Anxious mothers are one thing but anxious grandparents are in a different and higher league of anxiety. Huttonian and the wife have been left in sole charge of the youngest (oz) granddaughter while the senior daughter and eldest grandchild are in Paris recce-ing schools and accommodation suitable for a two year life amongst mes amis les Frogs. It is strange how long cherished parenting skills now seem so difficult after the first generation have spread their wings and flown south. The yg is not a difficult child, sleeps well and eats like the proverbial quadraped but somehow the responsiblity for looking after this tiny person weighs heavily on our shoulders. Last night the elderly folk were sleep derived as four ears in varying degrees of decreptitude strained to interpret the noises coming through the baby monitor. Muffled sobs? or suppressed chuckles? Heavy breathing pressaging a tantrum or two. Worst of all silence. Had the monitor gone on the blink-better get up and take a peep around the door. All is well-she has moved since we last looked all of ten minutes ago. Back to bed-silence-ah a noise. Is she awake? Should we react to the sobs; no give it a few minutes; silence. Pad down the corridor. She moves. Lie awake wondering if she will disturb us. Will we hear her if she really cries. Perhaps there will be a power cut and we are asleep and the monitor is cut off? And so the long night wore on. Huttonian eventually took refuge in Mr P's vacant bedroom out of earshot and the wife will to night camp out in the yg's bedroom out of sight but within easy distance of unimpeded rescue.
By day it is easier but still fraught. The constant risk that a sudden fall as she practices her standing, her cruising from chair to chair may give her a fright and make her realise that her mum is not around as she looks for comfort. Watch her like the equally proverbial hawk. Time her sleeps so as she does not get over tired and over anxious. Hard work, worrying work but the reward is her bubbling presence and her uncritical love.* Anxiety 5 Joy 6 (after extra time)
* Enough elderly sentimental babbling Blog-ed
