Nan's cup over flows....

I love being a Nana and I'm really glad that I'm pretty young to be a gram as well. 
When I was a mom at just 18 I know that it was frowned upon by many and even  scrutinized by some (whatever martha!!) but it is what it is.  I was 24 when our 2nd daughter decided to come along pretty much on her own.  I was 5 months along when I found out she was in there and SCARED to death to tell Paul-he told me one was enough and I said ok.....until there were two. 


So more along the lines of being a Nan- 4 years ago (nearly to the day) we were still learning to live with and digesting the news that I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  We were thrown as a family into the unfamiliar world of doctors, hospitals, surgeries and c c c the C word.
On the evening that we found out that our first grandchild was en route, it was like someone breathed air into our lungs and face.  Finally, we had something else to consume our thoughts with besides the ugly c word.
So as I went through chemo, Ashleigh progressed through pregnancy.  We soon  discovered that some of the same nasty side effects visited us both and we had a chuckle about that.
I'm luckier than most women and MEN that are diagnosed with bc in that on the anniversary of my diagnosis, I have something positive to remember-Carter James King was on his way.
So for about 6 months we watched our daughters body morph into a woman and mother.  Who was this young lady that would visit on the weekends or come to take care of her sickly mother during the week if her dad had to work late.  I marveled at the fact that she didn't really look pregnant but that strong heartbeat was there every month as Paul and I accompanied her nearly every month to her pre-natal visits.  FINALLY at about 33, 34 weeks she visited us and she had popped....she was soon to be a mother.
A few weeks later, as she approached 10 centimeters I watched in awe as our first baby struggled through those final contraction unmedicated.  We encouraged and cheered her on then the doctor quietly said "push this baby into his grandmas arms" as she slipped my hands into position.  I held our grand son and kissed him as we waited for our daughters heart beat to stop pulsing through his cord and life around me grew dim as it was just he and I for a time......finally-I handed our daughter her baby for the first time.  And I knew life was as it should be...and I'd be around for a long    long   time to tell him about the time when life finally went our way.....