Congratulations, @mom60! Love at first sight ~ perfect!
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I hear you, @Silpat. There are some weeks when we are with GS and GD for forty hours and some weeks it is ten. Those long weeks are pretty tiring.
When it was just GS, I did it all because H had not retired yet. When GD was born, H retired and we had to divide and conquer - H spent more time with GS while I spent more time with GD, who missed her mama sooo much. Now that they are six and almost four, they are so much easier - playing together and just more independent. Next year will still be a bit challenging because they will be on different schedules, but the following year they will be on the same school schedule for four years. 
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One of our granddaughters turned 3 today. They had her party yesterday We all were able to be together as we live in the same metro area, so it was grandma bliss day for me to get to see all four of them. It was at a park, perfect Virginia spring day and we had a great time.
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GD’s other grandma told me that if the kids have another baby, she’s not going to be able to do as much as she did with this one. I get it! We split all the childcare for the first 21 months. I am thrilled with my one day a week now, although I do help if childcare is closed or if GD is sick.
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I get it. I love doing one day a week .D or SIL will occasionally also work out of our house on a second day, but with the understanding that I will help but if I have anything else on my schedule that day, they have to adjust. I have to admit I’m pretty tired after all day with a baby. Of course we will always help if there is some sort of emergency etc.
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I was a super grandparent to GD and grand dog. D1 had originally booked me for Saturday night for her husband’s birthday, but D2 was moving and needed someone to watch her dog. D2 also needed me overnight because she was storing a lot of her furniture out of state.
I ended up watching the puppy until 5pm (walked him, fed him) then ran over to D1’s place to take care of GD (fed her, put her to bed). D1 got a sitter from a friend to come over at 8pm. I told the sitter not to get GD no matter what - text me or her parents and we would be there in 10 minutes. I went back to D2’s place, walked the dog again before I went to bed.
Next day I met up with D1, played with GD and the puppy, took both of them out to lunch. GD was better behaved than the puppy.
I told GD that I wouldn’t see her for a little while because I was going on vacation. She said, “I go vacation with Popo.”
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DD1 is expecting baby #4 (a girl) mid-June. Her oldest just turned 5 (girl), son will turn 4 early July, and son2 is 20 months. She has structure and discipline - and that is what it takes with her long days with all the prep before and after working with her family - she is working FT (M - F office hours) and the daycare (which serves hot breakfast and lunch) is a few blocks from the VA hospital where she is a nurse manager (and she is 29, and her ‘youth’ helps too). DD1’s H just finished cyber-security schooling in TX (he left early Sept, but with training had Thanksgiving and Christmas leave time - and Christmas break was till after New Year’s), so I took over her household/kids while DD1 flew out to TX for his graduation. Since they found out last week that he will be stationed in TX as well (different base), he was given leave to travel back to get his car. After he drives back to TX tomorrow, once his orders come through, he will drive to new base and live in barrack arrangement. D1 has 12 weeks maternity leave - she has hired a Doula to be with her in the event that H doesn’t make it back - while DH and I will be managing the household/kids. They will see if her H can make it back for baby girl delivery (she may end up having a scheduled induction - induction with boy1 was the only delivery with her OB, the others were with the partners – which was fine, all went well) - but with Army and H travel, a scheduled induction may end up working out for H to be there. She also wants to have the baby’s baptism two weeks after delivery - so again, seeing if her H can be there.
DH and I are the extra hands/backup as retirees (and with this time, it was just me - which works out fine as DH could keep things going at our home 100 miles away). Baby 3 was born during Covid, and her H stayed at hospital the night and day (baby was born just before midnight) - and when H came home that night (his choice), DH and I left after the kids were put to bed, because he as dad could manage getting the 3 to daycare and then go to work…
All worked out well in DD1’s absence (early flight out Wed am, return flight arriving home after midnight Fri night - they don’t live far from airport and took a cab home). I had kids’ clothes washed, fresh sheets on DD1’s bed, house vacuumed, kids fed nutritious dinners and followed their schedules. I enjoyed unstructured time while kids at daycare (besides doing chores and getting snacks and meals prepared) and even exchanged some sandals for GD that mom did not have time to do (ones I bought, needed smaller size). My time off during daytime was vacation like for me (and I could nap if I felt like it).
