While our nest is headed towards empty with Afton’s graduation, Gerrit and Macy’s nest grew with the birth of Eliza Jane Smith on May 28, 2024.
She was born a little before 8 PM in the Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg, Idaho, weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce and measuring 19 1/2 inches. Macy was scheduled to be induced that day, so Shannon, Afton and I leisurely drove up north after an afternoon work meeting and arrived at the hospital in time for Gerrit’s tearful first minutes holding his daughter.
Were Gerrit and Macy excited about their new arrival? You can tell a bit by Gerrit’s “DAD” T-shirt that he had worn when they told us Macy was pregnant, and which was called in to service again for the big event when it became official. They’ve been having fun for months getting everything ready for a baby in their apartment.
There had been some concern earlier in the pregnancy that Eliza was on the small side based on ultrasounds, so we were all excited to see her perfect, slightly above average weight, little body.
Being there brought back memories and similar feelings of when my own children were born. With Ethan I was a bit nervous of the unknown way ahead, but the experience with him gave me a joyful confidence when Gerrit and Afton were born.
Shannon has asked me what I want Eliza to call me. I hadn’t thought much about there being such a diversity of possible names — Gramps, Paw, Pops, Opa, Granddad — a simple Grandpa seems OK to me, but I have a little time to reconsider. Shannon has declared herself “Nono” so that her name will be a quick one for Eliza to pick up, if she’s like many children.
Future Eliza: No! No no!
Shannon: Oh, you want me? Great!
Speaking of names, Gerrit and Macy asked their young nieces (Macy’s sister’s daughters) a while back what they thought the baby’s name should be. Answer: “Puddles”.
How does it feel to be a grandpa? It is hard to say exactly, and I’m sure it will evolve over time, but “wonderful” comes immediately to mind. Here is this tiny new person sharing some of my genes (and even my initials!) and in whose life I hope to be heavily involved, but I can leave the sleepless nights to her enthusiastic and much younger parents.
