I got to spend much time with you last night at your new house. You live 40 minutes away during traffic time and I am already used to that. You are a real squirmy wormy always stretching and looking around. I like to call you, “woodpecker” because when I am hugging you to my shoulder, you will lift your head back, and then, “boom!” it crashes back to my shoulder. I say you are exercising and making your neck stronger. Your mommy says you are looking for me to feed you, but, sorry, that’s not going to happen until you start using a bottle. So, you just keep on pecking away…

Guess who has come to visit? Our niece, Elizabeth, is out here from Wisconsin. She is your Great-Uncle Jon’s daughter, and she is your mommy’s friend. She was in your mommy’s wedding, so she is glad to see your mommy and daddy again, but now it’s not for a wedding, it is a little over a year and a half later and she gets to see her new second cousin!

Kaylee, there are a lot of names for people who are related to you. This is part of the extended family that I told you about last time. We use words to describe who is who. But, more than that, it tells you where you come from. I don’t mean your mommy’s womb, but there is history to every family and extended family…We are not isolated; we are part of something larger than ourselves.

So, for instance, you will not understand now, but some day when you look at baby pictures you will see that you are dressed in a Green Bay Packer onesie. That’s because you have your Hanson side and Elizabeth is a huge Packer fan, as well she should be. Now, you will also learn about your USC Herman side, too.

This will be confusing, but some day it will all make sense…and Kaylee, in your baby sighs, gurgles, and squeals, you are speaking a primordial language that if translated would say,

“I love my mommy.”

“I love my daddy.”

and…

“Go, Pack, Go!”

Love,
Grandpa