15 years ago this week, my maternal Grandma passed away. 

I think that was the moment where I realized that things will never go back to the way they were before.

For me growing up, it was great being part of a big extended family.  Everyone you know and care about has been around for as long as you can remember, and you don’t know life without everyone being present.  And then she unexpectedly left us… and left an enormous void in the fabric of our family.

I remember that day- even though I was 22 at the time, it was like I was 6 years old again… and I’ve just been told that there’s no Santa, my puppy ran away, and a dozen other events that mark the end of childhood.  I remember it was a very hard time for everyone.

One thing I’ve noticed over the past couple of years is 1) a lot of our friends/family are having kids and 2) some of our friends have lost a parent.  It’s a sobering thought for my generation to realize that our parents won’t be around forever… and our heart goes out to our friends who have recently lost theirs.

So, 15 years later… it’s gone by so fast.  My Uncle sent out some old photos, and with them, some pretty fond memories.  It’s clear that everyone misses her as much now, if not more so, as we did 15 years ago.  

When I think back to that time, I recall all sorts of conversations and odd recollections that shape my memory of her.  I can say that they are all happy memories… I think the only tinge of sadness is in recalling how much I enjoyed those years and how times have changed.

But, the fact that I’m writing about this means that her influence and values are very much alive… and I can’t help but to pass them onto my own daughter.  I realize that it’s now my time to start a family, and create the environment that made my childhood so memorable… and if we’re ever in a tough spot, E and I can have faith that we can get through it because we got some pretty good values from our parents and grandparents.    

It’s funny how in a publicly traded company, time is measured in a quarter… and depending on how things go, that quarter can whiz by in a blink, or take forever to finish.

I think our “quarter” is a bit of both- it’s gone by very quickly, but at the same time, it’s been jammed with a lot of events.  I’m sure some days go by pretty slowly for E, and the weekends are always a blur for me.

So how has e changed?  In the beginning, most things were pretty instinctual- eat, sleep, diaper change, look at stuff, etc.  About 5 weeks ago, she started making a fist and staring at it like it was a Monet.  Shortly thereafter, she started to visually track things- especially faces… even from a distance.  I’m sure her vision is now better than Mom or Dad (without their glasses).  You can tell that she studies things like the ceiling, features of different rooms, and especially the Poppy painting we have on our mantle.  She definitely recognizes her room, and that bouncy seat thing. 

She’s also been smiling for at least 6 weeks,and about 3 weeks ago, started babbling.  I think these two features have been the coolest, and makes baby even more interactive.

So it’s been a good first quarter… and I based on that, I think we can give even more positive guidance to the street for Q2.  🙂

Ok, first is an unsolicited product placement.  The photo on the left shows our counter after we’ve sterilized all the bottles we typically go through in a 24 hour period.  Then my sister got us this unit from Skip Hop that organizes the chaos. 

Having done the parenting thing for a few months, here are some of my observations:

1. Why, oh why do diaper shirts and sleepers have 3 dozen snaps?  Snaps down the front; snaps down one leg; snaps down both legs; extra snaps for the backdoor vent; etc.  What’s wrong with zippers or Velcro?! 
2. Whacked out sizing.  We just uploaded some pics of e in a snowsuit for a 6-9 month old.  It’s so big, I swear E has a chance of fitting in it.  In general, it seems some manufacturers are way off in their sizing.  e is almost 3 months old, and fits in a 6 mos diaper shirt… so it makes you think your baby suffers from Gigantism.  As an aside, I think this trend is reversed in womens wear… 🙂
3. Pockets- why do baby clothes have pockets?  I guess it’s the same as asking why do they make clothes for dogs?
4. Tight diaper shirts… ok, there are these diapers shirts we used when she was a newborn.  When put on, they are very fitted, but getting it on over her head and her arms through the sleeves is like a contortionist’s act. 

In the end, I really like the ‘Maggie Simpson’- a bag with a hole for the head and arms.  Simple, easy to put on, and very roomy!  Now if they only made them in adult sizes…