A Summary. An Adorable Summary. And Picture Overload.

When we were making our plans to fly back to the Midwest, we hoped that our granddaughter would be born while we were there. She did a wonderful job of cooperating with our hopes!

Our daughter was induced the morning of March 12. She labored for 17 hours and Lydia Mae was born healthy at 11:26pm.


We had been jumping every time the phone rang that day. We were very thankful for our son-in-law calling around 5pm to give us an update.

Shortly after midnight I decided to try to go to sleep and went in to the bathroom in our hotel room (we were in Minnesota packing up the house) and when I came out I heard Hubby's cell phone finish ringing and the light go out. Hubby slept through the whole thing! I woke him up telling him his phone was ringing! He saw that it was our son-in-law so he promptly called him back. We learned that Lydia Mae had been born just barely 40 minutes before that. She was 7 pounds 5 ounces and 20.5 inches long.

Our daughter has always liked the name Lydia and conveniently married someone who had a great-grandmother named Lydia. Mae is my mother's middle name. I just love both names.

The next morning I texted my daughter and asked if she could send me a picture and not hardly two minutes later this is what I got:

I gasped. Such a beautiful baby girl!

Hubby agreed to stay in Minnesota while the moving truck was being loaded and I left for Iowa to see that baby. I was a little torn with wanting to see her as soon as I could and wanting to see her with Hubby for the first time. But in the end I couldn't wait. Surprise, surprise.

Our son had a bag packed ready to take off when he heard about his new niece. I was just tickled when I heard that.

Uncle Caleb and Lydia Mae. Daddy in the background.

 Hubby got to the hospital in good time to see his first granddaughter.

We were able to spend the night at my parents' house since they live in the same town our granddaughter was born in. One of my high school classmates was my daughter's nurse through part of the labor! How crazy is that? (My mom was suffering from a cold so they weren't able to see their great-daughter those first days. I was sad about that.)

Grammy and Pops and Lydia

 Hubby and I were blessed to be able to spend the next 48 hours at our daughter and son-in-law's house. Let me tell you, there was lots of baby cuddling and picture taking going on!

Pops reading to a sleeping Lydia

First bath. She loved having her hair washed.

The puppy isn't sure what to think of the new baby.

So peaceful after her bath.

Lydia and her mommy

Charley just doesn't know what a baby is.

I probably don't need to state the obvious, but I bawled when I had to say good-bye. I think the tears were a mixture of sadness and happiness at the blessing of a granddaughter.