He stole my heart even before birth.  I have been so excited to meet him.  To hold him.

I learned of him last September.

As the pandemic wore on well into its second year, we were all weary of daily life. Chef Boy ‘R Mine, however, had taken a job offer in his dream city of Chicago and was there scouting out apartments when he called me.  His life was dynamic and moving forward.  He had married the love of his life two years earlier. I could hear him breathing a little heavy as he walked, fast as always, the streets of Chi-Town. 

I can’t remember how he led up to it, but something like “So, I’ve got the news.”   And then, “Vanessa is pregnant.”

It took a second for the words to register and then I whooped.  I have been joking with them since the first Christmas he brought her home that I needed grandbabies.  In fact, I made them both a Christmas stocking and put baby onesies in them.  In fact, I’ve been nagging Jeremy about grandbabies since he was in middle school.  I have always known I was born to be a grandma.

Such a surprise.  Such bad timing, but oh what a wonderful, wonderful surprise.

Some moments of the pregnancy were a little concerning and, of course, there were the joyous moments.  His entry into the world was late by 10 days and dramatic. May 29^th in the wee small hours.

Oh, but he was worth the wait. 

I am so in love. Julien Conrad Leinen.  His middle name is after my dad.   Jeremy and my father were uncommonly close. My dad would have been so tickled.  I’m sorry he missed this milestone.

I hope Julien and I can have a similar relationship.

Oh, how I hope.  I’ve always said that Jeremy was the love of my life. Julien has now claimed that title. Oh, how in love I am. 

Every Christmas since then, I have given one or both of them a onesie for my future grandchild. They have run the gamut in styles, design, and verbiage. Throughout the pregnancy, I have bought clothes — primarily onesies. They didn’t exist when Jeremy was a baby and they just knock me out. I think they’re so cute.

So I had one custom screen printed. It is going to be my favorite. I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought it. It’s sized 3-4 months so it will be a bit before he’s big enough. Oh, but isn’t it perfect!