A Name for Baby!

Hello little one.....
          Your parents have decided on your name!  What an
exciting day.
          Miss Karley Jo Janser!
          You are being named for your very wonderful great
grandma Donna.  Her maiden name is Carder and her
middle name is Lee (as is mine).  Your dad's sister's middle
name is Jo, so you have something from both your mom and
dad, but in your own unique way.
          From now on  these blog posts will be addressed to
you by your new name.
          Love, Grandma
         

Pets

Hello little one.....
      You are growing so big and momma's tummy is stretching
to give you more room. Doctor says that we can expect you
around March 1, 2011, but your mom says February. Daddy
has been working on your nursery already!
      When parents have babies they must feed them, keep them
safe and teach them how to live in the world.  This is a big job
- but it is done with love and forms a special bond between the
parents and the baby.
       Children have the same job to do when they get pets.  Pets
are animals we keep in the home for love and companionship. 
They can be dogs, cats, horses (they live in a barn), birds,
guinea pigs or many other animals. Pets can't take care of
themselves, so basically have the same needs as babies (food,
water, safety, shelter, medical care and most of all - LOVE).
Pets love you back unconditionally ( that means "no matter
what"). They will be your best friend when your feelings are
hurt, when you are lonely or feel "lost" in the world. But you
must take very, very good care of them.
       Your parents have two dogs (Tommy & Guiness)and a
guinea pig (Cooper).  I have two Bichon Frise's named Ricky
and Riley. Ricky is partially blind (he can't see) and needs
extra help to stay safe.
       You will be able to play with all of our pets until you are
old enough to have one of your own.  Something will attract
you to the pet that is "just right".  I wonder what it will be?
       Love, Grandma
      
       

      
    

Happy Birthdays!

Hello little one.....

       Your mother and I are in Bend, Oregon to celebrate your
G.Grandma Donna's 82nd birthday.  It makes me anticipate your birthday
to come!
        Your birth date is the day you enter the world as an independent
(but very dependent) human being.  Then once, every 365 days
thereafter you will grow one year older.  How many years you age
will determine so many things .....when you go to school, when you drive
 a car, when you vote, etc.
        With your birth date you will be given an astrological sign - which is said
to represent certain personality traits. Astrology represents the configuration
of the stars and the planets on the day you were born.  Right now....you are
anticipated to be a Pisces if you are born when the doctor predicts.
        Every year as your birthday approaches, your mom and dad
will plan a party to celebrate your birth and achievements during the year. 
Oh, they are so fun!  There will be balloons, presents, games and best
of all....a birthday cake.  On top of the cake will be a candle for every year
you have grown! As the candles are lit, everyone will sing
"Happy Birthday to you".  It is your day to feel special.....to be honored
in the family.
       Today is G. Grandma Donna's party and we will celebrate the 82
years of her life. She is a wonderful grandma.  Today, all she could talk
about was YOU!  She didn't want presents for herself, she wanted to
buy things for you! Little baby clothes and a beautiful set of crib blankets
& decorations for your room with jungle animals all over them! So pretty!
      You are coming into a wonderful family. One full of love, generosity
and care for one another.....I am glad you can be here , in your mommy's
tummy, to celebrate with us....
      Love, Grandma
      
       
     

Fashionista?

Hello little one.....
       Your mother and I have already started shopping for your
clothes.  What are clothes, you ask?  Good question!
        Clothes started as pieces of material people would wear to keep
warm, to keep clean or to protect their bodies from injury or the weather.
        During the Great Depression, when your Great Grandma Donna was
a little girl, she got a new dress or a pair of shoes once a year - but
never both.   Clothes were sewn by hand and washed by hand in a
big tub.  They were hung outside on a clothesline to dry in summer
or hung over the furnace in the winter. Clothes were mended when
they got torn or lost buttons. They were handed down from child to child.
        When Gr.Grandma Donna had her own little girl (me) the economic
times were better! She wanted me to have the things she never had, so she
wanted to take me shopping. But I wouldn't go!  I was happiest in my 
jeans and sweatshirts and wanted to be riding my bike, reading, swimming
or riding my horse! What a disappointment I must have been!
        Your mother Shelley, however, was a fashionista from the day she
was born. For her, life was about the outfit she got to wear! No jeans
and sweatshirts for her. Designer labels were IT! P.S. You can get lost
in her closet, so know how to send for help before entering!  :)
        Unfortunately, in this modern world and properous economy,
clothes and fashion have become bigger than life.  They have become
a way to communicate "personality" to the outside world; to proclaim your
social status; to attract friends and lifemates or to rebel against authority.  
As clothes cover less and less of the body, it seems people have forgotten
why we have them in the first place!
      As you are growing up, I hope you remember that clothes
are just clothes.  They have a function and do not define who you
are as a person.  Designer or K-mart......it doesn't matter.  What
defines you is what is in your heart and your head. I promise to love
you whatever you are wearing.... (but we will definitely have to
discuss tattoos and other body art).
      Love, Grandma
P.S.  The prettiest thing you will ever wear is a smile!
      
