Dawn Near the Downs

I crept out by dawn's early storm this morning, across the river, to fetch baby Gideon from his sleepy Mama after his six o'clock feeding. Mama Rae headed back to bed for a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, while the little man and I settled in for a snuggle on the couch.

He went right back to sleep, but was only still or quiet about twenty minutes of the two and a half hours we snuggled. I easily see how he's earned the nickname, Grunty McGruntle. He pushes and grunts due to his reflux. It's better, but he still spends part of his day plenty uncomfortable.

When it was close to snack time, I changed his diaper, which woke him up. He's just too adorable. I got him dressed and out we went for a little porch time. It was raining slow and steady, a perfect summer garden drizzle. Gideon was intrigued by the rain.

I need some practice on trying to take pictures while trying to keep talking and making eye contact, so the boy keeps smiling.

Thanks Great Grandma Ol' Betsey for my littlest angel.

Papa Michael appeared on the porch, so I took Gideon in to fix Dad some breakfast. I sat the boy in his little seat in front of a big black and white "R" magnet Rae has on the frig. He was quite content to talk to the magnet, while I cooked. Then he joined us at the table .

On the way home, I called Aunt Lois. As you might guess, I filled her in on every wiggle, smile and coo. She said her oldest boy behaved exactly like that (fidgety and grunty) and at the time, it was called The Stretching Disease. That would have been over seventy years ago-interesting.

When I'm with my gramerlings, I try to be very in the moment- talking, singing, snuggling, smooching, telling stories, picking eggs, whatever. However, after I'm home, and look at the pictures, such an intense feeling washes over me that brings me tears of thankfulness for such an opportunity to grandparent these sweet little souls.

Uh, Gideon didn't understand why he wasn't included in the Bubble Ballet post, so here he is. No, he didn't learn to stick his face in the bubbles from his cousin Big Al. These are of his very own making-genius baby I'm thinking.