Sometimes Nana DOES know best…

Lil’ Man’s daddy decided to get a motorcycle…Nana said, “Don’t get that! It’s a damned death trap!” because she KNOWS her sons.  Well, guess what?! He didn’t even have it 36 hours, wiped out and hurt his shoulder.  He’s in a sling. I went to take him some money, but he had me to go ALL the way across town to take it to Daphne and told me to do so via the phone because he didn’t want me to see him like that. God help her!  I took it to her and let her know what he said to me…

Now bear in mind I had NO idea about his wrecking the motorcycle already. He never said a word about it.  She burst out laughing and told me EVERYTHING.  I then made it a point to call and say “I told you so!” and one of these days when I am dead and gone, I am certain that they will hear those four words echo in their heads every time they do something that in my life worried me to death about them all!  I take comfort in the fact that ONE DAY Lil’ Man’s daddy is going to know this feeling ALL TOO WELL!

Sometimes things do NOT change when the kids are grown…We still are concerned over them and there are times when we KNOW their personalities well enough that we KNOW with dead on accuracy that there are some things they cannot handle. Lil Man’s dad and motorcycles definitely do not mix…

Have a great weekend!

Letter to Lil Man:

Dear Kevin D. (aka “Lil Man) Thomas:

You are a child who is blessed with a mother and father that love you.  When I held you in my arms the day you were born, it brought back memories of when I held your father in my arms.  Like your father before you, I knew you were a fighter with a strong spirit.  Even now, almost 7 months later, I can see the love in your eyes just as I saw it in his.  When you reach for your mother, in your eyes, you are reaching for your guardian angel.

I may not show my emotions much, but they are there.  I would lay down my life for you, your mother, your brother and sisters, your father and/or your uncles on any day of the week. That is how much I love you all.  One day you will know what I mean by that but for now I log that here.  Maybe one day, when you are old enough to read it, then you will understand that our blood runs deeper than the muddy waters of the Mississippi River and our ancestry is important–all sides of it so embrace it and learn about it.

While I am here, I will show you what I can, but the rest will be up to you one day.  May you walk in beauty.  May the road rise up to meet you and the wind be at your back as well.  Above all,  These are blessings from  2 parts of your ancestry–the Irish and the Native American. You must also learn of all of your ancestors for there are valuable things you can carry through life with you.  I do know that  a wise person will always find his or her way (from a Tanzanian proverb) and that is my hope for you–to find a way–YOUR way in life.  

Know who you are and where you come from. That is something nobody can ever take away from you. Above all, when you are older, live your life and go for your dreams. That is my hope for you.

With Love,

Nana

PS:  Sleep well, Lil Man…

 

Nana is Taking a Friend’s Advice…The Book has Begun… (Back to the Nanahood)

 

“The person I once was is not the person I am, and I emerged from a moment in time stronger than about 90% of the population…I had to endure what I went through. Why? That would be the question most would ask. I would say it is simple. My enduring what I did prevented someone else who couldn’t handle it from enduring it in my stead. I had to embrace the child I once was and then let her go quietly to rest in peace for she is no more. In doing that, I could move forward with strength and determination. That being said, age is truly a number and I am living my youth now. Anyone who cannot handle it, that is because somewhere along the way you lost your vision…I didn’t lose mine–but it did change with time. For that I am grateful…”–Introduction for my first novel “From Cell to Cell”.

 

And now it has begun to have a life of its own–outside the walls…

 

Nanahood Philosophy…

I have reached the conclusion that the best legacy I can leave to my grandchildren is to do what you love, let the world know you love it, and never be afraid of what others think of it as long as you are satisfied with what you have chosen to do to leave your mark on the world. IN doing so, never look back with regrets because that is the one thing that can slow your progress. Move forward. Strive for excellence and never let others define your self-worth or decide your path for you. It is your life to live, not theirs. You have to own your mistakes as well as your achievements–and when you can do that and not blame others, it is easier to be at peace with yourself and the decisions you make.

I spent much of my life trying to make others happy, often at my own sacrifice. Those days have ended.  I walk my own path rather than that which was set for me.  It is my hope that my grandchildren will also do this.

That being said, I am considering a 6-12  month teaching assignment in China.  Whether or not I do this depends upon what happens at my job in the next few weeks.  I want to see the world. I want to share this with my grandchildren.  Nothing is impossible when you put your mind to it, right?  I fully intend to write about my experiences wherever I go, just as I used to do on this blog. I am going to return to the mountain in the morning to ponder this as well.

I have to do what I have to do. Hopefully things will work out here, but if they do not, I have other doors through which I can readily pass.  Nothing is impossible.  Have a  great weekend everyone!

 

There are more pics to come, but this little guy has really brought some light into my life!

A Big Day in the Nanahood!

 

Meet my grandson, Kevin D. Thomas! He finally decided to make his début onto the world stage at 1:20 p.m. on 7/18/2012! He weighed 7 lb. 14 oz and is 20″ long. Believe me when I say this kid has a set of lungs on him too!

Well everyone, without further adieu,  Nana is getting some sleep! I had a big day and came home to a ton of laundry to do! LOL!  I got it finished-finally!  I got called at 1:20 yesterday morning and 12 hours later, the little guy arrived!

