Grandparenthoodositynessful

Grandparenthoodositynessful!  

My new word, coined especially for this post, to capture in some small measure the incredible experience of being a grandparent.  This blog is my meager attempt to explain the excitement and wonder I feel whenever I have the good fortune to be around one of those little muchkins known as grandchildren, in person, photo or just in thoughts.  Grandparenthoodositynessful is close to describing that feeling, but not quite.  I think it might look a little like this photo of Lincoln (below), if you could find it in the dictionary!  I’m pretty sure it is accompanied by a goofy smile, some silly sounds and lots of love.  I can tell you, though, that it does include many of the feelings and responsibilities of parenthood, but without as many poopy diapers and late night feedings!

Lincoln Jay LaCoss, the newest addition to our family!  New grandchildren are such a gift.  THANK YOU! THANK YOU!  THANK YOU, Scott and Sarah, for having the courage and love to bring Lincoln into this world.  As Grandparents, grandchildren are the promise of experiencing the world as new, once again.  They offer us the chance to fall in love with another human being all over again. 

We get to watch that new person experience the world all over again; learning fast and using every tool and sense available to experience, learn, and grow in understanding of the world around him. …and to give him presents and watch him eat the box!

We get to experience the joy of watching you, as parents, lovingly caring for and teaching your new son about how to appreciate the world and all of the miracles in it.  And watch you grow and evolve through your own new experiences and the challenges of parenthood.  ….and first crawl, first words, first teeth, first steps and the string of miracles that accompany new life. We are so happy for you…nearly Grandparenthoodositynessful, but not quite.

Grandchildren provide a unique focal point because of the life-stage of grandparents.  We’ve lived through the lean times.  We’ve struggled and overcome our challenges.  We’ve raised fine adults who now face those same challenges themselves.  Grandchildren remind us that the world also includes dangers and that we need to be protective and careful and do all we can to help them grow up safely, securely and healthy. 

Finally, our grandchildren offer us hope for the future.  Grandchildren are the promise of new memories and joys to carry with us into old age.  We know that another generation comes behind us to carry on our name, our traditions, our stories, or history and to ensure that the love of a family extends beyond our own short lifetime.  That future includes such wonderful opportunities as sharing our passions with them, spoiling them, and taking them to wonderful events.  It means the possibility of expanding Patriot Nation to another fan!  (Sorry, I couldn’t resist, because, after all the Patriots are in the playoffs again….and the Ravens are not!  Sorry Sarah!)  Of course, it also means that he could own a SuperBowl Championship hat in his very first year…(maybe the Patriots or the 49ers); either way it’s pretty darn cool!

As this is part of the circle of life, I will close where I began.  Grandparenthoodositynessful!  That’s how I feel about Lincoln, Noah, Alli and Mariah, my grandchildren.  I love you all with all my heart and will always be there for you.

-Grandad

Lincoln is 9 months old, 22 lb. (70th percentile) and 29" tall (75th percentile) with a head circumference of 18" (60th percentile). He loves balls, yelling, carrying toys in his mouth, drinking from cups, his silky blue blanket ('base' as we call it because he returns to it often while playing just to touch it, rub his face on it and return to playing), and taking birdie bites from whoever has food, no matter what it is. He is crawling like a champ and loves to explore anywhere he can, pulls himself into standing and 'cruises', knows to switch a toy from hand to hand while getting dressed and is awfully clumsy when tired.  This past month he celebrated his first snow and first sledding, experienced Santa and Christmas, and rang in 2014!

Whatcha girls doooin

cousins <3

This months contributor is Scott LaCoss Sr., Lincoln's grandad, hardcore Patriots fan and Lincoln's future rule-breaking accomplice who is sure to get Lincoln in trouble at least a handful of times. He is the author of a magnificent review of Reveille in Hot Springs: The Battle to Save Our VA, Maryland's #1 egg poacher, Harley Davidson and Amazon enthusiast and loving husband, father, and grandfather.

Fatherhood

Its time for our first guest blog! Woot woot! Now that everyone has heard from me, month after month, I thought it would be awesome to get a break at writing the blog neat to have a few stories, messages, etc. from others in Lincolns life. Scott was super stoked about doing this...until he sat down to write, so lets give a round of applause for the first, and most likely last, blog entry from Scottie!

 

    I think my favorite thing about fatherhood so far is getting to do the bedtime routine with Lincoln.  On a typical evening, we have a set routine for Lincoln to begin getting ready for bed. We start by taking a bath, then getting dressed, and then he rocks and drinks his bottle in the glider.  This usually ensures that he is going to be sleepy and go right to sleep.
       Lincoln loves bath time!  Especially since he is able to sit up on his own, and it helps that his toys are always within reach.  Mom (Sarah) got a great idea, from the internet, to put a laundry basket in the bathtub for Lincoln to sit in. This help keep him from banging his head on the cast iron tub, and also serves to keep all his bath toys within arm's reach.  One of his favorite things to do in the bath, is when you slowly pour a small stream of water into the tub from his water cup.  He watches it splash down, puts his hand under it to catch it, or leans forward to let it hit his tongue.  I love to watch him kick his feet and get excited when he gets splashing real fast and furiously! After his bath, its time to get dressed for bed.
    My son has become quite the squirmer when it is time to get dressed for bed.  I think more often than not, the problem lies with the fact that I take waayyy too long to dress him.  I am much better than when I started, but still have a ways to go. I love listening to Lincoln when he is drinking his bedtime bottle.  Its typically very quiet in his room, so you can hear him breathing and sighing, and he just makes the cutest sounds.  The best part comes when he finishes his bottle!  As soon as he is finished he pops the bottle out, you give him his pacifier, and he turns into your chest and nuzzles his face in it and drifts right off to sleep.  It is the most adorable and heartwarming thing you have ever seen.

