Meeting the Grandparents

Today I was feeling kind of melancholy as I returned from the doctor's office. Julia and I were driving down Gallatin Rd and I had this headache but got the urge to stop into the National Cemetery asking Julia if she wanted to meet her grandparents. (It sounds so morbid when I write it.) Anyway, we pull in and I have a pretty good memory of where my Mom and Dad are buried but its been a long time and as I drove in the place has changed. They have built some buildings and I wandered a little. I ended up at the "cemetery marker kiosk". I found the markers pretty quickly, I didn't remember the tree they are buried under but its nice to see them under a tree.

Julia wasn't so much into it, she is only 5 months old besides she was tired - she hadn't napped well since 7am. I was more overcome than I expected. I'm always surprised when I get emotional about my parents. I don't think about them often so I guess when I saw the two of them lying there - well, the grave markers - it made realize how much I really do miss them. In Sept it will be 25 years since my mom died and in June it will have been 13 since my dad died.

I am sad that Julia won't have the chance to meet them nor they her but she will have the stories about my parents and the knowledge that although they weren't terribly happy with each other toward the end of my mother's life they had, at some point, been happy enough to bring me into the world and nurture me enough so that I, along with Tara, can now nurture her.

One day we will talk about my parents but for some odd reason I thought no better time than today as the moment of introduction.

5AM - another milestone

5am - Julia fell.

I was partially awake b/c she was screaming for food. I thought it was taking longer than normal but I heard Tara trying to calm her and then...THUMP and WAAAIIIILLLLLL.

I jumped out of bed and a very confused Julia was screaming in Tara's arms. Julia launched herself off the sofa onto the floor...thank God for cork flooring. She was responsive to noise and light, he allowed herself to be soothed, she ate, she spitup, she smiled, and she talked. We called the doctor but got no call back...5 1/2 hours later, as I am writing this, we still haven't gotten a callback. I'm quite disappointed about that b/c we really like Julia's doctor.

We watched her, she dozed. I poked her every 10 or 15 minutes if she was quiet and motionless just to make sure.

Tara just called. Julia ate again and I could hear her talking in the background.

We have been initiated.

See, Julia is kicking up a storm and when she has something to push against she takes advantage of that. This morning Tara turned away for a second, Julia, in her frustration kicked against the back of the sofa and tossed herself over the edge.