Nana's Visit

Prior to my visit to Winston-Salem, Kyle had asked me "What do you want to do while you're here?" The immediate answer was "Play with Owen, that's all." And play with Owen I have done. Naturally I think Owen is the cutest grandson in the whole world, and my 5 days spent with him have been most glorious and gratifying. His sweet little sounds and his constant babbling have been music to my ears. While I was here he began to repeatedly say "Ma ma ma ma," which was music to Ali's ears. Finally on Father's Day I heard him say "Da da da," which was music to Kyle's ears. Then followed a contest between Ali & Kyle to see which name they could get Owen to say. As Ali coaxed with "Ma ma ma ma," and Kyle responded with "Da da da da," Owen's independent (rebellious) reply was "Bla bla bla bla bla," just to show his parents who was in charge.


We continued the boot camp regime that Bee had started, and we are seeing definite progress. I predict that in a few weeks Kyle & Ali will be asking themselves, "Why were we encouraging Owen to crawl? It was so easy when he stayed in one place."


The first day I mastered all of Owen's toys. We had fun time playing together on the floor. He loves the musical interactive toys, and so did I. Then I mastered Owen's car seat, how to buckle, unbuckle, and tighten: a far cry from the plastic infant seats that we all had back in the 70's.


One special time was when Owen and I laid outside on a blanket and listened to the sounds of nature. We lay on our backs looking up at the leaves, feeling the breeze on our faces, and listening to the sounds of the birds. When Owen is awake his arms or legs or both are in motion, but this time he got very quiet and still for a long time and I really thought he was going to fall asleep. We practiced being quiet, soaking in the beauty of God's creation. It was a special time.

From time to time as we played and snuggled, various little nicknames would pop into my mind and I found myself calling him everything from teddy bear to watermelon, monkey, and Humpty Dumpty. Owen is certainly an easy baby now. I enjoyed feeding him a variety of fruits and veggies in addition to his favorite cereal. Fun times included a trip to the park so I could see Owen swing, and throwing him into his little swimming pool fully clothed -- after all, it was close to bath time. I tried to convince Ali that the swimming pool adventure would substitute for a bath, but they opted for the nightly bath anyway. Good choice, as Owen loves his bath now and is into a great nighttime routine.

Yes, Owen is a joy, both to his parents and his grandparents and all who are blessed to be with him. He is so good natured and such an easy baby now it's hard to believe how challenging he was those first 6 weeks of his life. His parents are doing a fantastic job, and you need no other source of entertainment than Owen when you come to Winston-Salem.


Thanks to Owen, Ali & Kyle for a wonderful visit. Love you all.

Nana