February 14, 2002
Having a child had changed their lives so much. There were feedings every four hours. There were diaper changes every six hours. there were songs to be sung. there were stories to be read. there were dresses to be changed. There was laundry to do. There were walks to taken. there were hugs to be given and there were kisses to be had. Randi and Dave loved every single moment of it.
Dave balanced Ireland in one arm and a tray of special breakfast food in the other. Dave made heart shaped pancakes and scrawled 'I luv rand' in maple syrup on them. They walked into the bedroom where Randi was getting dressed.
"Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart." Dave said. Randi watched her family walk in.
"Oh god...I forgot." she hit her head with he rpalm. Dave chuckled softly laying the tray on her dresser, "Oh Dave thats lovely. I didn't get you anything."
"You don't have to get me something just because it's valentine's Day." he said, "I have everything I want already. You and Ireland....but I did get Ireland something." Dave laid his daughter on the bed.
"what did you get her Dave?" Randi frowned sitting next to her daughter, rubbing her belly. Dave smiled.
"Just wait." he ran out o the room. Randi scooped Ireland up.
"Youre daddy is up to something little one." She said looking at her hazel eyed daughter. Ireland drooled slightly. Randi chuckled.
"You girls ready?" Dave asked from the hallway.
"No, but come on." she chuckled. Dave walked in holding a chocolate Labrador, "Dave! thats a puppy!"
"I know." Dave chuckled sitting on the bed. The tiny puppy looked up at Randi with large brown eyes.
"Why do you have a puppy??"
"I thought our little one should have something to grow up with." Dave smiled showing Ireland the puppy, "I was thinking about calling her Dixie."
"You can call her whatever you want. its yours and Ireland's puppy. not mine. im not cleaning up after it." Dave laughed.
"You dont have to. I'll do it all." He said, "when Ireland is old enough she can help."
"I better not have to do a single thing." randi groaned. dave smiled letting the puppy explor the house.
"Eat your breakfast and we'll head on over to your grandmother's house."
* * *
Helen busied herself in the kitchen. She had a dozen more cookies left to bake. she promised the church she'd have the later that night. She took the previous batch out and cooled them on the counter. She pushed a whisp of grey hair behind her ear as the doorbell rang.
"Oh gosh. who would be here at ten in the morning?" Helen brushed the flour off of her hands and rushed to the door, "Yes?" Helen's face brightened up when she saw Randi.
"Hey grandma." She smiled.
"Randi!!" The seventy-one year old threw her arms around her granddaugther's neck. "Oh gosh! This is such a suprise! you shoul dhave called. i am such a mess."
"No, Gram, you look great. I have a couple of people I want you to meet." Randi said as they walke dinto the house. "This is dave...My fiance."
"Hello, Ma'am." Dave smiled. Helen smiled brightly.
"Fiance! Oh randi!" helen clapped here hands.
"And...." Randi cleared her throat, "This is Ireland Grace, our daughter." Helen gasped.
"Your daughter??" she asked, "My great-grandchild??" randi smiled and nodded.
"Yeah." She said handing helen the child.
"Ohhh." helen bit her lip to keep from crying, "How old is she?"
"Two weeks." Dave said, "She was born on February the first."
"She is gorgeous. She looks exactly like you did, Randi." helen sat down in her big leather barcalounger. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I don't know." Randi said sitting on the couch with Dave, "I was afraid I guess. I didn't want you to be dissapointed in me."
"Why on Earth would I be dissapointed in you miranda? You're a grown woman, youre engaged, you have an apartment and a job." helen smiled, "What do you do for a living, Dave?"
"I'm a doctor over at Cook county general. Thats where randi and I met."
"A doctor!" Helen smiled brightly, "You certainly did good for yourself Randi."
"I know." Randi said, "Do we have your blessing?"
"Oh do you! You hvae my blessings times a hundred." Helen smiled kissing her great-granddaughter. It meant everything to Randi that her grandmother was happy about this. that woman had basicly raised her when her parents went to meetings, conventions, and cruises. Helen's opnion meant everything. "when is the big day?"
"April first, Ma'am." Dave said.
"Call me grandma." helen chuckled, "April first. Thats only a month and a half away, Child. Do you have everything ready?" Randi nodded.
"Basicly, i'm making my dress, We've booked a church, caterer, band, photographer, dinnig hall....The only thing I have to do is find wedding bands." randi said nudging Dave.
"Yeah. i keep on forgetting that." he chuckled.
"Well, let me take care of that." Helen stoo dup, still holdng ireland, and walked upstairs. Randi glanced at Dave and shrugged. in five minutes, Helen came back down. "These were your grandfather's and mine's wedding bands." She handed Randi two gold bands.
"Oh Grandma." Randi gasped, "I can't take these..."
"Sure yu can. They are just sitting in my drawer." helen smiled sitting back down. "He would want you to have them. They are being put to good use."
"Thank you so much, gram." Randi smile dholding back the tears. sh ehanded them to dave.
"Gee, thank you mrs Fro-...grandma." Dave smiled. Helen chuckled.
"Now that you have your own family, Randi, do I get to have my sunday dinners with my grandchildren?" Heleb asked.
"Of course!" Randi exclaimed, "I miss your cooking."
"And I miss you...and I can't wait to get to know the two newest members of my family.' helen smiled softly. Randi sighed contently and watched Helen play with Ireland. Step one was done. Next were telling both of their parents, but randi sat back and enjoyed this moment.
