Over three years ago, I lost one of my very best friends. That was my Nannie, my maternal grandmother. I loved this "old girl," as my mom and I often called her. I wrote this post about her and my Mimi.
These pictures were taken in May 2003, the night that my oldest daughter Mallory graduated high school. It was so hard to celebrate Shelbi's graduation with Nan not here.
Nannie and me
This ended up being one of everyone's favorite pictures of her.
Almost everyone in my family has this one framed in their home. :)
This is my favorite because that is the look I loved--- classic Nannie. In a crowd, she could give you this look and make you feel like you and she were the only ones around.
I have lost many dear relatives in my life, starting with my Poppa Dad when I was 21. Too many precious people to list here. Out of all of them, though, my Nan is the one I miss the most. So many of my childhood memories involve my grandparents, especially my best friend, my "old girl." Even her death, strange at that sounds, is one of the most precious memories I have. Many times she and I had laid in her bed together discussing "how awesome it would be to go to sleep and wake up THERE." There, of course, being Heaven. She always told me she hoped she'd go in her sleep. I prayed that for her and on a Friday afternoon in February 2007, God, in His mercy, answered our prayers. She passed away during an afternoon nap. How peaceful she looked, curled on her side, her hands folded in prayer close to her face. It was hard to believe that she was not just asleep. My sisters, my momma, and I sat by her side telling her good-bye while waiting on the funeral home to come. It was honestly the most peaceful time I've ever experienced. But when I think of her, it's the picture above that I see in my mind. Nannie with that twinkle in her eyes and that look that connected you to her, that look that said it all. I miss my Nan. I look forward to the day I'll see that expression again. :)
It must be instinctive for little girls to hold a baby--- because as soon as Harlee sat down, she spread her little legs and patted the space between them! She was so excited and kept saying, "Sweet Baby Leon!" =)
Great-Nana (my Mom) came to snuggle with him, too.
He is the easiest baby ever to get to sleep! He takes several long naps during the day and usually slept at least a 7 hour stretch each night! He's usually out within 5 or 10 minutes of rocking as long as he's touching skin. I guess that's from breastfeeding his first four months. In this picture, he just lay there looking into my eyes for about 15 minutes and just fell asleep that way. I teared up watching him fall asleep, just overwhelmed with how much I love him! After only four and a half months, I can't imagine my life without him in it. It always amazes me how quickly a baby makes you feel that way!