            

     

Contrasts in Life

Hello Little One,
       The world is an amazing place.  It is full of sights, sounds, colors, tastes,
textures, smells and other sensations.  We learn about things by comparing
one experience to another.
       For example:  if everything were colored "white", then there would be
no words on this page and nothing to see!  So a great gift to us are the colors
we see in the world.  A red stove tells us the stove is HOT and "do not touch".
A puppy's pink tongue tells us he is healthy.
       If the world were quiet (no sounds), then we couldn't hear each other
speak.  We wouldn't hear a car honk warning us to get out of the way. We
wouldn't hear a baby cry, telling us they need something.
       Some food smells so good when it is cooking (like apple pie) and some
food doesn't (like fish).  But they both taste good when you eat them!
       Plants and flowers are fun things to plant, grow and touch.  But some
flowers like roses have thorns and poke (ouch!)  Some plants, like carrots,
are good to eat. Some plants, like coconuts, are good to drink from!
       You  will have moments that make you feel happy or sad.  Happiness
is something we all want.  It feels good.  But, there will be moments that
make you feel sad too (like losing a favorite toy).  It is all part of
learning by contrasts.
       So far you have lived in a small world that is soft,  rhythmic, wet, warm
and very comfy.  As you are thrust into a new world on your birthday, you will
encounter many new contrasts to learn from - kind of like an adult feels
when they go to LAS VEGAS!  It will be so shocking to you that it will
make you cry.  It will make your family cry too.....but that is another contrast.
      Enjoy!
Love, Grandma

Toys vs. Technology (Books)

Hello little one.....
      You are coming into a rapidly changing world. One of
the greatest transformations is in the world of technology.
The best way that I can explain it is, that things we used to
do in real life are now done by machines.  These machines
can be big or little.  Even toys are becoming machines.
       Books:  When I was little we couldn't wait to get a
library card.  In first grade our class walked to the library
and sat at the small tables in the children's section. The
librarian would read us a story, then we could explore
and pick a favorite book to take home with us for the
week. It was so fun!
       Now people have iPADs, Kindles and Nooks....little
machines that download books out of the air onto a computer
screen!   
       So I wonder, will there be no class trips to the library
for you?  No sharing books with other kids, hovering over
beautiful pictures or puzzles, no talking about the things
you have learned from the books?
       Books are worlds of magic, to cuddle up with, to
enjoy and to line up in your bookshelf to enjoy anytime
you want. Your mother has even saved some books
from when she was a little girl.  Just wait until you get
to ride The Magic School Bus or meet The Berenstein
Bears and Harry Potter!
       Grandma's house will always have a bookshelf for
you with many books to explore.  You and I will have storytime! 
You will hear my voice go up and down, happy and sad, excited
and mad.  You will touch the fuzzy little duck or the furry
RunawayBunny.  For awhile (until you get seduced by the techno
world)  you and I will travel the galaxy of REAL books together!
Love, Grandma
  
     

Thinking pink....

Hello little one.....
          Sugar & spice and everything nice....
          Pony tails, bobby sox and painted little fingernails...
          Dolls, play houses and "ring around the rosie"...
          Puppies, guinea pigs and ponies...
          Singing, dancing and playing the piano...
          Making pancakes and baking cookies...
          Trip to Disneyland to buy a Minnie Mouse dress...
          Reading books, playing games or stories by flashlight...
          Riding a bike, then driving a car
          Dances, then proms with swishy long dresses
          Oh what fun you will have and I will have again!
          Love, Grandma
         
       

Boy or Girl?

