2012: We Become Grandparents!
Olivia is Born!
The biggest thing that happened this year was that Olivia Rose Brown was born on January 18, 2012. We were so excited to be grandparents. Lauren called us around 9:00 - 10:00 on January 17 to let us know that she was in labor and going to the hospital, but to wait as she didn't know how far along in the birthing process she was. She and Tony kept us posted by phone, but we were anxious so we went down to the hospital between 2:00 and 3:00 am to sit and wait. We originally didn't want to bother them, so we went to the waiting room. The next time they updated us, you let it slip that we were at the hospital. (Your ability to keep a secret was hilarious! I always loved that, because it exemplified your integrity and giving nature.) Tony immediately came to get us, so that we could back and be with them. Everything was going along fine until it wasn't.
Olivia's heart rate dropped significantly and the nurses realized that something was wrong. As everything seemed to be doing fine with slow labor, Tony had just settled in to take a nap. The nurses work him with a start and shoved a yellow gown and cap at him, telling him to put it on as they rolled Lauren into surgery. The doctor allowed us to follow so that he could show us where to stand so that we could get a glimpse of Olivia as Tony took her from the C-section unit to the nursery for health screening. We were always grateful to that doctor and to Tony and Lauren for allowing us to see her when she was minutes old. We all were giddy with excitement, but nervous for both Olivia and Lauren as she has to go through emergency C-section. But, we learned very soon that both mother and baby were fine.
Nana and Grand-Dad arrived soon after Olivia was born. It was surreal that we were now the grandparents. You joked that now you'd be sleeping with a grandma; such your sense of humor. We laughed through life, because of you.
Travels
Olivia's first trip was the annual Madeira Beach trip in June of this year. Since she was so young, we skipped Disney World and spent the entire week at the beach. She was a trooper in the ocean and took her naps with Grammy (my grandmother name at the time) on the balcony couch in the sun.
I am a school counselor turned counselor educator, professor, and author helping educators and parents to build social, emotional, and academic growth in ALL kids! The school counseling blog delivers both advocacy as well as strategies to help you deliver your best school counseling program.
I'm a mother, grandmother, professor, author, and wife (I'll always be his). Until October 20, 2020, I lived with my husband, Robert (Bob) Rose, in Louisville, Ky. On that awful day of October 20,2020, my life profoundly changed, when this amazing man went on to Heaven. After Bob moved to Heaven, I embraced my love of writing as an outlet for grief. Hence, the Grief Blog is my attempt to share what I learned as a Counselor in education with what I am learning through this experience of walking this earth without him. My mission is to help those in grief move forward to see joy beyond this most painful time.
