I'm a grampa!

The day before Thanksgiving Connie and I left Prouts Neck, on the coast of Maine, and drove toward my dad's home in Wappingers Falls, NY. We spent the night at Bash Bish Falls, one of our favorite sacred places in North America (near Copake Falls, NY: part of Taconic State Park).

After Thanksgiving dinner with my father, step-mom, and half-sister, Connie and I drove to Jacksonville NC, where my daughter Sheena, a SSgt in the U.S. Marine Corps, was five days overdue with my first grandchild. 

When we arrived at about 2pm on Friday, November 26th, I kissed and rubbed Sheena's very pregnant belly, and said, "Okay Ayela Rene, Grampa Mike is here. Thanks for waiting, honey. You can come out now. We love you!" 

Wouldn't you know it, four hours later, after a nice long walk with the whole family, Sheena went into labor!

The next morning, Saturday the 27th at 9:53am, after a night of intense labor (I'm sure glad I'm not a woman!), Ayela Rene was born: 8 lbs, 4 oz and 21'' long.

To be privileged to assist my firstborn child in the delivery of my firstborn grandchild was one of the holiest experiences of my life.

See here for pictures of Ayela Rene with Grampa Mike and her daddy, Jon Stevens. 

Life just doesn't get any better!