Grandparents what memories are you making

11 years ago

I have an 18 month old granddaughter. When we found out that she was going to be born, I started a sort of letter to my granddaughter where I told her about her. I spoke about how big she was each week during the pregnancy, how her mom was feeling, what was happening in our lives etc. I've keep this up now for the past 18 months. I've been writing down little things that her mom has told me when I talk to her on the phone - and I've written down what happened during my visits to her house. Not everything I write down is good news. I've included bad news such as deaths and job losses but I say nothing that I would not want her to know someday.

Fast forward to now and we found out that they are having another baby in June. Yay - fun. But now I realized, I need to start a new letter for the new baby. Yikes - this is going to be a challenge. I don't want the next baby to feel left out at all. We are certainly excited but the excitement is different. I already kept track of the week to week development. Do you think I should be doing this for the next or skip that part? Do I keep track of what her mom says like I did with the first or will this be boring to her. After all, they still have the letter on the first baby.

I think my fear is that I'll write something on one letter that will contradict the other letter. After all, I'm writing about us to and what we are doing. This almost always leads to a story from a long time ago before they were born.

So here's my question - do I keep this up with both (and possibly more in the future) or do I hit delete and decide this project is just to big? I don't want to hurt any feelings in the future.

Another question, what are you doing for your grandkids for a keepsake?

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Comments (6)

alisande
11 years ago
What you're doing is wonderful. Your grandchildren will be so grateful to have this, and their gratitude will multiply the older they get.

I see nothing wrong in giving the same letter to each child. If you want, you could personalize them by adding comments, including each child's name, here and there. But writing two completely separate letters could quickly grow to unmanageable proportions. Giving them the same letter is much better than hitting delete! And it's possible you'll have a third grandchild someday.

As a writer, I'm leaving behind so many shared thoughts and histories that my kids and grandkids will probably never want to read it all. My journals, files filled with saved letters, my blogs, family tree, and on and on, may end up being more of a burden than a treasure, but--as they say--it is what it is. With two surviving children and three grands (so far), maybe they'll just split it up.

I think probably the biggest keepsakes I've created are in photographs. I'm the family photographer, and have created some photo books I hope will last a long time. Two I'm particularly proud of are The Second Nine Months, covering my grandson Joey's first nine months after birth, and From Poppy to Peachy: 40 Years of Family Pets.

This year I'm working on Year One With Two (the first year with Joey's baby brother) and a book not yet titled about my extended family, including ancestors.

Plus for a number of years I've been digitizing our family photographs--the ones I took when my children were growing up, and the thousands my dad took in the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. It is quite a legacy.
pattico_gw
11 years ago
I don't know what I'm doing but my 8 year old great grandson came in last night...as he was taking off his coat....he said...."awww there's my precious grandma"

I had to wipe away a few tears.

patti
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I, too, am concerned about the dog situation. Perhaps I'm reading things that aren't there, but you said the dog was released from a pen--that sounds like it wasn't truly a 'house pet' kind of animal. Animals who spend a lot of time in pens often aren't as well socialized as those who spend all their time with the family and are much more likely to act aggressively. I'm sorry, but in a case like that, allowing the dog to run free around a 3-year-old when no one was apparently keeping an eye on the situation was a really, REALLY dangerous thing to do--the result was predictable. You also said that they sued your ins. to cover their medical bills and seemed to have a problem with with that--that's what you have insurance for. Why should the parents have footed the bill for damage your dog and your husband's carelessness caused? Your message seems to indicate that the little girl was pretty seriously hurt ('she's healed nicely' and the fact that their suit was apparently successful seem to indicate her wounds were fairly substantial). Actually, a dog bite is one of the easiest ways to get your home-owners cancelled--the companies consider that responsible pet owners have a duty to keep their pets under control, that bites are preventable. You seem to be blaming them for the cancellation--I don't know many young families today who can afford major medical bills, they probably did the only thing they could. You could, of course, prevented the claim, by offering to pay the bills yourself, right? Please consider how you would have felt years ago, if you thought someone caused harm and hurt to one of your children--you sound like you care about your children and would like to care about your gk--I imagine you'd have been pretty upset if someone else hurt one of them. Can you put yourself in the parents shoes and imagine how they might feel? I feel very badly that you're not getting to see your granddaughter as much as you'd like, but I do agree with the above poster. Some counselling would certainly be in order--for all the family--so that you can work out the many issues that your family faces. Good thoughts to you, your husband and the rest of your family. I truly hope you find the help you need to work this all out.
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chisue
11 years ago
Scissors -- You are essentially writing a diary. I have a children's book titled "What Miranda Knew" that is about a cat who witnesses the events in the lives of an older couple. You might record "What Grandma Knew" for your grandchildren.

Alisande -- I have a National Park Series CD, "The Sounds of Shenandoah". It includes an instrumental dedicated to ancestors called "Those Who Came Before".
User
11 years ago
I'm making books for my grandson. The first one was made and finished a year ago, and after it was printed, I gave it as a gift to his mother (my sons girlfriend), for Christmas.

Beginning the day he was born, and finally finishing last week Saturday(his 1st birthday), we put together a second book. A picture a day for 365 days of his first year. I'm just waiting for one thing that's left to put in his book and I'm sending it to be published.

I printed a second book for myself, which I'll do with his picture a day book too. I jokingly asked my son and his girlfriend if we should do a second year book. Thankfully both said thanks but no thanks. It's not as easy as it sounds when you have to rely on someone else taking the pictures. I had to remind them almost every day not to forget to take a shot of him doing "something".

With me loving to take pictures of him, I'll have a ton of shots of him as he grows. Both with his parents, but with both our families, her side and ours.

Here is a link that might be useful: The book I made last year

This post was edited by debby_ab on Sat, Nov 15, 14 at 17:30
glenda_al
11 years ago
My grandson and I have a great relationship. Don't see him as often, when he went to high school and now in college, but we do talk at times.

He used to write me "love"notes when he was young and I kept all of them.

Couple years ago, I made an photo album for Christmas and included his special notes to me. His eyes teared up when I showed it to him.

I plan to update photos for him this year. Gotta get busy.

I call him my #1 Grandson and his comback is Grandmother I am your only one, and I say that's why you are my #1.
phoggie
11 years ago
I bought all of my grandchildren the book "Grandma Remembers" which has the history of yourself from your birth through your life..first pictures, school pictures, wedding pictures, the child's parent when born, school, wedding, the story of the grandchild etc. Also a family tree etc....as well as a place to write a letter to the grandchild. I give it to them when they graduate from high school and they love it!

Grandparents what memories are you making

Comments (6)

alisande

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