Since I cared for GD and GS1 during Covid as nanny (drive in Sunday afternoon, and leave Fri after mom home from work over the 6 weeks their daycare was closed) the older two were always quite bonded to me and use to me caring for them in their home. GS2 was on a trip with DD1 and me when he was 3 weeks old (so DD1 could attend her cousin’s wedding and I watched GS2) and he has always bonded to me; in part I probably remind him a lot of DD1 (voice and other), and I give him the attention he needs when I visit. All 3 GKids are delightful, and I keep with their mom’s schedule and rules. I remain quite strict when it comes to safety - going from townhouse to car, from daycare garage into daycare, and return.
GD is improving on her reading skills - we had a snippet of time each evening with that. She is adding a lot of words that she recognizes, and she is also learning how to sound out words. GD has such a fabulous memory (like her mom/grandpa, and maybe her dad) that she memorizes a lot and so we work on the sounding out words. She has some very long Catholic evening prayers totally memorized for over a year (Hail Holy Queen, Memorare as examples).
On Saturday morning, I helped get breakfast set up with the kids, and then let their parents take over while I exited. The Gkids did not know their dad was coming home with their mom, so that was a very nice big surprise for all 3. 20 mo old GS2 every day and evening would point to pictures of his dad and say “da da”.
After DD1 has her maternity leave (her 3 older kids will continue daycare), she has to return to VA to work another 12 weeks. SIL has Paternity leave for 12 weeks with the Army, so he will be taking over with baby and 5 YO while the two boys continue with daycare. GD1 will have one morning a week with a kindergarten program where two boys have daycare, and the other days they will home school her kindergarten. The family will move to TX Dec/Jan - they are getting familiar with the housing options on and off base. SIL has to get every step of this stuff approved through Army channels - and they have to document the delay with family move to TX (just as they needed to do with the family not moving to TX during SIL’s training).
DD1 has over 5 years with the VA hospital, and has easier back in if she wants. DD1 may be able to do a 7p - 7a shift one day a week (Friday night), or some part-time management stuff on line. Big VA activities at the new TX location. DD1 is the budgeter, planner, keeps all the household going. They may assess what they want to do on kindergarten for 5 YO the second half of the year, and maybe there will be a 4K option for GS1. DH and I may be helping with things on their move/transition. DH and I both have some relatives in TX, and DD1/SIL actually spent a few hours with DH’s close cousins before DD1/SIL’s flight Friday evening. But TX is a big state with a fair amount of driving time. DD1 had to drive 4 hours from airport to SIL’s base for example.
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I feel exhausted just reading that! Kudos to your GD on her reading skills and memorization, too.
Years ago, we were friends with a military homeschooling family with five children. I was in awe of the mom’s organizational skills and her ability to remain calm no matter what. I felt like such a piker in comparison.
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The local preschool held its annual carnival (fundraiser) his weekend at the park next to the preschool. We took all 3 kids since it’s just a short walk from the house. The 2 biggest hits were the petting zoo and the pony ride. Both girls were incredibly gentle with the animals in the petting zoo. (Sheep w/ 2 lambs, goats and kids, rabbits, chickens, ducks) Twin B found one bunny that look just like the stuffed rabbit she sleeps with. She spent her entire allotted time petting “Tokki”.
Next up was the pony ride. Twin B absolutely loved being on the pony last year; her sister not so much. This yea Twin B confidently told the ride’s wrangler she wanted to ride the biggest pony (who was also the most fractious of the bunch). She grinned the whole time she was atop the pony and was confident enough to ride around without her mom or dad walking beside her. She also happily let go the of the saddle horn and rode with both hands in the air when prompted by the wrangler. I think riding lessons are in her future. (Dad say no; mom says yes.We’ll see. Two and a half is too young for lessons anyway.) It was amazing to see her so confident and relaxed when she can be so clingy in so many other situations. Twin asked to be put on the smallest pony and enjoyed her ride with Dad walking beside her, but unlike her sister didn’t want a second ride.
A
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You can imagine how exhausted DD1 is…
But the structure and discipline are definitely key. Plus only a guinea pig (the cat had to be put down due to cancer). I do believe DD1 realizes she needs no dog or cat in their home until they own a home, and even then there is going to always be too much going on, and expenses spent better with the kids.
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Having just spent a week with my 96 year old MIL, I will say that taking care of the very young & the very old are somewhat similar … but I would take the stress of the grand baby over that of the MIL any day! 
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I’m looking forward to babysitting my almost 2.5 y.o. granddaughter in two weeks. Her parents have work events in our area and while they’re away during the day, H and I will babysit. I am looking forward to this because I don’t see GD as often as I’d like. (She lives in IN and we live in MA.) GD is doing well with potty training (several weeks with just two accidents), which sounds good to me.