Having a child had changed their lives so much. There were feedings every four hours. There were diaper changes every six hours. there were songs to be sung. there were stories to be read. there were dresses to be changed. There was laundry to do. There were walks to taken. there were hugs to be given and there were kisses to be had. Randi and Dave loved every single moment of it.
Dave balanced Ireland in one arm and a tray of special breakfast food in the other. Dave made heart shaped pancakes and scrawled 'I luv rand' in maple syrup on them. They walked into the bedroom where Randi was getting dressed.
"Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart." Dave said. Randi watched her family walk in.
"Oh god...I forgot." she hit her head with he rpalm. Dave chuckled softly laying the tray on her dresser, "Oh Dave thats lovely. I didn't get you anything."
"You don't have to get me something just because it's valentine's Day." he said, "I have everything I want already. You and Ireland....but I did get Ireland something." Dave laid his daughter on the bed.
"what did you get her Dave?" Randi frowned sitting next to her daughter, rubbing her belly. Dave smiled.
"Just wait." he ran out o the room. Randi scooped Ireland up.
"Youre daddy is up to something little one." She said looking at her hazel eyed daughter. Ireland drooled slightly. Randi chuckled.
"You girls ready?" Dave asked from the hallway.
"No, but come on." she chuckled. Dave walked in holding a chocolate Labrador, "Dave! thats a puppy!"
"I know." Dave chuckled sitting on the bed. The tiny puppy looked up at Randi with large brown eyes.
"Why do you have a puppy??"
"I thought our little one should have something to grow up with." Dave smiled showing Ireland the puppy, "I was thinking about calling her Dixie."
"You can call her whatever you want. its yours and Ireland's puppy. not mine. im not cleaning up after it." Dave laughed.
"You dont have to. I'll do it all." He said, "when Ireland is old enough she can help."
"I better not have to do a single thing." randi groaned. dave smiled letting the puppy explor the house.
"Eat your breakfast and we'll head on over to your grandmother's house."
* * *
Helen busied herself in the kitchen. She had a dozen more cookies left to bake. she promised the church she'd have the later that night. She took the previous batch out and cooled them on the counter. She pushed a whisp of grey hair behind her ear as the doorbell rang.
"Oh gosh. who would be here at ten in the morning?" Helen brushed the flour off of her hands and rushed to the door, "Yes?" Helen's face brightened up when she saw Randi.
"Hey grandma." She smiled.
"Randi!!" The seventy-one year old threw her arms around her granddaugther's neck. "Oh gosh! This is such a suprise! you shoul dhave called. i am such a mess."
"No, Gram, you look great. I have a couple of people I want you to meet." Randi said as they walke dinto the house. "This is dave...My fiance."
"Hello, Ma'am." Dave smiled. Helen smiled brightly.
"Fiance! Oh randi!" helen clapped here hands.
"And...." Randi cleared her throat, "This is Ireland Grace, our daughter." Helen gasped.
"Your daughter??" she asked, "My great-grandchild??" randi smiled and nodded.
"Yeah." She said handing helen the child.
"Ohhh." helen bit her lip to keep from crying, "How old is she?"
"Two weeks." Dave said, "She was born on February the first."
"She is gorgeous. She looks exactly like you did, Randi." helen sat down in her big leather barcalounger. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I don't know." Randi said sitting on the couch with Dave, "I was afraid I guess. I didn't want you to be dissapointed in me."
"Why on Earth would I be dissapointed in you miranda? You're a grown woman, youre engaged, you have an apartment and a job." helen smiled, "What do you do for a living, Dave?"
"I'm a doctor over at Cook county general. Thats where randi and I met."
"A doctor!" Helen smiled brightly, "You certainly did good for yourself Randi."
"I know." Randi said, "Do we have your blessing?"
"Oh do you! You hvae my blessings times a hundred." Helen smiled kissing her great-granddaughter. It meant everything to Randi that her grandmother was happy about this. that woman had basicly raised her when her parents went to meetings, conventions, and cruises. Helen's opnion meant everything. "when is the big day?"
"April first, Ma'am." Dave said.
"Call me grandma." helen chuckled, "April first. Thats only a month and a half away, Child. Do you have everything ready?" Randi nodded.
"Basicly, i'm making my dress, We've booked a church, caterer, band, photographer, dinnig hall....The only thing I have to do is find wedding bands." randi said nudging Dave.
"Yeah. i keep on forgetting that." he chuckled.
"Well, let me take care of that." Helen stoo dup, still holdng ireland, and walked upstairs. Randi glanced at Dave and shrugged. in five minutes, Helen came back down. "These were your grandfather's and mine's wedding bands." She handed Randi two gold bands.
"Oh Grandma." Randi gasped, "I can't take these..."
"Sure yu can. They are just sitting in my drawer." helen smiled sitting back down. "He would want you to have them. They are being put to good use."
"Thank you so much, gram." Randi smile dholding back the tears. sh ehanded them to dave.
"Gee, thank you mrs Fro-...grandma." Dave smiled. Helen chuckled.
"Now that you have your own family, Randi, do I get to have my sunday dinners with my grandchildren?" Heleb asked.
"Of course!" Randi exclaimed, "I miss your cooking."
"And I miss you...and I can't wait to get to know the two newest members of my family.' helen smiled softly. Randi sighed contently and watched Helen play with Ireland. Step one was done. Next were telling both of their parents, but randi sat back and enjoyed this moment.