Here's what I wrote on Facebook this morning.
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“Give me an occupation, Miss Dashwood, or I shall run mad.” - Col. Brandon in Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
I thought of that quote on this day in 2018.
First we received a texted photo from our daughter. It showed a just born baby with her parents. Obviously we had a grandchild. We rejoiced and awaited further news.
Nothing.
What’s going on?!
We soon became concerned and desperate to hear Brannon’s voice. When that call finally came we learned that she was still being cared for in the birthing center, but John and the baby were in an ambulance racing toward Rady’s Children’s Hospital in San Diego, 40 miles away. She was aching to be with her baby; we were aching to be with ours AND hers.
We dashed around to change our fight plan with Delta and to get ready to go to California for — how long?
Two days later, as we soared across the continent I wrote the first draft of the attached letter on my MacBook Pro, its screen blurred by moisture in my eyes.
If you scroll all the way to the bottom of the blog post you will find a picture of what Clementine looked like when we met her the first time.
Today is her second birthday, and this is what she looked like just a few days ago.
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Your Mom commented with this picture of you and your birthday "cake".
Only a pandemic could keep me away from California today. I'll have to celebrate with you from a distance. But, wow! I have so much to celebrate. You have enriched my life immeasurably in just two years. I love you.
Here's my favorite birthday song for you. Granny and I were at the concert when this recording was made, but I don't think you can hear our voices.:
Cut the Cake by John McCutcheon
Now, look at your first meeting with your Granny and me...
You had a very rude introduction to the world. For days you had tubes and patches attached to you. In order to be with you we had to go through a decontamination station to wash our hands and sanitize anything we took into the NICU with us.
(Two years later my hands are chafed by too much washing and sanitizing again. But the whole world is behaving now as we had to in the NICU in 2018. Wow.)
Sometimes the nurse would let us sit in a chair by your crib and put you --- with all those attachments --- into our laps for a few minutes. What a joy to hold you, and to know that the doctors were now saying they thought you were going to be OK.
OK? Ha! Two years later you are a whirlwind of determination and joy and curiosity and love. I always told my students "There's a star in you! Make it shine." Well, Clemmie, I sure see a star in you. And I believe you will have the character and perseverance and love to make it shine.
I love you.
- Granshaw
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