Hangin' with Lyla in Redwood City in Her Watermelon Baby Outfit
“It’s funny what happens when you become a grandparent. You start to act all goofy and do things you never thought you’d do. —Mike Krzyzewski
We spent the day hangin’ out with our granddaughter Lyla at our daughter Michelle and our son-in-law Kyle’s new home in Redwood City. When Lyla was born 8 months ago, we shared the great news with our friends and family, many of whom have become old hats at this wonderful stage of life where one’s offspring gives birth to a new generation of offspring. They all said the same thing: “Savor the moments, it only gets better!" We treasure our time with Lyla whose name in Persian means Dark Princess and in Hebrew means night. Cecile and her sister Sherry who are thirteen months apart and grew up in Chicago would always say "Laila Tov" to one another before they went to sleep which means "goodnight.” But, in contrast to the meaning behind her name, Lyla is a beaming ray of light that brightens our day and brings joy beyond measure whenever we are in her presence.
The watermelon outfit Lyla is wearing for the first time happens to be the same baby outfit Michelle wore when
she was Lyla’s age. There are no words to describe the feeling Cecile and I both felt watching our precious little grandchild wearing her mom’s outfit. It brought us back in time. Aside from the joy of being Nonnie and Papa, our given names, for grandma and grandpa we get to witness how Michelle has become the attentive, loving mother her mother was and continues to be.
As someone who likes to journal and take photos, I am have become self-appointed archivist and blogger who enjoys documenting family events and other celebrations of life on Facebook and my blog site: enjoyyourlifenow.net
The photos were spontaneously taken throughout the day. The first photo is of her is sitting on her blanket on the front lawn of her new home. The second photo is her holding an envelope containing a letter of acceptance from Stanford University. Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself:-), but
as the pop hit song lyrics go: “Anything Can Happen.” Then there’s Lyla with her big brother Decker who loves to lick her face, fingers, and toes as if she were a popsicle.
Here is a poetic offering by an unknown author called: "We Love You, Little One" that speaks to the spirit of how we feel about our little princess and appeals to parents and grandparents alike.
We’d daydream of the things we’d share,
Like bedtime stories and teddy bears.
Like first steps and skinned knees,
Like nursery rhymes and ABC’s.
We thought of things you’d want to know,
Like how birds fly and flowers grow.
We thought of lessons we’d need to share,
Like standing tall and playing fair.
Each nap time we lay you down to sleep,
We gently kiss your head and cheek.
We count your little fingers and toes,
We memorize your eyes and nose.
We linger at your nursery door,
Awed each day we love you more.
Through misty eyes, we dim the light,
We whisper “We Love You” every night.
We loved you from the very start,
You stole our breath, embraced our hearts.
As grandparents and grandchild, our journey’s begun,
Our hearts are yours, forever, little one.
After a long day, of feeding Lyla, taking her for a walk in her stroller to the local park, playing with her, kissing those chubby cheeks, making her laugh, reading her bedtime stories, feeding her, putting her down for a nap, alas it was time to go. Cecile and I ended up at Terrain Cafe at Stanford Shopping Center for an early dinner al fresco on their outdoor patio and counting our blessings in the midst of a challenging week, before heading home.
