Love at first listen

I think that everyone has a song, sound or smell that, when it comes up, sends them back to a particular day and time.....

Well, I'm no different.  The day before my son shipped out for a six month tour on the USS Roosevelt, he called me and told me he was going to be a father.  Shock and joy warred with each other; he was single and I didn't know the mother.  All sorts of things went through my mind.  First and foremost was this - God makes NO mistakes when a baby is conceived, regardless of the circumstances.  I started praying for this little one who would become my first grandchild.

And because of the circumstances in her life, the mother moved to Alabama.  She drove here to Georgia so we could get to know her a little bit; after all, my position about family is this - we are all attached by strings.  Some are blood-ties, some are heart-ties, some are marriage-ties.  So I got a heart-daughter.  They knew they would never marry, and while that was hard on me at first, God worked there as well.  He brought her a boyfriend from her past and He brought my son a wife.  So I ended up with a daughter-in-love and a heart-daughter.  Wow.

But back to my story. A few weeks prior to her ultrasound, Bri called me to see if I would go with her since Tony was out to sea and her mom lives in Florida.  Hmmm.....go to the ultrasound to hear my grandchild and possibly know what Bri was having?  Twist my arm! So I went.  Alone.  For me that's a major feat; most of my friends and family can tell you stories of my ability to get lost.  I have a few famous ones.

We got lost going to the hospital (hmmm....read above), but arrived at her doctor's office.  And then the important moment came.

Wah wah...wah wah.....wah wah.....precious little heartbeat.  I know God has been with this little one from jump.

And then the doctor says "look mom, look gramma....it's a girl!".

Tears. Joy. Overwhelming feeling of peace.

My son was able to be there within 10 hours of Bri going into labor.  On March 28, 2006, I became a gramma for the first time when Maddison Belle Hood came into this world.  Because I was sick, I couldn't see her for several months, but the very first time I held her?  It was a homecoming.  She knew me and I her.  And as I prayed over that little one and she settled down from her crying, I realized that I had loved her from the first sound of her heartbeat.....months earlier.  Just like God loves us from the first time He forms us in our mother's womb.

Since then?  I have become "Moon and Back Gramma".  Why?  Because I made up a silly little song to help her remember me since she now lives in Florida.  And she often tells her mom she "needs" me, which translates to a phone call.  I've always loved being a mom, but now I understand when my mom would tell me that there's nothing like becoming a gramma.

Oh and that first-born grandchild?  She was my mom's first-born great-grandchild.  From her first-born grandchild.  I kinda think God has a plan for all of that......