So I became a Grandfather today...

[CCGREEN]

So at 52 years old, 24th of January I also became a Grandpa for the very first time. I have always wanted to be the alpha dog of youth. So the thought of being Grand anything scared the hell outta me.

Now that im here though and cannot change it will someone please explain how this is supposed "to change my life forever"? The child lives in another town and state seven hours away from me. It is three weeks old, my son and his wife.............ohhhhhhhhh now there is the ones who's life are going to be forever changed.

I could probably understand this a bit better if we lived closer but till then I shall continue to be perplexed.

[kat]

So sorry for your loss.
Congrat's on being a grandparent. I have 5 grandkids, they are the best.

[Striderswife]

Now that im here though and cannot change it will someone please explain how this is supposed "to change my life forever"?

It may take a while, like, a year or so, but you will start to think of things in a different way. Right now, at three weeks old, this new baby is just a tiny, screaming, pooping, sleeping little package (that smells really good right after a bath). It takes about three months before they're any fun, and then it's in short little bursts before time to eat or sleep again. Anyway, after that while, you'll start to see things you'll want to send. When the kiddo gets a little bigger, there will be phone calls, and videos sent by email, and one day you'll come home to find a little voice on your answering machine saying "I love you, Grandpa!" and you'll want to keep that message forever! I'm nowhere near having grandkids, but this is how my parents have become since my sister and I provided them. My father lives in Vegas, and we only get to see him once a year (or less, sadly). So his daily life as Grandpa Phil hasn't changed, but I know it makes his day when I send pictures and other stuff to him.

Just give it some time (maybe a LOT of time), but there will be rewards.

[Judy Canty]

The child lives in another town and state seven hours away from me. It is three weeks old, my son and his wife.............ohhhhhhhhh now there is the ones who's life are going to be forever changed.

Hmmm...my grandson is now 16 months old. He lives in Chicago, a 16 hour drive from here. In GG and Grandpa time, that's a 2 day trip. We've made the trip several times and love that boy more than we ever thought we could. Perhaps you should find out the child's gender before it gets too old.

[Wes]

J, don't beat him up too bad. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of my young (not as young as I think) self being a grand anything either. I made this thread to force myself to deal with it. Getting old is hard on everyone, and the "old" milestone takes different forms. This was ours.

[Judy Canty]

Surely you're not implying that I'm OLD???????

[Wes]

Whoops. "Mine"

[optilady1]

I grew up without a Dad present, but I had a very active grandpa near-by, and another that I saw only 4 times a year. Even though I am much closer to the one who I saw almost every day (he walked me down the aisle at my wedding, with my Dad sitting in the church), I was still very close to the other as a child. You won't need to be there every day to be a 'grand' pa. You just need to have a little more patience than mom and dad, and be willing to allow your buddy to follow you around. I do agree it will take time if you aren't into babies in the blob stage of life. That's my favorite age, because they can't talk yet.

Have fun Wes. Can you put a car seat in that sweet sporty car of yours? They say spit up is easily cleaned off of leather...

[galrand]

Tried to upload my grandaughter's picture - No luck!!

[Wes]

I grew up without a Dad present, but I had a very active grandpa near-by, and another that I saw only 4 times a year. Even though I am much closer to the one who I saw almost every day (he walked me down the aisle at my wedding, with my Dad sitting in the church), I was still very close to the other as a child. You won't need to be there every day to be a 'grand' pa. You just need to have a little more patience than mom and dad, and be willing to allow your buddy to follow you around. I do agree it will take time if you aren't into babies in the blob stage of life. That's my favorite age, because they can't talk yet.

Have fun Wes. Can you put a car seat in that sweet sporty car of yours? They say spit up is easily cleaned off of leather...

I could, but now that you mentioned "spit up" we'll be taking the hoopty. The hoopty is a 98 civic with a bazillion miles...

[optilady1]

I could, but now that you mentioned "spit up" we'll be taking the hoopty. The hoopty is a 98 civic with a bazillion miles...

Oh come on, even hoopties don't want baby barf.

When my youngest was just a baby, I wanted to invent a spit up bib that absorbed the goo without it going through to the clothes. I changed that child about 5 times a day. I'd feed her and then, watch out!

[Striderswife]

Wes, if that sweet sporty car is a convertible, be aware of car seats with the bar that lifts up over the baby's head (like the bar that comes down over you on a roller coaster ride). When my little guy was almost two years old, we went to visit Grandpa Phil in Vegas, and took with us that kind of seat. We went straight to a restaurant from the airport, and after dinner we were gonna cruise the Strip with the top down. I had left that bar up when we took K out of his seat (like always). Grandpa Phil went to lower the top, and the bar of the seat got caught in the back window as it came down and popped it, sending glass all over the backseat. *Sigh* Thankfully, his SO had her car there too, so K and I rode with her, and Strider rode with Grandpa back to the house where we could clean it out. I felt awful about it the whole time we were there. B^[

[uncut]

I hear that beer counterbalances the milk barf smell!

[Wes]

I hear a beer-smelling car is a bad idea, especially since I drive through a police checkpoint daily.

[optical24/7]

I hear a beer-smelling car is a bad idea, especially since I drive through a police checkpoint daily.

How's that prisoner work release program treating you?