He’s arrived.
Logan William Blenner.
My newest grandchild and first grandson.
Born in the early morning hours of the April 11 blizzard.
Luckily, the wintry weather didn’t hinder his Iowa parents from getting to the Storm Lake hospital before Logan’s 3 a.m. arrival.
The weather hindered this grandma, however, from meeting the little tike until some 36 hours after his birth.
He didn’t seem to mind.
Logan didn’t utter a peep as the nurse wheeled his clear plastic bassinette into Courtney’s hospital room. Only a little sigh uttered moments later was excuse enough for me to scoop him up and look closely at the newest bundle of joy.
I have to say he’s perfect.
His soon-to-be 2-year-old sister thinks he should have stayed at the hospital.
Jayden is no longer the only grandchild, but I think she will be OK with that.
Everyone brought her a gift along with the new baby items.
I also packed my brightly colored cloth “Grandma” bag, filled with toys and snacks. It came in handy when her dad and I and the other grandparents left the mommy and new baby to grab supper at a restaurant.
The grandma bag distracted Jayden as we waited for our food.
I also learned more about the first grandchild.
She likes Ranch dressing, as she used her whole hand to scoop the white salad topping into her mouth.
“All done, Mee-Maw!” she chimed.
Mee-Maw.
A previous column detailed that I wasn’t called a name. I was just a smile and silence and that was all we needed to sync our minds and I knew what she wanted.
“Come, Mee-Maw!” is her favorite saying as she quickly pats her thigh and runs off. The family dog gets the same signal to follow.
The day after meeting Logan, I was able to accompany Jayden to her first Easter egg hunt.
I definitely have to share my wisdom about why no one likes to eat the marshmallow-y, sugary, funny-shaped chick candy but once a year when she is older.
This time spent with Jayden and now with Logan is not just babysitting.
An article shared by social media site Shareably indicated spending time with grandchildren helps you live longer.
The finding comes from the Berlin Aging Study.
Researchers concluded caring grandparents’ lives were filled with less stress, more physical activity and more cognitively stimulating that those grandparents who don’t babysit their grandchildren.
Unfortunately, too much babysitting can have the reverse effect.
A study out of Australia found stress returns when too much energy is devoted to babysitting and the stress returns along with physical exhaustion.
After the Easter egg hunt, Jayden and I waited for her little brother’s arrival home for the first time.
I couldn’t wait to extract him from his car seat and snuggle him once more.
For two hours we peacefully sat on the coach together while Jayden played on the floor and her parents emptied the car and put items away.
The down time with Logan was relaxing and reinvigorating, especially when it came to entertaining Jayden again.
Then came naptime, which we both can enjoy together for a few more years.