“You have a body, it works now,” said Ava’s mommy. “Use it!”

On Tuesday morning, Dr. Preema made it happen.

Introducing Ava Grace

Here she is!  6 pounds 11 ounces, 21 inches long.  A far cry from the 8+ pounds Dr. Preema predicted, but a very healthy size for a newborn.

Sleeping angel.

She is so very precious.  Of course we have to think our children are precious; otherwise we’d wise up and eat them while they’re young and tender, before they get smart mouths and body odor, before they even think about repeatedly making poor decisions from which we must repeatedly bail them out, only letting a select few rise to adulthood for the sole purpose of perpetuating the species.

Not that I ever thought about it.

Jess and Ava

Still, my first grandchild is a terribly wondrous, beautiful little human.  I think we’ll forgo the barbecue and let this tiny girl perpetuate.

Jess is doing great.  She’s glad she had a cesarean; the epidural was the worst part, and if you’ve ever experienced or witnessed childbirth you know that in a regular delivery the epidural is the BEST part!  She is still restricted for a couple weeks but she is up and about, trying to deal with hormones that flip-flop like a slinky descending stairs.  Daddy has been doing a great job of taking care of them.  He’s clueless, of course, and so is Jess for that matter, but they are doing well so I bite my tongue.  Ava is in good hands.

Ava and Oma

I have been an Oma for four whole days, and so far I love it!  I knew stuff I didn’t even know I knew, ya know?  Like how to calm our little Ava down even when she’s in the throes of a hot red anger.  Or how to keep her awake to eat.  Or how to keep my Jessie from becoming a panicked mama wolf pacing the room whenever her baby cries out of reach. And how to do these things in the middle of the night with no sleep.

The new family

The new family went home last night, to Daddy’s house since this house is a madhouse and, with this horrid weather, a hot house.  I thought it best, since he has been doing such a good job, that she spend the weekend there in the A/C. I’ll take care of them Monday when Daddy goes to work.

And so will Uncle Andrew.

And Great-Aunt Shelly

And Papa Joe

And Grandpa will visit.

And Great-Grammy

And Godparents

And lots of other people I don’t have pictures of.  Jessie and Ava will be well cared for.

Being born is hard work!

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