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For those parents on the fence about the fancy bassinet Snoo… the new parents who got this bassinet as a shower gift recently give it two rave thumbs up, and the newborns seem to love their Snoo nests. 
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We had a great Mother’s Day with DD1 and the 3 grandkids. DH is not with them as often as I am, but the children were quite warm with him as he does special things with them, and he is grandpa. DH also had time to sit down and talk with DD1 - about his career and hers, sharing stories and experiences (and some of the similar work place challenges with work projects). DD1 just won an award with the VA Hospital that is awarded to one person per hospital - Unsung Hero Award (for going above and beyond with care for the Veterans); she told us yesterday the selection committee gave her feedback that it was a unanimous decision. We are so proud of her work ethic and ability, putting her skills to use at a wonderful place to work, and for serving our Veterans. The three grandkids are so delightful and with their own individual personalities. I was able to spend some reading time with 5 YO GD and also phonics - vowels and the consonant sounds. There is a set of early word picture books that we are going through, which adds her vocabulary identification. Every visit we build on her abilities. Their family will go through a lot of transitions this year, with new baby, oldest starting kindergarten (and different schedule than her younger brothers), and then the family move out of state Dec/Jan to San Antonio. SIL is already there.
The other grandparents (in GA) know they will see less of this little family when they are living in TX due to the grandparents not making airplane trips and that grandpa’s Parkinson’s Disease. I imagine I may make some visits via flying (at their invitation), and I can see us making a road trip, with DH perhaps flying back after we visit people in TX and have their place be the final visit.
Before the move to TX, taking the older two Grandkids to Disney (DD2 lives in Orlando, and her BF and she are great with doing Disney - and for them it will be Magic Kingdom). Have to plan it out, and also in cooler fall time frame.
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D1 celebrated Mother’s Day by delivering a baby. Healthy baby boy, full term, no medical issues. Mom and baby doing well post delivery. She’s was working overnight at a suburban community hospital and the mom came in in advanced labor. The on-call OB was called, but he said it would take him about 45 minutes to get there; meanwhile the mom said she needed to push NOW! So D1 delivered the baby right there in the ER.
D1 says she delivers about 3-4 babies/year in the ER. This was her first one for 2023.
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Suggestions for a baby doll for a 15 month old who will be getting a new sibling. They will be 20 months apart. Also suggestions for books to read to him.
My D got Melissa & Doug “Luke and Lucy” dolls* for her 18 month old twins when she was expecting #3. Each twin got her own baby to play with. The dolls have soft cloth bodies with molded plastic heads, legs and arms and are easier to dress/diaper than 100% solid dolls. Softer too, plus they don’t have hair–which I count as a plus.
The 15" dolls weren’t a whole lot smaller than their new baby brother when he first arrived home. Luke and Lucy now wear leftover premie clothes from when the girls were first born. Luke & Lucy still get a lot a play time even though baby brother who is 7 months, sitting up, and will be crawling very soon, has gotten a lot more interesting lately.
(Grandma inadvertently cause a major source of friction when she bought ONE doll stroller 3 months ago and the twins fought over who got to use it endlessly for about 3 weeks. I bought the doll stroller because I got tired of Twin B wheeling the full size twin stroller filled with her stuffed animals through the house, banging it into walls, doors, furniture and people several times daily and throwing tantrums when it wouldn’t fit where she wanted to take it.)
*Twin dolls because the recipients are twins, but M&D makes singleton baby dolls too. Both singleton and twins dolls come in variety of skin tones.
D has several board books about being a Big Sister, but I’ll need to go look what they were.
Amazon has a bunch Big Sister/Big Brother books.
P.S. Did I mention the dolls are washable? They are, and they survived the great Desitin fiasco.
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ME! ME! ME! My Turn!!! I get to join this club in December!!! (After a number of years lurking here!) On Mother’s Day, our D and SIL presented us with an Ultrasound of our first grandchild! Many tears of joy…as they have been trying for over two years. Major medical intervention was required.
Will be keeping the fingers crossed/rosary beads/prayers/shamrocks/etc., working overtime and holding my breath until then. But just so excited!!!
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I like the soft dolls made in Germany by Käthe Kruse, especially for littles one under three years old. For older children, I like JC Toys La Newborn dolls made in Spain. The latter are anatomically correct and can wear preemie clothes.
We bought several books about being a big sister for our older GD, but they’re all geared to preschool and older children. At 15 months we read mostly Sandra Boynton board books to her. One other book she loved (and still likes to look at occasionally) is Babies by Gyo Fujikawa. It does have some illustrations that include somewhat older children with the babies.