Author - Jennilou Grace

Baby Number Two

August 3, 2016

Jennilou Grace

Lifestyle

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“Baby Number Two” – To Our Second Child Louisa Wren

You’re not our first; that much is true.

We loved another in front of you.

We are different parents this time around.

More composed and self-assured we’ve found.

With your sister, everything was new.

We were fixated on her every move.

Each day was photographed.

We listened to hours of her laugh.

Since you came, there’s a new dimension.

Two kids now need our attention.

And occasionally you’re left in your chair,

while we tend to your sister over there.

We cannot watch your every move.

Or, when you cry out, lurch to soothe.

We don’t panic every time you sneeze,

And then spend hours on WebMD.

Your strollers and clothes are hand-me-downs

some toys may have lost their sounds.

There’s less concern if your blanket’s itchy,

And your baby books may be a little patchy.

We know what the next months have in store.

And each stage you reach, we’ve seen before.

This doesn’t mean we adore you less.

This time the feeling’s more complex.

We’re content to see you learn and grow,

But it also pulls our heartstrings so.

We were so thrilled first time around.

This time we want to slow things down.

Your ‘firsts’ will all be ‘lasts’ for us.

Last crawl and last to ride the bus.

Final binky, breastfeed, spoon of mush.

Last rock-to-sleep, last cry to hush.

You were not our firstborn this is true,

But the last child we will have is you.

You’re the last lullaby we’ll ever sing.

And ‘lasts’ are a special kind of thing.

Love Mom & Dad

Our Proposal Story

October 20, 2014

Jennilou Grace

Lifestyle

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On our trip to Dominican to see our friend Mike in the Peace Corps, Jeff asked if he could take me on a drive. When I asked him where we were going, he said, “You’ll find out!” So I get on the bike he rented, and we started driving and driving. After a few hours, I’m like, “Can we stop for a second?” He’s says, just wait a few more minutes, we are almost to the coast. Soon, I can see the water and we pull into some sort of fishing village. I head into a store and ask if I can use the bathroom. I was in luck. When I return, Jeff is talking Spanglish to a few men and he motions me over. I’m like, “What is this?” “Don’t worry,” Jeff says, and the men smile and motion us to their trash boat. Two hours go by and its starting to get late. All I know is that we are in the middle of the ocean, on some kind of barge. I’m, like, “What is this?” And I see that Jeff is crying. And he’s like, “I got lost. I don’t know where we are. I’m so scared.” “I got lost. I don’t know where we are. I’m so scared.” And I’m like, “Where were you trying to drive us?” And he’s, like, ” To the beach Mike took us to yesterday.” And I’m, like, “That’s only ten minutes from Mike’s apartment. How could you get so lost!?” And he’s’ like’ “Please don’t yell at me right now!” And so we get up and find the Captain, but he barely speaks English. And he refuses to turn the ship around. So Jeff takes out this diamond ring-which I guess he’d been planning on giving to me – and he says to him, “If we give this to you, will you take us to land?” The captain grabs the ring, squints at it, and nods his head. Eventually, we get to land, and when we see the dim light of Mike’s apartment, Jeff pulls the bike over and we both burst into tears, just out of sheer relief. And Jeff’s like, “Will you marry me?” And I say, “Yes!!!”