A MIRACLE!

WHAT a day!!!  I cannot tell you how much joy floods my soul over what would seem like such a "no big deal" thing to most, but to me, it means God really does love me, and the devil is a LIAR!

If you've read my blog much, you know there are family issues that cause me a great deal of heartache, one of them being that my first great grandchild was born in early June of this year, and until just a few hours ago, I had NEVER seen her.  And if that wasn't bad enough, I was told that I never would see her.

Babies are SO WONDERFUL, and they have a way of working their way into the deepest depths of your heart.  This baby, especially.  Jerry has said from the very beginning, "This child will save their lives!"  He meant the lives of Mommy and Daddy who were 16 and 17 at the time and in and out of lots of trouble I won't go into.

All these months, I have KNOWN I have a new granddaughter, but I tried to just think of her as someone else's child -- a child I would never know personally.  Jerry and I would pray for her and her parents, and we felt that was the only connection we would ever have with her.

So what happened???

I guess it was Thursday night -- about 11 PM.  I was up watching jewelry-making videos on my laptop in the living room.  VERY unlike me.  I am usually sound down by that time of night.  My cell phone rang, and I thought right away, "It HAS to be Countrywood about Mom", so I walked over to answer it.  I noticed it said "Kourtney" at the top of my phone.  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?  Did she accidentally butt call me, or what?  Very strange.  Being the super curious personality that I am, I decided to answer it just in case it actually was an intended phone call to me.

Hellooooooooooooooooooo?, I said. 

Hi, Grandma.  This is Kourtney.  I was just going to leave you a message.

Oh, really? 

Yes.  Jake and I have decided we WANT you to be in Jourdyn's life, and we would like to take you out to dinner some night.

For about 3 seconds, I tried to run through all the reasons I should hang up on her or yell at her or scold her, but I decided THAT FAST that I didn't care what happened in the past -- or ever -- I just wanted to HOLD my baby.  I told her how proud I was of her for calling me because I knew it had to be very hard to do.  We talked about 15 minutes, and she said she would find out next time Jake was off and let me know.

I hung up and went to bed.

So now it is today -- Saturday -- two days since she called.  Margaret wouldn't let me come help her, so I had nothing to do but think about my life.  In my head popped the memory of my conversation with Kourtney on Thursday night, and I decided I wanted to see my baby NOW. 

I called her.  She was lovely.  She said Jake had to work at 1:00, but she didn't have to work until 4:00.  She said she would come over so I could meet Jourdyn if I wanted her to.  DUH! 

I ran around the house making sure everything was safe -- like a 3-month old baby could climb up on my cutting table, but ....  I was so excited! 

Kourtney arrived a short while later.  I took over Jourdyn as I handed Kourtney the camera.  She was lovely to me, and she let me fondle the baby -- take her clothes off -- play with her toes, etc.  This baby stole my heart in a MICROsecond because she reminds me EXACTLY of my daughter, Tammy, when she was a baby.  Looks so much like her and the same easy-going temperament.  It was like hugging my own daughter, and tears fill my eyes as I write this sentence.  I miss her so.  No, she isn't dead -- just dead to me by her own choice.

Here is little Miss Jo Jo as her Mommy calls her:

She was barely inside the house before I snatched her up in my arms.  I think her Mom was expecting a snow storm with her in that little coat.

She snuggled with me like she has known me forever.  Quiet and calm and let me snuggle her to pieces!

I love NAKED babies.  I am KNOWN for it.  If Kourtney had not forgotten to bring an extra diaper, this baby would have been totally naked.

I did get her down to her diaper and tickle her precious tummy.

The child OBVIOUSLY needs a shirt that says "I'm wild about my Great Grandma", but this one will do for now.  Good thing GG sews!

And Margaret called me JUST as Kourtney and I were sitting down at Louie's for lunch.  I asked Margaret if she wanted to join us, and she drove right over.  She had just eaten breakfast so only ordered tea.  That's why she got to hold my baby and feed her while we ate.  Kourtney was lovely to Margaret who she had never even met before.

I know Margaret was wondering HOW ON EARTH this scene had suddenly happened.  I told her I would tell her later.

Who cares anyway.  We will take it from here and thank God for our baby.

I called Boo and Hollie in Alaska to tell them all about it because they know how much I have grieved over family "issues".

Hollie reminded me that they are going to have FIVE kids, but not until she finishes college.

Okay.  I figure I'll be Margaret's age by then, so that will work.


Better sew something.

Why do I suddenly want to get out baby patterns or start a pink quilt???

Hugs, Joy