"Goodbyes" are So Hard...

Difficult is an understatement. Heartbreak gets closer. I know there all kinds of levels of "Goodbye", but for some reason I really was not expecting the emotional response I had when I said goodbye to the new Windsor family in Australia.

I am pretty good at keeping my emotions under control... not counting Extreme Home Make Over and certain Hallmark commercials. I even held back the tears at Lauren's wedding. I really dreaded the moment I would start the long walk down the center aisle with her on my arm. I expected to be a blubbering idiot during that event. But, "performance mode" kicked in and I held firm.

Not so when I left Lauren, Daniel & Savannah in the hospital room as I departed for our hotel. Maybe it is something about a new grandchild, maybe it is the pure admiration I have for a daughter that labored and delivered without any complaints, maybe it's that I haven't seen them for over one year, or maybe that we won't see them again for several months. Not sure, but it sure was tough! My "performance mode" never showed up....

Tami stayed behind for another week with the new family. I'm sure she will be priceless as she cares for Lauren and Savvy. It was just as hard leaving Tami behind, even though I will see her in only 1 more week. It will be good to get home though, and see Jordan again. The only problem is that Jordan will be heading out of town tomorrow to spend time with friends. So, it will be Cody and me.... home alone.

The trip down under was wonderful. The weather was excellent, we toured several cool sites, Savvy finally arrived before I departed, and we got to spend time with L & D's friends. We even came to a decision on what I will be called now that I am a grand father..... "Granddaddy"! I call my grand father this to this day. He is in his early 90's. It will mean a lot to me to continue this name for the next generation.

Finally, I demonstrated one act of "real love" in my short time I spent with Savvy. Just hours before I left them, I offered to change her diaper (nappie). You guessed it.... she left me a gift to be remembered: a Poo! But, don't worry - it's like riding a bike. Without any preparation or instruction, I mastered the often unappreciated skill of changing a Poo-ee diaper with precision and efficiency. I hope to see her again soon. I'll change as many nappies as they want.....

Introducing Miss Savannah Hope Windsor!

Perfect!

• 8 pounds 8 ozs
• 20.4 inches long
• July 23, 2009
• 7:39 PM
• Lots of dark hair
• Beautiful skin
• Fully functional lungs
• Loving parents and grandparents

These are the stats I've been longing to write for almost two weeks now. Today is my last day in Australia, as I will depart in the AM. I will spend today at the hospital visiting my daughter, son-in-law, and new baby granddaughter. It's a great way to end a wonderful visit down under.

After a couple of hours of preparation at the hospital, Lauren started having contractions about 11:00 AM. She delivered Savvy almost 8.5 hours later. She had made very good progress throughout the day, but suddenly slowed when the pushing began. Lauren did not have an epidural. It was determined that the baby's cord was around her neck. (This happened to Lauren at her birth also) Savvy's heart beat remained strong, but this was

preventing the delivery. Once this was realized, the doctor was able to cut the cord, and the delivery proceeded quickly.

Lauren and Daniel both did extremely well. Daniel kept us updated and stayed with Lauren throughout. And Lauren demonstrated a passionate will to do whatever it took to deliver her first born as safely as possible.

There are many amazing things in this world, but none more so than child birth. I've been in the delivery room for the birth of my 3 children, and the waiting room for my 1st grandchild. Maybe the waiting room is tougher for me. But, nevertheless, it is a blessing to behold. On Tami's Facebook, you can see pictures of Savvy during her 1st 2 hours after delivery.

Savvy really is beautiful! She is bright-eyed, alert, with big feet, beautifully colored skin, and lots of hair. She has more hair than me..... I'm dealing with it.... I'm thrilled that I was able to see her in person before I return to the States. I'll never forget it....

Thanks for following us & checking in......

OK... We Need to Talk!

OK Savvy, we need to talk! Tomorrow your Mom will be induced and you should be with us sometime on Thursday, July 23, Australian time. Mom & Dad will be at the hospital at 7 AM in order to be first in line to begin the process of bringing you into the world.

You've been too shy for too long.... it's time to show your pretty face. But I have one request: Don't make it too tough on your Mom, OK? She's been preparing for your arrival for many weeks, trying to ensure you are as healthy as possible.

So, it's time for you to do your job.... just "fall forward"! Someone will catch you!

Your Mom has tried hard and has been advised on various ways to prompt your arrival....

She's done all of these except one..... can you guess which one?

