Hello Lola.

No matter how dark a night can be, the smallest light can break it.
Sometimes there is the most glorious flash of light that lets you see right into the future.
Lola-Mae was such a light today. She was born, on her due date at 5pm. How very timely of her.   
Truth be told she has been a bit of a stinker, she has had her mummy believing everyday for the last 3 weeks that THIS is the day. Oh poor Mel, contractions and back aches and every sign under the stars that THIS IS THE DAY. It is a SIGN!
We have been back and forth to the hospital, we have waited for midwives, she has had sweeps and more sweeps and has, I suspect, the cleanest and most well kept and swept cervix in all the land. A cervix made of steel that was not letting that baby out early, nope, no matter what you try ( reflexology, hot spicy food, walking for hours and miles) That baby was not for shifting.
Until today.
Mel went for her midwife's appointment at 12.30 and she had another sweep, at 1pm she called me and she said " My waters just broke in the shop..I can't walk, can you come and get me?" So I did, although she waddled  damply back to her midwife who said that indeed her waters HAD broken ( although there was no doubt there was a veritable flood) she said that she didn't need to go to the hospital yet, not until the pain was bad and she was contracting every 5 minutes or so.
We drove to Mac Ds and her contractions had already started, she laughed as one finished just as we got there and said that she was happy that had ended in time for her to have a cheeseburger. By the time the cheeseburger arrived her contractions were every 3 minutes and she was really feeling them, no messing about or wondering if these were real, we had time to run into a supermarket, grab some drinks and some new clothes and drive to the hospital.
We arrived about 3.00 and it was obvious that at last this baby was coming, for real and soon. We looked at the clock at 3. 30 and said " We'll expect her at 5 then"....and laughed because that was quick, wasn't it?
At 4pm she was 8 cms and she asked for drugs, anything, something just give her anything because this was so awful, at 4.20 she said that there was no point in having drugs because she wasted to PUSH AND SHE COULDN'T NOT PUSH! She was fabulous and Jordan was fabulous and I wasn't needed at all.
I am so proud of these people. I am so honoured that I could watch that little girl be born. I love to see how my son loves his wife, I love how gentle he is and how kind he is, how he truly just wants whatever makes her happy. I loved seeing how he knew by just a hand signal what she was telling him. ( although to be honest, some of them were pretty easy to understand!) I loved watching how she held onto him as she pushed and as she tried not to push.
Watching that huge man cry when his daughter came into the world is something that is priceless to me and I am so grateful that they let me see that. I did feel, today, as if I was somehow intruding, I tried not to and I stayed out of the way taking a few pictures that I knew Mel would treasure later, they made her cross at the time as she yelled "What are you doing? What are you taking pictures OF?" and I would say " nothing awful, you'll be glad later" and I think she will be.
So now I have a grandson and a granddaughter and I know just why they are called 'Grand' Oh they are so grand. There is nothing MORE grand let me tell you. I had no idea and then Josh was born and I was so gloriously surprised and I am still endlessly thrilled with just how grand it is to be a Gramma. He adores me you see, that little man and I so hope that Lola does too, as she gets bigger. I drove past their house this week and I tooted the car horn and then I had to drive past a little way to park. As I opened my car door I could hear his bereft sobbing because he "saw gramma, where IS gramma? Josh saw gramma's car, I WANNA SEE GRAMMA!!!" and he is always SO pleased to see me. People don't need dogs to get that unconditional love thing, get a grandbaby.
Do you want pictures? What?
Ok, here they are......


Laughing gas...which did not make her laugh, this was a fast and furious labour, no laughing allowed.



Can you see that love? Look how she needed him and how he held on to her as tightly as she held onto him.


Brand new and daddy cutting the cord.


Sweet Lola-Mae, we love you so much already.



All 8lbs 4oz of you.


Anybody able to resist tiny brand new baby feet does not have a heart.
I have a heart and this little girl is already so deeply wrapped around it, Hello Lola-Mae, welcome to our family. We love you.

Mother!

Where to begin? So much to say so many pictures to show, so much to remember. Blogs and cameras are vital on days like today because the details, the little things, the minutae, all must be recorded because it is all so glorious.

Another beautiful day or heat and sunshine, plans and promises. Mel's baby shower was this evening and it was a resiunding success.

The highlights for me were the fact that Jordans friends came, teens like him but carefree and without responsibility, typical 19/20 year olds, loud and funny and gloriously glorious. I love that they call me 'Mother'. "Mother? What game we playing next?" "Hey Mother! Did you make these cakes? If I come to your house once a week will you make me some?" " Mother!!! What we doin' next?"

I fell in love with one of them, on behalf of Sophie, who also hearted him a little bit







Look how cute he is, but he is shy and gentle and I think she would eat him alive! He hid when I took pictures and was shy about joining in, I hardly heard his voice and I had to admit that this was not the right boy for my daughter!



The tables were set..





















Jordan fired up the bar-b-que, the men were outside in the bright clear evening and then, without a bit of warning....there was one flash of lightening a colossal thunder clap and then rain the likes of which even we here in England haven't seen.

Jordan did not want to admit defeat, he stood outside with an umbrella and tried to keep that fire going! He had worked all day marinating, preparing, perfecting.....and then this rain....















We pursuaded him to bring the food in and cook inside..







The food was outstanding, delicious and beautifully cooked.







We played games...











And Jordan guessed spot on, 8 squares of toilet paper to go around Mel's 38 week belly ( and about the same to go round my thigh I would guess!)





Yes, the guess the favour diaper poop game, which was worryingly popular....





Sniff...





Mmmmmmmmm, pears!





Yum, banana custard!





Beer bottles ( with orange juice for Berian) Mike was so impressive, he just stuck that thing in his mouth and it emptied in seconds, he explained how he always did like to suck on a tit....and then was reminded that grandma was here and insisted he said teat.







Blue drinks!!





Big Teddies from Uncle Dan.





Little teddies in hand made cribs from Grandma ( great grandma to baby may be Joshua)







Chocolate teddies and sucker teddies...









Gramma wanted to see the baby's pram, so Jordan got it out and we watched as all the MEN ooohed and ahhhhhed and pushed it to see how smooth it was, how the handle adjusts for TALL people and down for small people.











And then there was gifts, not extravagant as in the US, but thoughtful and appreciated, often handmade and precious, we don't do showers really in the UK, babies recieve gifts after they are born and usually whatever the giver chooses, no such thing as registeries or lists.











The thing is, you can't take pictures to capture how that felt this evening, to stand back and watch, take pictures, and listen, hear girls telling Mel that she has to do everything to make sure she keeps a hold of Jordan, to hear grown women say that he is a glorious boy. He is, of course and he is happy, which is just about the most splendid part of it all.

I like the word Mother, if I had nothing else, having that name would be enough.