A couple of years after Brooks was born, I made the trip back to that hospital with my BFFFFFF (2 Fs aren’t enough!) Dorothy. Her daughter-in-law had gone into labor at 24 weeks and they were unable to stop it. Her tiny granddaughter was born on my anniversary. Sadly, she developed the same infection as my grandson, but hers did spread to her brain, causing irreversible brain damage. I don’t think I ever realized how serious it was when Brooks had it. God took that sweet little baby home, sparing her parents the heartbreaking decision of removing her from life support. That same year my stepson and his wife had a baby girl they named, Hope, and I had another granddaughter!

In 2009, my youngest step-daughter developed pre-eclampsia when she was 34 weeks pregnant. Doctors made a decision to induce, so once again we found ourselves making a trip to that hospital. Her baby boy, Jamey, was a little small, but mostly healthy and was able to come home after a few weeks. A little over a year later, my stepson’s wife went into labor at 32 weeks. Once again we made the trip. Our new grandson, Kaleb, was born, small but also healthy and he came home fairly quickly.

On my birthday, in January of 2014, my youngest step-daughter gave birth to a baby girl she named Shyann, bringing our “grand” total to 10! The next year, my son married a beautiful young woman with two sons, Gracen and Jackson, giving us two more adorable grandsons. Then, in August 2016, my son was blessed with a baby boy of his own! They named him Gauge and he is so much like his daddy!

Although I love all my grands (and greats) dearly, I don’t see most of them very often. Their parents stay busy and don’t bring them over as much or they live too far away. My husband and I live with my daughter and Brooks and have for most of his life. I babysit for my sweet little Gauge often. These two are my only “blood grandchildren” but they all are in my heart, and I love them dearly!! Oh yes…my three oldest granddaughters have started having children of their own. We now have six children, 13 grandchildren, and 4 great grands! Life has definitely become grander!!