1. Eat Pineapple
2. Sit on a washing machine
3. Eat spicy food
4. Drink soy milk
5. Skip down a road
6. Lots of walking
7. Jumping jacks
8. Walk on a sandy beach
9. Massage
10. Speed bump at 40 km/h

So far, you are still playing hard to get. So, tomorrow we're getting serious. After all, I depart from Sydney on Saturday morning. I want to see you before I go..... Sleep well tonight. Tomorrow is your birthday. See you soon young lady!!

Does "Late" Run in the Family?

Now there's a question!! Let's see, has Tami ever been late for anything? Ever? Let me answer it this way.... Do Australians use turn signals? Is hair over rated? Does Caitlin drink Starbuck's? YES! And from what I hear, it might run on Daniel's side of the family too.

We are still waiting on Savvy's arrival. She is 2 days late as of this writing. Not too bad in the big picture of life, but Lauren seems to think a bit differently. Tami, on the other hand, is rarely on time. You know how it works..... if we need to depart at 8:30, I tell her to please be ready by 8:15. That gives her an unknowing 15 minutes of "buffer" time. However, she's figured out my sneaky tactics. She expects me to build in buffer time now.... it's just a matter of how much.

Seems Miss Savannah has the same "I'll take my time" gene. Anyway, we are a patient lot, right Lauren? Lauren? ......

Today we visited a couple more baby stores... yes, a couple more! Funny how Tami is never late when it comes to baby store shopping. I think Lauren and Daniel have almost

everything they need at this point..... only missing one item......

We also ate lunch at yet another cafe-type establishment. It was very good, and very BIG! I ordered an egg salad sandwich.... I got an "egg & salad" sandwich. Check it out.

In this restaurant, it seems everything was big. (Look "behind" me)....

Tonight L & D will have dinner with some other friends that are here from Cincy, OH. Their friends are dropping off their

son to attend Hillsong College. Tami & I decided to skip the dinner and give them some time on their own. At least that's what we told them. Honestly, I just believe we really couldn't get there on time.....

Noticeable Differences

Since we are still waiting for Savvy to make her grand entrance, I thought I would write about several observations I've seen and heard in Australia that are different from the States..... here we go:

1. Vehicles drive on the left-hand side of the road
2. I have to carry around a Centigrade to Fahrenheit conversion table
3. Diapers are called Nappies
4. McDonald's is called Maccas by the locals
5. Gas is called Petrol and is cheaper on Tuesdays
6. The Australians always use their turn signals
7. Stop signs are rare - "round abouts" are everywhere! Turn signals are critical here...
8. Elevators are called Lifts
9. Bathrooms are called Dunnies or Loo's
10. Signs on the Dunnies state "Gents" or "Sheilas"
11. Everyone wears a scarf during this season - men & women... not me.
12. French fries are called Chips
13. Ketchup is called Tomato Sauce
14. You must have a unique power adapter for all US made electronics
15. No one has a tan, but everyone loves the beach...
16. Bacon is sliced thick - not thin strips
17. Most shops close at 5:30 PM except on Thursdays, when they're open longer.
18. It's hard to find auto-drip coffee. Espresso is everywhere.
19. Coffee shops are everywhere also. It's mainly a cafe-type environment.
20. You almost never see a pick-up truck. Lots of Toyota cars though!! Dude!!
21. Grocery store shopping carts have 4 wheels that swivel. I was spinning mine 360 degrees in the store... you could tell I was from "out of town"....
22. Cookies are called biscuits.
23. A parking garage is called a Car Park.
24. Carry Out food is called Take Away food.
25. And, Gum is called Chewy.

Lauren continues to do well. She is upbeat, although she tires quickly. We spent the day in a quaint little town called Windsor. (ironic) We walked, shopped, ate, drank coffee, rested, took photos, and enjoyed the sunny afternoon. We can't venture too far away since she is expected to go into labor at any moment. It's funny.... when folks talk to Lauren and ask her when she is due and she tells them she was due yesterday, almost 100 % of the time you can watch them all take one step backward. I tell them, "No worries Mate, we're ready. I have a car, full of Petrol, right over there in the Car Park. We have an overnight bag full of Nappies, Biscuits, and Chewy already on board. We'll make it to the hospital in plenty of time as long as she doesn't have to stop at Maccas and use the Loo on the way". By the way, the Biscuits are for me...

Thanks for all of your comments to the blogging both here and on Tami's Facebook. Stay tuned!!