A New Season

12 Jan 2013 2 Comments

by nancyrodriguez62 in Uncategorized

download (1)I welcome the new season of life that gives me a beautiful baby grandaughter to hold!  My friends saw this picture on my phone and thought I was praying for Carmen.  Well, I have been praying for her A LOT but at the moment my husband snapped this I was watching tv.  Not such an intentional holy moment as it might seem and yet every moment with her, with any baby IS holy.  I have been far removed from the daily world of babies since my own were little and suddenly I am immersed once more in the miraculous moments of babydom.  But, oh, how things have changed!

Did you know that newborn diapers have velcro tabs now and a line that turns blue on the outside if the diaper is wet?!  I kept thinking I ruined the tab trying to open it to the sticky stuff like on Christmas bows.  Sophia had to show me and I was amazed.  Oh and I had no idea what a boppy was, or a snugli or a diaper genie…thought that was someone who magically appeared out of a strange looking container to change the baby’s diaper!  I never had the baby monitors but those sure come in handy.  Now bumper pads in cribs are not safe…thank God my children didn’t suffocate on theirs, I had no idea!  And back then babies could sleep on their bellies but now they are propped slightly tilted on their side with a rolled blanket to support their back.  Oh, and boy did I forget how to swaddle a baby in a blanket…thank God that nice nurse in the hospital walked us through it.  I am so rusty and sure hope I can come into grandmotherhood without too much trouble!  I am in love and simply enjoying this new bundle of joy!!

Oh, and guess what?  There is another grandchild on the way with my son and daughter-in-law this summer!  By then I should be an expert in the ways of modern babydom!  Or, at least, I won’t feel like such a newby grandma.

A Tortoise New Year to You!

01 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

A Tortoise New Year to You!

Three times I saw this humongous tortoise on the side of the road as I drove my daily work route. One day he was in the middle of a grassy field and people were all around him taking pictures. How curious, I thought, but I didn’t stop. Another time I saw him as I rushed back to work with my lunch. This time he was in the parking lot of the gas station on the corner and two old men were blocking him from crossing the busy highway. Again, people were taking pictures of him. Not your every day sort of thing in the city surrounding Charleston, SC for sure! My curiosity peaked and I remembered to mention this strange occurence to coworkers when I got back to the office. We wondered how such a creature was just wandering around and worried he would get hit by a car. On my way home that day he was still there at the gas station with the old guy standing by his side hours later. This time I became one of the curiosity seekers and stopped to take his picture. His two foot long frame and calm sauntering through the parking lot amazed me.

I really was worried some terrible fate would befall him in the big, wide civilized world of North Charleston so I asked the old man about him. As it turns out the tortoise is his pet and he takes him around the city in the nearby trailer he pointed out to me for people to see. He said he has an animal rescue and this is one of his rescues, an African tortoise. Of course, he accepts donations so I gave him some money and snapped a few pictures. I was glad he wasn’t lost anyway and in no danger of being hit by a car.

I do hope I have the ability to notice such unexpected surprises in the new year. I could really use a tortoise-paced 2013, slowing down enough to enjoy the simple things sauntering through my days. I wish the same for you! May we all be blessed with joyful surprises along the journey this year!

Image by nancyrodriguez62