this place i'm at

I wanted to get a shot of his hair...

 

I think I neglected to tell the story of this trip to California.

About a month ago, I was super-anxious.  See, I got an email from Southwest Airlines several months ago offering a screaming deal to Oakland.  I carefully considered the due date of the boy and the actual arrival dates of his sisters.  I didn't want to arrive so early or leave so soon that I missed time with him.  Or time helping around here.  Or whatever it is that I do when a new grandchild arrives.  So I settled on a date nine days before he was due.

And then a month ago, I started hearing (possibly in my extreme worrier head) that Jessie was going to deliver any day.  At any given moment.  She lives in San Jose.  Forty-five minutes away from Oakland.  $160 cab ride.  A three-hour public transportation nightmare (if you're lucky).  I fretted for two days and finally decided I'd rent a car for a day for $60.  Then I calmed down and waited for the call.

But that girl of mine.  That sweet girl.  She waited.  And then she drove to the Oakland airport--she the 9.75 months' pregnant one--and picked me up last Thursday afternoon.  We spent the afternoon together with the girls, including a trip to Walmart where the 19-year-old clerk asked if we were sisters.  I pointed out that he had just made my day and probably ruined hers.  I'm pretty confident there is some clerk training that goes on in the retail community to encourage them to say things like that because they think that will encourage older women like me to spend more of our discretionary income there.

We had pancakes and bacon for dinner, and I totally impressed Cory with my Rock Band 4 singing abilities.  Or maybe I impressed myself.  Perhaps more of the Walmart ego boosting.  Who can say, really, right?

Early the next morning, Jessie and Cory headed to the hospital for the birth of their boy. 

I made several trips to the hospital and back, picking up girls, dropping them off at school and preschool, and at 3:11 p.m., sweet Leo arrived.  Without going into a lot detail, I'm just going to say Jessie was incredible.  I am in awe of her.  One huge contraction at the end, three pushes, and he was born.

Oh, and she should only have to pay for half an epidural because that's how much she had when it was time to deliver the boy.  Hmmm.  Never trust an anesthesiologist who says he's been doing this for 23 years. 

They came home yesterday.  I've been here, in this place where there are girl toys and girl clothes, lots of screens and Apple products, a corner upstairs and another one in the kitchen devoted to art projects and creativity, plastic shovels and rakes out back, and now a room full of blue boy stuff, including seven pairs of little boy shoes.  Seven!

 I feel so lucky and blessed watching this family grow again.