Claire

As Claire's father is an avid fisherman, I like to label the above picture: "the fish was this big Nanny, honest!" My husband Jim and I love having our granddaughter Claire come for a visit. She is now four months old. Her parents are doing a marvelous job of raising her, she is a happy, healthy little girl.

Claire's parents live only an hour away so we can see each other quite regularly, of course we have to share her with lots of other people too. My husband is usually the one to take the pictures when Claire comes for a visit but he is often in the pictures too, just beaming with delight at holding his first grandchild.

We are anticipating the day we can show Claire the fish pond and watch her run around our yard asking: "what's that Nanny, what does that do?" and even getting into our vegetable garden like her mother likes to do and pick fresh peas and beans to eat.

Claire loves to smile now and it only takes her mother's voice to bring on a huge grin, what a wonderful bonding is taking place between mother and daughter. Daddy is very helpful in taking care of his daughter too, he is looking forward someday to taking her fishing. Perhaps we can all go together and catch the "big one"...

Our neighbors next door have three grandchildren so have all the baby items and toys that one can imagine..We are able to borrow whatever we need when Claire visits so now have the use of a handy playpen. Now they make them with two levels, the higher level being a changing table, that sure is helpful.

We hope to get asked to babysit from time to time, hoping we remember what it was like when our own children were small babies. We find it hard to go shopping without dashing into the baby department to find a cute outfit for Claire. And I was able to persuade my husband to build a swing for her out in P.E.I., although it's much too big for her now.

We know there will be many changes ahead as Claire grows from month to month and year to year but we know we'll enjoy each and every moment we are blessed to spend with her. We wonder what her first word will be, when will her first tooth come in and how will her laughter sound?

As we treasure our times with her, holding her, rocking her to sleep and taking another hundred snapshots of our "little princess" we will look forward to the future when our little girl will run up to us with stories to tell and sit on our lap while we read books to her. "Once upon a time their was a little girl named Claire, who is much loved by her Nanny Lannie and Grandpa Jim...."