We've only been home from Colorado about 72 hours and I'm ready to go back. The weather in Summit and Park counties was wonderful - sunny and pleasant every day we were there.
Coming home to tornados, clouds and rain is a real shock.
As I expected, we made good use of the time, shooting more than 2,000 photos with excursions to Rocky Mountain National Park, Mesa Verde and Moab, Utah, not to mention 4WD forays over Boreas Pass and up Mosquito Gulch. It was a glorious time and a welcome relief to months and months of having to share our time with one or both of her kids.
My younger son's wife went into labor Friday night, which worked out nicely since we'd already planned to leave for home early Saturday. As it turned out, we left at 3:30 a.m. Saturday and arrived at my son's house 20 hours and 1,300 miles later, just in time for the birth of my first grandchild.
Little Elisabeth has a cleft lip and palate, which came as no surprise since it showed up months ago on ultrasounds. The good news is that her soft palate is intact, so she can develop plenty of suction for eating.
My son and his wife already have a team of specialists lined up to repair the lip and hard palate and their first appointment is next Monday.
I never thought much about being a grandparent, so I'm still turning the idea over in my mind. I've decided I like it. While it's a reminder of advancing age, it's also a promise of immortality - at least as far as projecting my DNA into the future is concerned.
My son is a jazz musician and the little girl's middle name is Ellington, as in the Duke. My wife and I were much relieved by their name choice. An earlier possibility was Anika - rhymes with the Jewish holiday - and I was secretly hoping they'd come up with something a bit more conventional.
Granted, it wasn't as avant garde as Moon Unit or Dweezil, but it didn't do anything for me.
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