Hello my little one,
        Your mommy says that this week you will grow to
be the size of an orange!
        Tomorrow your mom and dad will go to their
doctor and she will use a special camera to take a good
look at you.  Part of that picture might tell if you are a
girl or a boy, so everyone is excited.
        Does it really matter?  Of course not! We just want
you to be healthy and happy.
       But this is a world of "compartments" and humans
seem to need to put things in categories to be able to
understand them. For instance, it is hard to tell the gender
of a newborn baby.  So mommies dress little girls in pink
and other feminine colors to indicate that her baby is a
girl.  Boys get blue. Isn't that so silly?  You may be a
baby that likes purple or orange (those were your
parents wedding colors).
      When I was a little girl even our careers were decided
by gender.  Girls became homemakers/wives or teachers or
nurses.  Boys became policemen, firemen and were
"bosses" or CEO's of all big businesses. Girls wore
dresses with sashes and boys wore pants.
      But all that has changed in my lifetime.  Girls can be
CEO's or astronauts or doctors.  Boys can become
dancers or nurses or stay-at-home dads. 
      So, tomorrow when we find out if you are a girl
or a boy - don't feel that you are compartmentalized.
Life is a stage without walls and the play is all yours
to create any way you want it!
      Love, Grandma Sharry
      
        

Work for babies

Hello my little one,
       It is Monday and the beginning of the work week.  Work is a little
word that has so much meaning.  It is a job - something you do to earn 
your place in the world (where you live, the food you eat, the clothes
you wear).  It is a way to contribute to society with your own special
skills and talents - to make the world a better place.  It can be
something you do to improve yourself - like going to school.
       Work requires physical and mental effort, focus, giving up some
things for others, doing things you may not like to do, getting along
with other people and dedication to finishing what you have started.
Work for babies can mean learning to walk, talk and dress yourself. 
The older you get - the more challenging the work becomes.
     The more skills and talent you possess increases the chance that
you can choose the lifelong work you want to do. This is called a
career. Skills can be learned in school, life or on your own. Talents
are skills that you have naturally, but even they need cultivating
and nurturing.
      In this society skill sets are currently recognized by "degrees"
from schools, but many things are not learned in schools.  They can
be learned from other people (your mom and dad) or even
playing computer games.
       EXPLORE!  Ask questions like "why?"; think about things
you see, dream about how things might be in the future and find
out who you are.  If you are lucky enough to be able to match your
skills and talents to the "right job".......your life will be so much more
fulfilling and enjoyable.
       You will hear the word "competition" in the work world.  But
remember, you are only in competition with yourself....to be the
best you can be.  There will always be others who have more or less
skills than you have.  Be happy for them.  Learn from the ones who have
more skills and help the ones who have fewer.  The world and the work
world needs this kind of teamwork.
      My wish for you is that in life you will enjoy the work you do; that
you will have the freedom to choose your work and that it will fit your
skills and talents like a glove! 
      Now, I must go to work myself.....and yes, I am lucky enough to
have all the above!
Love, Grandma

Naming baby

Hello my little one.....

           Right now your mommy and daddy are thinking about what they will name
you.  It is an important decision because your name stays with you for your entire
life.  They are looking for a name that will fit the baby you, the child you, the teenager
you and the adult/professional you.  They want one that will fit with your last name
(Janser), and one that is unique but likeable.  One that will not lend itself to teasing
(other children can be mercilous here) or ridicule. And, of course, one that doesn't
bring up bad memories for either your mom or dad.

          Most, but not all, names imply gender. This week when your mommy goes
to the doctor she thinks that she will know if you are boy or girl.  So the name
selection gets easier. 
Your Great Grandpa LeRoy hated his middle name his entire life (Horace).
Your Great Great Grandpa Gilbert Wesley was always called "Butch".  Your
Great Great Grandma Gertrude was called "Peggy". 
       Although my name is Sharon, I have been called Sharry since I went to nursing
school and found 4 other Sharon's in our school. That just seemed like too many!
       Your dad's name was created by his mom.  Your mom was named for my 
favorite teen star Shelley Fabares.  I really wanted to call her Anne Wesley, but
that was vetoed by the grandmas!
       So much to say that your "proper" name is just a beginning. 
       You will make yourself known in the world and the nick-naming
will take care of itself!
       Love, Grandma

Welcome my little one......

8/28/10
         Your mom tells me that you are the size of a lemon today! 
Wow, so small, but I love you already!
        Today I am starting this blog.  It will be a place for our stories, between you
and me, and a place for me to store bits of wisdom it has taken me a lifetime to learn.
The world is changing so fast - maybe it will seem old-fashioned.  But if you are
ever looking for answers, maybe, just maybe they will be here for you.
         I will always be here for you (and your mom and dad too)....to love you no
matter what, just as you are.
         There is already a little rocking horse at my house and a barn with wooden
animals to play with.  We will have so much fun.
         So here we go......hang on for the ride!    
 Love, Grandma