Good News and More Good News

Allison, Danae, Kjersti and Chelsee have all written about the newest member of our family, Kameryn Lee. She is beautiful and perfect and such a sweetheart. She has won us over already and she isn’t even two weeks old yet. She was born on April 29, 2006.

That was the day I had planned to travel to Wyoming to help my family go through some of my mother’s stuff and decide who should get what. I was a little nervous about going, since Kjersti had gone to the hospital on Thursday night with some contractions. They had sent her home, but her contractions were continuing. I talked to her on Friday night to see if she felt okay about my going. She gave her permission, so Geoffrey and I started out early Saturday morning and enjoyed the drive, listening to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince on tape. We arrived at my mother’s house just before 11:00 a.m. and were the first ones there, so we went to have an early lunch. Then we stopped to get a housewarming gift for Danae and Gary, since we were planning to be back in time to go to their open house Saturday night. When we got back to my mother’s house, GayLynn informed us that Danae had called with news that Kjersti was in the hospital, in labor and dilated to 5. I was at loose ends then, trying to wrap things up with my family, saying hello and goodbye to everyone and trying to get out the door. I was convinced that Kjersti would have the baby before I could get back. I drove at 80 mph whenever I thought I could get away with it and arrived at the hospital at around 4:00 p.m.

Kjersti hardly seemed to be in labor at all, compared to my own six experiences with labor and delivery. An epidural has quite the effect. She was calmly watching the monitors and talking to family members like there was nothing to it. She made it look easy. Wes and Danae had been at the hospital with Kjersti ever since they had found out she was there, giving her their support. Wes left shortly after I got there and then Danae left a little later to be hostess at her open house. I didn’t ever make it to the open house. I stayed with Kjersti (at her request) right up to and during the delivery. Kameryn was born at 7:41 p.m. What an experience it was for me to be there at the birth of my first grandchild! I don’t even have words to describe the feelings that went through me when I saw Kameryn mere seconds old and heard her cry for the first time. I cried. It was as exciting and touching as the births of my own children, but without the pain.

I took the next week off work and spent most of the time with Kjersti and Jay at their new apartment. Jay had also taken the week off and was a most attentive father. He also seemed happy to wait on Kjersti hand and foot, though this is not a new behavior for Jay. Kameryn is blessed to have come to a family who loves her and wants to make her happy in every way.

So that is the good news. The “more” good news is that, on the Monday following Kameryn’s birthday, I received my Fen-Phen settlement check. Yeah! I had stopped looking for it, since they said that the deadline was extended and it would be “several months” before I could expect the check. I was thrilled to have the money. I don’t even have to report it to the IRS or pay any taxes on it. So I have put it into savings and plan to use it to spruce up my house and yard, to pay off some of my bills and to supplement my income, so that I can stay in my house a little longer. If I can stay there for another year, I won’t have to pay a prepayment penalty to my mortgage company and can make another $20,000 profit on the sale. I know I said if the money came in time, I would go on a Kurt Bestor cruise, but now that it is here, I just want to feel the security of having it in my savings account. I compromised by buying tickets to see Kurt Bestor in concert on June 8th. I am also looking into airfare to Kodiak, Alaska to visit Wesley for a week. We can talk about that, Wesley, when you come in June.

So, all in all, life is good right now and I am enjoying my new status as Grandma Hanna.