rose is an amazing, beautiful, sweet, perfect little girl! I look into her eyes and see the start of a wonderful life for her, and for her parents! Also for us, her grandparents.

Of course, all too soon, it was time for me to drive home, and get back to Hubby and to my puppy dogs. I must say, they were all happy to see me and this also made me feel good. However, I admit to feeling a real twinge of unhappiness when I had to say my good-byes to Mandy and Savannah.

The Day After

Today I spent the day with my daughter and her daughter! Doesn’t that have a nice ring to it? Mandy is a natural. I know that she is still a bit under the weather from her c-section, but I am so proud of her! She just knew everything she needed to do, and didn’t need anyone telling her what to do.

I loved watching them, and oh, I tried so hard to be quiet and just watch, but I’m afraid I took too many pictures!

I couldn’t help myself! She is a real beauty and I just wanted to document her beauty!

By the end of the day, both Mandy and Savannah were exhausted. Looking back, I think they both could have used a good long nap in the late morning or early afternoon. Tomorrow is my last visit, and I will keep it brief. But I sure will miss both of them and Matt!

Welcome Sweet Savannah Rose!

On May 31st, at 2:32 PM, my first grand-daughter, Savannah Rose took her first breaths and cries as her parents welcomed her into the world.

She was three weeks early, and weighed in at 7 pounds and 15 ounces, and was 19 1/2 inches long. Her Mom and Dad were together in the delivery room, as Mandy had a cesarean section.

All of them are well now and you can see the proud Papa holding his girl!

Mandy needed her rest after the big event, so I promised no pictures until she gets some sleep. But for now, I must say, holding my little grand-daughter made me feel like life just doesn’t get any better than this!

Friday Fill-Ins

And…here we go!

1. Hallelujah! Savannah is Here!!!!
2. Right now, holding my grand-daughter is where I wanna be!
3. When I was walking the dog this morning, I saw a handful of goose feathers in the road and I thought uh-oh, no pate (lol).
4. The sun came up and that’s how I knew it was time to head south to be there for Savannah’s birth.
5. What were once vices are now little gems..
6. A fried egg sandwich is what I’ve been having for breakfast lately.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to visiting with my daughter and then my cousin, tomorrow my plans include more baby time and then home to Hubby and Sunday, I want to collapse!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What’s something you miss about the 1980’s? If you’re too young to miss the 80’s how about the 90’s?

I miss my kids being little. That was such a great time. And I miss cheap gasoline!

2. Do you have a library card? If so, how often do you visit?

Yes and weekly. In fact, I am a Library Trustee!

3. What’s the secret to success?

Believing in God, yourself and your family. Also, never give up!

4. This is National Backyard Games week…what’s your favorite backyard game?

Throw the ball for the dogs!

5. If I dropped by today what would I find on your coffee table?

Just a few magazines. Recycling day was yesterday, so my table is quite neat!

6. Do you own a bicycle? When was the last time you rode a bicycle? Is that something you enjoy?

I do own a bike, but since we moved back to hilly New Hampshire I don’t ride. In Florida, I rose almost everyday, with Shubi in my basket.

7. What’s your favorite cheese?

It’s a tie. A good Tilsiter, or Vermont Cheddar!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

The Baby Shower sure was fun! It was so nice to see my daughter so happy, and I couldn’t believe how generous everyone was!

What I Did This Past Weekend

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all, you never know when you will need an alibi!

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On Saturday, after weeks of preparation, Mandy’s sister, Ally, Ally’s mother, Di, and Matt’s Mom and I gave Mandy a shower for the baby.

I know that many countries don’t have baby showers, like we do in America, but they are so much fun, and a way for all family and friends to gather together, tell baby stories, labor and deliver stories and shower the baby with gifts of all sorts.

My gift was going to be a high chair that Mandy had selected. I went all over New England looking for this special chair, which you can use from birth until the baby is about 4 years old, and NO ONE had them! I finally called and found one in Parsipanny, New Jersey! They said they would ship it to me. Fine, but they couldn’t guarantee it would be here in time for the shower.

Oh dear! Here I am, the mother of the new Mommy, first time Grammy, and no present for my baby! It was really bothering me! One morning I woke and it hit me!

I had saved all the special dresses the girls wore, including the white dress I wore home from the hospital in 1958 (above), and the pink dress Mandy wore home from the hospital in 1976
(below)!

See the close up of the dress in the picture above? That was a newborn Mandy in her dress.

I knew right where the box was, and pulled it out of the attic! I washed the clothes carefully, and pressed them smooth. Then I found pictures of Mandy wearing the dresses, printed those out, pinned each to the dress and told the little stories behind them.

I put these dresses in 4 baby bags, and called them “Bags Full Of Memories”!

Savannah will not need clothes until she is about three years old! She has enough clothing, soaps, blankets, etc to last until then. She also got a Pack N Play (portable bed, playpen, changing table) and yes, the high chair arrived!

So many of our family and friends came. My sister, Melodie, My niece, Jinny, my cousin Janet, and my best friend, Gail.

Mandy was glowing and so happy to see so many loving faces. For me, it was wonderful to see so many people I had not seen in decades.