 

Nanahood–What part is this?! Everything’s Here–Including My Bout with Postpartum Depression…

Okay…Here’s the latest! I went to the baby shower for my first grandson who should make his début kicking and screaming sometime next month.  I say that because if he is anything like Kevin Sr., we’re in for a ride, that’s for sure…Kevin (MY SON) had a set of lungs on him that could have been classified as ear-splitting wmd’s and hopefully my grandsons will have those too! I can handle that noise but I can’t say the same about people who like to honk their horns when I’m trying to SLEEP…

I already gave both grandsons “the lecture” too.  “Don’t be a corrections officer.  Go to College. DO something with your life.” and that was it.  I didn’t add the “…if you don’t go to college.” bit at the end of that.  I guess I should have…Well, they’ll get another lecture anyway.

I find myself remembering when I had my 3 sons.  Eric is a first time dad and Laura is a first time mom…The first time the kid sleeps all night, they’ll both be up checking to see if the little guy is breathing.  I think we ALL go through that when they sleep all night at first. Then there are those growth spurts (if either of them nurse) where the baby will want to eat every 30 mins for a week or so, and it will drive ’em mad because they’ll think the baby’s not getting enough milk, when he is…He just eats more often during a growth spurt.  In case some of these anti-breast feeding nurses end up coming at you, remember one thing:  get as much of the areola into the baby’s mouth as you can.  That way you don’t get sore nipples. Yes, those nurses are still out there and they don’t want to let me hear their BS about why formula is better either.

Hopefully, neither of the girls will go through the postpartum depression crap.   It does exist and Tom Cruise is a total idiot for trying to act like he knows something about it when he doesn’t know jack.  He’s not a doctor and if there is one thing that makes me mad it’s when someone tries to play “armchair expert” at something they have NO experience with.  He hasn’t lived those remarks to Brooke Shields down yet, either.

I had postpartum depression with Eric so I KNOW it’s real and I wish it on NOBODY.  I would cry and cry thinking that I had to be doing something wrong. At one point, except to feed Eric and change his diaper and such, I stayed in bed for 2 days straight. Found out later what caused Eric’s crying for hours was severe colic.  Dad stepped in several times during that point because I went through it for about 4 months until my hormonal imbalance (which creeped up on me) was straightened out. I wouldn’t eat for 2 days or so (something my sister didn’t know about but Dad did), and at other times I’d totally zone out. My dad and I became close again after I had my kids, and I am grateful that in hindsight, I can see that he knew what to do!  He had me tell my doctor when he took me to the base one day. When they did the blood-work, my hormone levels after 2 weeks were still all jacked around at levels that resulted in my getting more blood-work each month.  Ironically, I didn’t go through it with Brian or Kevin.

Either way that shit is real and anyone who says it doesn’t exist has his/her head up their fanny. It’s that simple. I hope if either girl goes through that they’ll get in touch with me or their mom…Why? Because most men just don’t get it. Seriously! Kevin would be so freaked out if Daphne went through it he’d be beside himself.  That’s the NEXT discussion I’m having with him by the way. He needs to know what to watch for.  To be honest, I didn’t realize I had it–I just thought I was losing my marbles and doing everything wrong.  No matter how reassuring Dad was and such–I could not pull myself up by the bra straps and get my head out of my fanny either, so the doctors were really cool about addressing it.  My main one told me that once my hormone levels went back to normal I’d be fine and it sometimes takes more than 2-3 months…Well, that’s what happened, but it actually took 4 months with me.  Going back to work helped some, but I wore my mask well.  I didn’t let it show, but Dad knew…Seriously…Couldn’t hide shit from the man…

There is just something about that father-daughter bond that never goes away regardless of what goes down…I miss that guy…AGAIN.  I’m sure he’s laughing because all the weird stuff happens with me…When I had Kevin, he called to tell my niece had been born. Her name is Chelsea…I went to the bathroom, sat on the toilet and my water broke. I called him back and said, “Well Dad, your grandson is on his way!”  He laughed so hard and said, “Well the strange stuff always happens with you.”  I wasn’t about to disagree because the pattern never changed. Seriously…I mean look at this chapter of my life–Nana getting the double whammy–TWO grandsons that will be about 2-3 weeks apart! How often does that happen? Better yet, what are the odds of  moms having kids on their birthdays? I’ve done that too!

By the time Eric was 4 months old, and under the docs care, I was back to normal.  Thank you Dad…At least the girls know if they need a breather, I’ll have a twin stroller and a crib at the house.  First thing’s first. I’m buying a big refrigerator. Something tells me I’m gonna need it–just like SOMETHING told me not to go to China when the opportunity came up.

Well I am SERIOUSLY hoping for some rain today. We certainly need it!  Have a great week everyone and enjoy this pick of Daphne and the best creative work I have seen from a teenager! Gives you an idea of what name they are considering for Grandson #1 (said in Charlie Chan voice)!

There were tons of gifts inside of this thing! The girl who made this should market these! They are great! Those are rolled up disposable diapers set in tiers and the compartment inside holds a LOT of stuff! This is my favorite pic from the baby shower! LOVE YA Daphne!