Well-Baby Visit Today

     18 ounces!  Yes, in one week, our little princess has added that much weight.  Today, she weighs 7 pounds 12 ounces.  Obviously, she's keeping her mama quite busy with feeding times.  The other good news from the doctor visit today is that she finally passed her hearing test in both ears.  We weren't really concerned, because we'd seen plenty of evidence already that she hears quite well, thank you very much.  But if she hadn't passed it pretty soon, she'd have been referred to a clinic in Santa Fe (two hours away) for a further evaluation.  Nothing against Santa Fe--it's a pretty drive between here and there--but we feel like we're all busy enough right now without adding that to our agenda, too!
    

Hope Rose is Finally Here!

Here at last!  Our beautiful little grand-daughter, HOPE ROSE, was born at 10:48 am (MDT) just two days ago, Saturday, September 17!  She weighed 6 pounds, 11.1 ounces and was 20 inches long.  She has gorgeous soft, black hair just as her brother did, and dark eyes.  We think she has her mother's eyes, nose, mouth and ears, too.  And we all think she is the spitting image of her brother who hasn't yet met her but will on Tuesday.  We are eager to know how he feels about being "big brother" and having a little sister around.  He has seen pictures and is already calling her, "my baby."  Everyone is fine, but Esperanza is not getting much sleep yet so she is pretty tired. 

Hope--Highly Anticipated

     Esperanza is now 4 days past her due date (40 weeks and 4 days into her pregancy.)  Yesterday the doctor ordered some tests at the hospital for early this morning.  We now know that little Hope Rose is just fine, that she IS a baby girl (who already has lots of hair), and that if she hasn't put in her appearance on her own by Monday, the 19th, Esperanza will go into the hospital at 8 am to have labor induced.  (Hope's big brother was born on the 18th of April; maybe Hope, too, will come on the 18th!) 
     It is now no more than three days until we meet this newest addition to our family.  We are all very eager to get acquainted.  Her big brother, Frankie, will soon be learning what all the hubbub about a "little sister" means.  Many changes ahead in all our lives--we can hardly wait!

...But, We Have SNOW!

     Not that it's in the same category, or a substitute at all, but since there's not yet a tiny baby to write about and photograph, I can let you know that we are now looking at what I guess is the "first snow of the season."  Fortunately, it's at 6,000 feet higher than we are, on the peaks of the mountain range.  We've had lots of rain down in the valley the past several days, and as a result much cooler temperatures (it's 52 as I write this).  We find it quite fascinating to observe the long chains of clouds hovering about half-way up the mountains.  The clouds look like smoke except that they are not moving, just suspended, "halfway between earth and heaven," so to speak.

"Maybe this Weekend...."

     The midwife's words to Esperanza today:  "Maybe this weekend..." have made us all a bit jittery with excitement.  She's 4 days away from her due-date, and we're spending all our time together at this point.  Bob and I returned to her spare bedroom this past Sunday night and will be staying there for the next few weeks now.  We get out to our house daily, to water flowers, pay bills, check mail and e-mail.  After dinner, we return to Esperanza's for the night.
     Two more "bets" have come in for when little Hope Rose may put in her appearance.  Friend Carol in Montana thinks maybe it will happen on her hubby's 70th birthday, Sept. 14 (Esperanza would prefer not to wait that long) and Bob's sister Mary Lou in Michigan is betting on the due date itself, Sept. 12.  We'll soon know!
     It's hard to imagine life with two wonderful grandchildren to love and "spoil."  I sometimes wonder whether our hearts are big enough, we've felt so totally "in love" with Frankie.  Yet we know many parents and grandparents have wondered the same and found, in amazement, that there is always more love, and enough to embrace each child and grandchild.  Much more stretching and growing seems to be in our near future.

The Sweet Big-Brother-Soon-to-Be

This hardly needs any words.  But I'll just say that this little guy's smile lights up all our days here in New Mexico.  Frankie makes all the "work" of this move and transition more than worth it.  And today, he made Grandma's heart soar when, after she said to him, "I love you," he repeated, "I lub you!"