Lincoln is 8 months old! This month he really found his voice, cooing and singing and saying "Da da da da" quite a bit, which he first started on Thanksgiving. He is still kicking like a mad man, eating like a champ and sleeping through the night (for the most part). He has got everyone wrapped around his little pinky already, even strangers! Lincoln celebrated his first Thanksgiving, saw Santa and went sledding for the first time, has got the one-foot-two-foot motions of walking down and is crawling! He continues to bring us so much joy and we can't wait to celebrate his first Christmas with him!

Stay tuned to see who the next guest blogger is and email me to let me know if you are interested in contributing. 

buddies <3

First taste of snow...not the yellow kind

blocks aren't for building- they are for eating!

Most favorite 'toy'- any rubber bracelet that isn't really a toy

1st Thanksgiving

 

           

Lucky #7

 
I knew babies changed people. Some babies bring out the good in people, some bring out the bad. I have watched people have babies all around me throughout my life, seen my nieces being born, given birth myself, and still never realized what being a parent entailed, until that very first night in the hospital when I got close to no sleep. (Scariest day of my life: getting the send-off at the hospital. What?! You want us to put this 3-day-old baby in the car, DRIVE him home and take care of him!?)  I would not change a thing. Even after the sleepless nights, the throw-up, getting poop on my hand at 3 am cause I am half-alseep while changing the diaper, or the extra time it takes to do anything. Parenthood is an awesome thing, and it is life changing, and as I watch Lincoln grow and develop day by day, hour by hour, I see myself growing too. Since becoming a mommy, I have learned some things about myself and about the world in which I now live.

I love zippers and despise snaps. If given the choice between a hideous footie with a zipper, or an adorable footie with a gazillion snaps...zipper it is!

I will never ever get an award for using the least amount of wipes for a diaper change. Poopy diaper? Give me at least 10 wipes.

Two words for ya: Rain. Sucks. Rainy day + Baby = suckiest of the suck.

I require a lot less sleep to function than I ever thought. (take note: I said ' to function'. I did not say 'to feel awesome'.)

And much more coffee. I never knew I could drink so much coffee. 10pm, 5 am, noon...coffee does not discriminate. Coffee sounds good right about now.

This mama will never be a songwriter. Listen to me try to make up songs for Lincoln and you would understand. I do not make sense. And I'm OK with that.

My mind is forever embedded with the tunes that Lincoln's toys play. This has got to be one of the leading causes of insanity in parents. I hear them in my head nonstop. When I am not hearing the tune of pop-goes-the-weasel or Old MacDonald, I am hearing an imaginary Lincoln crying. Who knew that every fan in the house could sound like a crying baby.

Most days I feel like a zombie. I do not see this changing anytime soon and I am slowly coming to terms with that.

I can get more done in the 20 minutes that Lincoln naps (yes, we've got a cat-napper on our hands) than I would have on any normal day before he came along. And making it through the day without multi-tasking? Ain't nobody got time for that!

I never was a big fan of holding hands. Until it was my little boys fingers holding mine as he drifts off to sleep. <3



Lincoln is 7 months old! Lincoln has begun to rock on all fours; has 2 teeth (1 is just coming in), loves shaking rattles, bathtime, napping with mommy, and is sitting up on his own. He can hold his own bottle to eat, although he'd prefer not to have to, likes his sippy cup and just about everything he has eaten- except beets and green beans. With any food that he likes, each bite is followed by 'mmmm'.

 

 

 

First lollipop

Good luck taking this thing back!

Half way to 1!

Lincoln is 6 months old!
 

Likes: kicking, watching and touching his kitty cats, swinging, jumping in his bouncer, bathtime toys, riding in his stroller, sweet potatoes, carrots and squash

Dislikes: laying down (he wants to sit up), green beans, having to wait to get taken out of the carseat, barking dogs

Weight: 19.5 lb. (75th percentile)

Height: 28" (92nd percentile)

Head circumference: 17 1/2" (50th percentile)

Things mommy and daddy like: hearing you talk, snuggling, having fun with dress-up, when you sleep well, seeing you smile, taking you for walks, when you poop during the day and not at 3 AM

 

 

 

Lincolns month in photos

 

 Lincoln, here is your last month in photos. XO - mom

You took your first trip to NJ and met a lot of family for the first time.

 ,

 

This was a big month for development! You learned to get your foot to your mouth and how to use your hands to hold toys and reach for things. You are rolling over like a pro. You also learned how to get up onto your knees and even started sleeping up on your knees. You will be crawling any day now!

You started rubbing your eyes when you get sleepy. It is one of my most favorite things to see you do. You are so precious!

You ate rice cereal for the first time. You weren't crazy for it but you're liking it more and more each time you have it. You eat much better for daddy than for me. This month you had carrots too!

You met your cousin Mariah for the first time. She was so excited!

You spent a lot of time in the pool with friends and family. And boy did it make you sleepy!

You celebrated Bip's birthday. And you get the cutest wrinkle at the top of your nose when you are really excited.

You saw your reflection in the mirror and for the first time it caught your attention.

 And as usual, you filled our hearts with joy!