Thrill of a Lifetime

Being a grandparent is a very special blessing once you have raised your children and are now watching them spread their wings.

We have six wonderful children. At the time of this story, two of them were married, and each couple had presented us with a beautiful granddaughter. Then our oldest daughter, Kari, and her hubby, Jim, announced that they were expecting another baby. Their daughter, Jaime, was four years old and became very excited about having a new baby to cuddle.

Dick and I rushed to the hospital and sat with Kari and Jim as soon as we got the call that Kari was in labor. All seemed to going fine but, at one moment, a nurse announced that she was hearing a heartbeat from the baby on the opposite side of Kari’s tummy, but she was not concerned.

Kari went to the delivery room as Dick left to get Jaime from nursery school, and they would wait at home. The doctor said that I could watch from behind a glass enclosure, so I was delighted. I watched Jim holding Kari’s hand as she pushed, and suddenly this beautiful pink, perfect baby boy arrived. Many of our family members had arrived by this time, and all were behind the large doors waiting to hear about the arrival. I ran out and told them that all was well and that now the Freemans had a new little boy.

I then returned to my viewing place to find Kari and Jim, both with wide eyes, and the doctor telling Kari to push. Suddenly, the doctor stood up with another baby. I saw this tiny baby, all blue with a cord around his little neck and appearing to be sleeping. I panicked and ran back out, told the family this shocking news and that I did not know if the baby was alive.

Returning again, I found the doctor had unwrapped the cord, was massaging the baby, and then tapped hard on his little feet. A big cry emerged and baby turned pink. TWINS! What a shock to Kari and Jim.

The babies were named Scott and Michael. The family all gathered at the nursery to see the newest family members and we were all shocked and thrilled at once. I called Dick and he rushed to the hospital with Jaime. They arrived at the window for viewing and we pointed to Scott and said, “There’s your new grandchild.” Dick had Jaime sitting on his shoulders cooing at the baby, when we told them the baby next to Scott was his twin brother. Tears came to Dick eyes and he stumbled back against the wall behind him in complete disbelief. With her little eyes in wonderment, Jaime exclaimed, “Do I have two brudders?”

What a great joy the twins have been, as we have watched them grow into fine young men. This was a very special event in the Shelley family and the thrill of a lifetime for Grandma.