March 19, 2001 Grammy and Survivor

Today is my first grandchild's 10th birthday. It is also my 10th year as a breast cancer survivor.
Ten years and eight months earlier, my daughter gave me a gift to open and it was a bib that said I(heart) Grandmother. That was a sweet way to find out. Then she asked, "What do you want the baby to call you?" My first reaction was "Charlotte will be fine." It's tough to become a grandmother at 46. That just doesn't seem anywhere near my grandmothers' ages. The frown on her face told me to try again. I came up with "Grammy" for no particular reason, I didn't call either of my grandmothers that. So with the 2 grandsons, my chosen name has gone through the normal speech development pattern from Mammy, Bammy, Gammy to finally Grammy. Though Connor at 4 is still saying Gammy.
The doctor scheduled the baby's delivery for March 19th. Bridget was admitted and labor was induced. As it all too often happens, when baby's arrival is scheduled for the convenience, the baby went into distress and a C-Section was "necessary."
Well, my first round of chemo was also scheduled for 3 pm that afternoon. So by 2 pm I was anxiously waiting for my first grandson's arrival before I had to depart for chemo. I got to see my bald, ghostly white grandson about 2:30 and then went off to have drug induced baldness for myself. We joke that I shaved my head that night, so Chase wouldn't feel funny being the only person in the family without hair.
It is a wonderful day 10 years later that we both celebrate life and do it with a full head of hair!

Being a Grandmother changes everything!

Last week my sister, Debbie bought 2 lionhead bunnies for me as a birthday present. Actually, I was giving them to my 2 grandsons. But they will be kept at my house, which is one house from them. 30 years ago Debbie brought a cute little bunny for my daughter, Bridget's 5th birthday and the furry present was sent back with her. I was teaching and had 3 children and no time for such a pet. But being a grandmother changes everything. Everyone who is a grandparent can tell you this, but to understand, I had to experience it. Grandson Chase rode with me Monday afternoon to met Debbie with the bunnies. All the way to Ruston Chase played some electronic game, so we had very little interaction. I hate those things! But on the way home the bunnies were the center of attention and we each held one all the way back. Chase claimed the brownish red one and the black and white one was to be Connor's.
When it came to selecting a name, I wanted to have a little input; since the newest chickens are named Little ACE after Andrew Connor Edwards and the other named Big Foot, because Chase noticed that as a little chick, it's feet were at least twice as big as the others. Well, though I ordered hens, Big Foot turned out to be a rooster and Little Ace was indeed a hen. Chase has so happy and Connor would not acknowledge that Little Ace was a hen even when she began laying an egg everyday. She is always referred to as a he. Once Connor did ask, "When is Little Ace going to turn into a boy?" It has been quite a source of humiliation for the 4 year old. Girl pets are so not cool.
Anyway back to naming the bunnies. By the way they are both female, hopefully, so I can feel confident that 2 is the limit. Debbie tried to influence the naming by reminding me that it was Presidents' Day so maybe the bunnies could be named after President's wives. Perhaps Martha Washington or Dolly Madison would be good names. Well I loved it. I immediately relayed this suggestion to the grandsons. Got no response from Chase. Connor replied, "I'll name mine George Washington." His little bunny will forever be referred to with masculine pronouns only.
If I were their mother, I would have set the record straight that these were girl bunnies and must have girl names. I would have given all my reasons for wanting 2 girl bunnies, but these are the GRANDSONS. Whatever they say is the way it is. Particularly the very emphatic, and yes, adorable 4 year old. But honestly, if I were their mother, history has shown there would be no bunny pets.