Love you, baby

I have been derelict in my duties. And I've been feeling really, really guilty about it. I've wasted so much energy feeling guilty, I could have used it all to do what I should have been doing instead of feeling guilty about not doing it. Such is the way of humans.

I have been maintaining daily posts on my Word Press Little Bits of History blog. I have been maintaining daily posts for Examiner.com. For the first, I usually have to polish or add or improve the text before I post it. Little Bits of History is from the first volume, something I've never been that happy with. But to put it out in front of the world, just in case, I have to fix it. Examiner, on the other hand, needs links and pictures. So while I don't have to polish the text, it takes me a fair amount of time to find the extras.

I've been moderating one forum and my DSis/baby – also known to me as Cheri and to the forum as Time Pig) – has gotten me to join another forum. She also talked me into Skype and Facebook. All great ways to spend time. Time I will never get back. Spent and gone. And instead of doing this, writing on my first blog, I fritter away time doing essentially nothing.

And it isn't like I don't have important news. Francesca Rose was born on June 29. She was absolutely perfect and hasn't changed since. Well, she is already getting bigger and stronger, but she is still perfect. She was born via Cesarean section at 7 PM. Cheri was in town visiting (she comes for all my granddaughters' births) and we were at the hospital – after a stop at Carter's Outlet – the very next day.

I got to hold Frankie before she was 24 hours old. Eight pounds, three ounces and 21 inches of perfection. Soft and mushy. Cuddly and wiggly. Eyes startled wide with wonder at this bright place.

The baby and her parents were home by the weekend and not having the sense God gave spit, we descended on them again. Nothing a new mother wants more, especially after surgery, than to have in-laws drop by. But … I needed a baby fix. And so I got one. I was a baby hog and monopolized our time with the sweetest newborn on the planet.

The next weekend, the new parents and the old parents were requesting a break. We stayed away from the babies and luxuriated in old cootness. We even went out to dinner using our gas money for a meal out.

But this past weekend, we were back again. We celebrated Morgan's birthday, which is always fun. Little kids have no trouble with expressing greed. Pure greed. It's great. Oh, to be young again.

Before we hit that party, we stopped by Frankie's house and talked to her parents while I held and stroked and kissed and loved this new member of our family.

Frankie, we are your people. We are here for you. Today, tomorrow, forever. You are the best newborn we got. And I should have told you that sooner. I did whisper it to you. Now I will shout it to the world. Love you, baby.