RJ

Robert Jessen is named Robert after his daddy and Jessen is my daughter's PaPa CJ's middle name. I am feeling pretty proud of myself, I have posted twice and not raved on and on about my new grandson. He is perfect, although his mama thinks one ear looks different from the other. Only new parents who sit and stare at their newborn bundle of joy would notice that. They live out west of town in an old farmhouse with one TV station that comes in clear and no internet, the boonies. Their air conditioner could not keep up with the 100+ heat, so they came in to spend the night with us. Yea! I need to pay of those air conditioning gremlins that I hired. So tonight..... I got to hold him and cuddle him and squeeze him tight.

RJ arrived about 2 weeks early. Being my daughter's first baby, coupled with the fact that I was in labor for 48 hours with her and 24 hours with her sister, she thought she was having bad cramps so she went to her doctor's appointment early. She was dilated to a 7, he was astounded. He sent her to the hospital and then made it over less than 2 hours later to deliver RJ. I was there for the labor and delivery. I wasn't sure how I would react to seeing her in such pain and it was hard but the overriding thought that I had was that of pride. She was so strong and brave and got the job done. Just like when she got thrown off her horse then it stepped on her. She entertained the delivery staff throughout the whole thing with her witty comments and remarks. She had just gotten the news that the anesthesiologist was stuck in surgery and couldn't come down to give her an epidural when her husband asked her if she thought the baby would have red hair like him. She just got her patented ornery look on and asked him if he would be upset if the baby was black. He didn't ask anymore frivolous questions after that.

When RJ crowned, then went back up in a little, there was a bit of cursing. She said,"Did he go back up in there?" and when they told her yes, she said "Sonuvabitch", which all things considered was more than fair at that point, she would know. The nurses all looked at my reaction before cracking up laughing. Family and friends were gathering out in the waiting room so I surreptitiously sent a text message to them that said "Pushing" then 7 minutes later, one that said "He's here!" My husband is such a proud stepdad and grandpa that he showed the messages to everyone for days afterward. I think he will keep those messages on his phone forever. I wasn't brazen enough to have taken a picture with my phone that wasn't supposed to be turned on. But everyone got to share in the moment a little later when they had him in the nursery and we had a crowd, vying for a place at the window to take pictures with camera's and cell phones.

It was so amazing, I got to be there when she joined the club. All the women in my family have strong connections but at that moment our bond picked up an new thread. I've always told my girls that "You are my favorite oldest/youngest child" and they are as different as my sister and I are, but they are moving quickly out of the annoyed stage and becoming friends. I knew it would happen, I prayed that it would happen, I considered casting a spell to make it happen before I had to pick one of 'em up and knock the other in the head. It is happening now just like it did for my sister and I about the same age. Further proof that there is a God and he is working today.


We have always joked that her husband would make a good mom because he is just that kind of guy, but my daughter is an amazing mom and he is a great dad so this little one will be so loved. (RJ is not really sleeping with daddy, mama just put him there for the picture, daddy was out like a light.)