It was a crazy day and crazy night today baby! I was so tired I was barely functioning but we had places to go and people to see! I picked you up from daycare early today so that you could spend more time with Auntie Val then I came back to work. I figured it would be an easy day at work because it was the Friday before a holiday weekend. Nope, called that one wrong :) I was busy all day!
When I picked you up at Gramma's, you were HUNGRY. We fed ya, changed ya, let ya play a bit then it was off to Lansky's to have dinner with some of your family on Grampa Larry's side. You got to meet The Funsucker - oops, Auntie Cindy, Dan, and Zachariah. You were quite smitten with Zachariah - you just kept looking at him and smiling when he would pay attention to you. Great Gramma Dorothy, Susie and Fred also joined us. After that, we went up to visit Uncle Ugly on his 60th Birthday. I realized that is Great Uncle Ugly to you :) We got to see more of Grampa Larry's family - Mark Sr, Mark Jr, Gregory and, of course, the man of the hour - Skeet. You were dancing with Auntie Cindy and looking at all of the decorations. There were lots of balloons that said 60 on them even though your Uncle Ugly kept saying he was only 39 or some nonsense like that :) I think the Blankmans were happy to see you/meet you and hang out with you. Thank you for being such a good baby with all of your Blankman family tonight.
You know how when you were growing inside, I tried to "keep it real" when I was talking to you? Well, I have to keep it real tonight buddy. Mommy had a rough night tonight. For awhile, after Grampa Larry died, it was difficult for me to be with his family because all of his siblings look so much like him. But, it has been a few years and it doesn't bother me anymore. But, tonight, I was so overwhelmed at the party. It was the first time you had been with 4 out of the 5 of them all at one time. Auntie Sue and Uncle Ugly were at your baptism but there were so many Blankman's there tonight that it was hard on me. Seeing you be held by Auntie Cindy and seeing a party just pointed out to me who wasn't there and who was missing out. Honestly, I felt like Grampa Larry was with us - at two different times, it felt like I could *see* him walking across the room. Then, I could picture him walking around with you and showing you off. You know how Grampa Keith is so proud of you & he will hold you, walk around with you and act like a proud peacock? I could so easily see Grampa Larry doing the same thing that it was hard on me to remember that he isn't here anymore and he is missing out on you.
But, I also had a huge realization and maybe I had to go through the hardship to end up where I did. I was talking to your Aunt Becky when we visited her. I told her that I am sure I was supposed to be taught something by Larry dying so young but I hadn't figured out my lesson yet. I think that part of that lesson was revealed to me tonight. Until Grampa Larry got sick, I don't think I realized how lucky I was to be part of such a great "step" family. Once he was sick and then when he passed on, I have felt closer to them and I think it took him passing for me to realize that. I was always on the outside of things with them because I had a lot of family - we had Grampa Keith's family, the Faimans and then the Brighams. So, on holidays, I used to miss out on the Blankman side because we had so many places to be. They always welcomed me into their family but I was pulled in so many directions that I didn't really allow myself to fully embrace being a part of that family. But, when Grampa Larry got sick, I kind of jumped into the family head first and haven't looked back. It has also been a blessing because it is more people to love you up! I really doubt that your Grampa Larry got sick just to prove this point to me but it is always nice to try to find some silver lining or lesson in each hardship we go through.
So, baby, that is about it for today. I haven't been that deep on you for a long time. You are sleeping, I am off to sleep and we will head out to Minnesota in the morning. Even though we are going to have fun with your Baby God Daddy, we are missing out on a lot here in Omaha. We are missing Jeremy & Kylie Shark's party, a party at Auntie Becky's, and Baby Finnegan is in town but we won't get to see him. We will make sure to remind Baby God Daddy how lucky he is that he ranked so high on the social calendar :)
I will add pictures of you with all your Blankman family when we get back in town!
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