The luxury of time to spend with baby

I’m sure you’ve noticed that our world, both near and far, has again become loud and shrill and contentious. I have. But I’ve also discovered the perfect antidote in the form of a tiny bundle of joy. For the past few months, my Mondays have been dedicated to caring for my great-grandson once his mommy, my granddaughter-in-law, returned to work. Mondays with baby Bennett have been a godsend.

Here’s how the schedule goes ... Gigi Kerri walks in the door, and for the next several hours, gives undivided attention to this darling boy. At 5 months old, he depends upon me for everything. He’s always happy to see me and the feeling is mutual. We take great amusement in each other. He’s rarely fussy and if he is, there are a couple of easy fixes. Diaper change, bottle, snuggles, songs. Baby Bennett and I have very interesting conversations although I’ve not yet decoded what he tries very hard to communicate. We make each other laugh and his favorite prank is to present Gigi with a poopy diaper surprise. Seriously, the boy gets a kick out of my reaction.

Another extraordinary miracle is that at this point in time, he loves my singing voice. We sing made-up songs, nursery rhymes and nonsense. A recurring theme is my use of the word darling because he truly is. He’s not a big fan of naps and I’ve determined it’s simply because he doesn’t want to miss anything.

He is a big fan of cellphone selfies, fascinated by seeing our smiling faces on the screen. At this point in time he’s not phased by his Gigi capturing these precious moments on camera. Rolling his eyes in judgment isn’t yet a skill he’s acquired. He’s changing, growing so quickly with his personality emerging to my delight.

Other than the selfies, my phone is only used to play lullaby songs that sometimes lull him into a nap of sorts. I totally unplug for the day, often not even turning on the TV. I tune out the noise of the world and focus on the incredible miracle that is a great-grandchild.

Bennett’s daddy is my oldest grandson, Matthew, and the two not only look alike but are so similar in personalities. I was blessed to have Matthew close by for the majority of his childhood, even living two houses down when he was a preschooler. I remember when he figured out that I was his mom’s mother. He would march down to our house to tell on his mom when things didn’t go his way ... “Grandma Kerri, your little girl won’t let me ...” Then I’d make a great show of scolding my daughter on his behalf.

But those years of Matthew’s babyhood were also years when I still had a teenager at home and was climbing the corporate ladder. There were no entire days dedicated to savoring the too-fleeting moments of my first grandchild.

Now we’ve come to the next generation and here I am, so incredibly blessed by great grandparentdom and soaking in every moment. With Matthew, so much was taken for granted, like watching him grow up, graduating from high school, marrying and becoming a daddy.

Great-grandparenthood is like the Reader’s Digest Condensed Version of grandparenting. I realize that I will be 90 when baby Bennett graduates high school and likely a centenarian when he marries and becomes a daddy. The good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, as old people say.

So the boy and I will savor these moments with joyful abandon for the genuine blessing they are.

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March is coming in more like a lamb than a lion ... a lamb wearing sunglasses, a coat and mittens, though. I’m not sure what that sneaky snowy lion of winter has planned for the rest of the season but I’d wager it’s too soon to put the snow shovels away.

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Things to do ... Saturday, March 1 is Wine, Stein, Dine benefiting the Post Falls Education Foundation’s classroom grants. From 6 to 9 p.m. at the Jacklin Building at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds, enter off Kathleen Avenue. Tickets at pfefwsd.org.

Wednesday, March 5, 6 p.m., BINGO NIGHT at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds, Building 1. Open to all ages with proceeds benefiting Make-A-Wish Idaho and the North Idaho Fair and Rodeo Foundation.

Friday, March 7, WOW-Words of Wisdom from Wise Women, featuring conversations with Mary Lou Reed, Evalyn Adams, Katie Brodie, Linda Davis, Kerri Thoreson and Liz Thorpe. Lake City Playhouse doors open 6 p.m. for a social, with the program at 7 p.m. Presented by NIA-Impact with a portion of proceeds benefiting Lake City Playhouse. Tickets, nia.ticketgoat.com or Marilee Wallace, 208-660-1557.

Community Market at Silver Lake Mall, Saturday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Happy Main Street birthdays today to Jeremy McComb, Brad Medlock, Tina Hough, Lauren McShea, Carolyn Peterson, Peter Braunlich, Clara Hester, Sherry Wallis, Sunny Day and Ron Gonzales. Tomorrow, John Darlas, Karen Cocoran, Tawny Brown, Camille Hutchison, Steve Lux, Eddie Jerome, Hailey Pierce and Mary Herrick are celebrating. Don Pischner (87!), Bridgette Lowry, Dave Brubaker, Gary Dagastine, Bob Flowers, Bill Reese, Al Telles, Maurie Bruce (90!), Dean Walsmith, Allison Gerzina and Robin Gerzina take another trip around the sun Friday. There’s no 29th day of February in 2025, so Nancy DiGiammarco, Boston Smock, Kris Helstrom, Dean Walsmith, Dr. Jim Anderson and Lana Johnson Fensky celebrate whenever they choose! The first day of March birthdays will be celebrated by Faye Griffiths, Preston Hill, Marina Otter, Lisa Tucker, Connie Chalich, Bud Kobs, Megan Aker (30!), Karen Welts and John Billetz. On Sunday, LeeAnn Cheeley, Conrad Nelsen, Sharon Menti, Rhonda Shippey, Ginny Easterly, Alexander Endo, Randy Hurt and Nickolas Aker blow out their candles. Sari Walt, Rebecca Kilmer, Rich Henning, Jessica Coleman and Gail Kinloch start the week with Monday birthdays. Michael Ward, Sam Williamson, James Steffensen and Jon Newcomb do the birthday dance Tuesday.

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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email thoreson.kerri@gmail.com.