You must have been a beautiful baby!

A few years ago - 2006, to be exact - I was visiting my middle son and his wife and three kids in the Midwest, when their hard drive bit the big one. Unfortunately, most of the pictures they had taken of the kids went down in flames with it, and there was great sadness in the land.

The other evening, I pulled out a few old cds and, lo and behold! there were some "old" photos of the kids. "Old" is a relative term here, since the oldest child, Andrew, will be 11 in January! But there they were - pictures of my Midwest grandsons! And, man, are they ever cute!

I'm in the process of putting together all the photos I can find of these three charmers to send back to Jason & Lisa, but couldn't resist sharing this one of the three brothers as well as each of them individually. These guys are really something special - and I'd think that even if I wasn't their besotted Gran!

Andrew, the oldest, is the one who introduced me to the joys of grandparenting. (And, incidentally, to my first opportunity to tell one of my children that he'd finally know what I'd been talking about all those years!)

The first time I saw Andrew, he was only two weeks old, and my youngest son and I had traveled to Illinois for his baptism. When they met me at the airport and I looked at that sweet face for the first time, I cried. What a joy he was then, and is now. And how proud I am to be his Gran.

Next in line, almost four years later, was my David. If ever a child looked like his parent, this one does! Sometimes when I'm around him, I literally can't take my eyes off him! I am transported back to his dad's childhood and have to remind myself that he is his own person. It doesn't help that David has his dad's sense of humor and silliness!

Then, in 2005, we were blessed with the arrival of Matthew, my little Irish boy! My d-i-l's mom says at last she has a grandson who looks like her! And she does; the Spanish genes are quite evident in Andrew and David, but Matthew definitely favors his mom's side of the family - and particularly his grandma.

He is a cutie and, as the youngest, has learned early how to make his wants and needs known! He also learned, while still using the baby carrier, how to swing his arm to make the carrier rock - an important skill when mom and dad are rounding up your big brothers!

So, I'll have the cd ready soon to ship off to the Midwest, but in the meantime I thought mom and dad - along with the rest of my readers - might like a little preview.

I do love being "Gran"!