Corey and Danielle are going to be parents.  Yay!!!!  That means…………..yes, you guessed it, Mark and I are going to be GRANDparents!!!!!  It is the first grandchild for both sides of the family so he or she will be spoiled ROTTEN.  The due date is June 1 but anybody who has had a baby knows those due dates are kinda useless so we’ll see.

A message to our first grandchild:  You will be loved and cuddled not just with our arms and with all the blankets and sweaters and booties and hats that I am making for you, but with our hearts.  Everybody is excited to meet you.  Uncle Keith and Uncle Justin are excited to be uncles too.  They will be wonderful uncles for you.  Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Grott are excited for your arrival too.  Yes, you will be loved – oh but wait, you already are and you’re not even “here” yet.

A message for Corey:  You have told us since you were a teenager that you wanted to be a Daddy.  When we would go to buy shoes for YOU, you would look at the teeny tiny suede work books and want a pair someday for your baby.  You will have that pair now.  Boy or girl, your baby will have a pair of those shoes.  I couldn’t/didn’t buy them for you then, but I will now.  I also want you to remember and adore when that baby starts moving inside of Danielle – when you place your hand on her tummy and feel YOUR child moving – or put your ear to her tummy – or when you hear the heartbeat – the miracle that the two of you have created a little person – amazing.  There is plenty of joy for Daddy too during a pregnancy.

A message for Danielle:  I’ve already told you but will say it again – enjoy EVERY second of pregnancy.  The bad parts are bad, no argument there.  I hope you don’t have a 10 lb. 9 oz. little guy like Corey weighed, but if you do, look what became of him.  He was worth every inch of that pain.  On the other hand, the great parts of pregnancy are amazing.  That child growing and moving inside of you – kicking you to say “hello” – total joy that you will never forget.

A message for Corey AND Danielle:  Be the best parents you can be.  Corey – you were told over and over again when you were growing up that you will be better parents than we were.  Parenting is a learning process – every generation SHOULD be better than the one before just because you can learn from our mistakes.  I hope you also take away the great things that we did as parents.  I know you’re really not fond of my response when you would ask for something that we could never afford in our wildest dreams:  “I’ll get you two!” – so you may not use that with your child but then again……………maybe you will???????

Best wishes and you will be a great Daddy and Mommy.  What a lucky baby.