So you all are the first to know. GS, turning 5 this week, told me Grandma, after Christmas I am going to be a big brother!
I am not sure which of us is more excited!
DD and SIL are 39 and 46, so I was suspecting GS was going to be an only. New baby, yes only one, is due mid February. All early tests show healthy kid. They know, but are not sharing, if GS is gaining a brother or sister.
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@WayOutWestMom, pediatric ER nurse here, I found that looking at teeth is a better clue to age than height.
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She does that too, but usually she just asks their caregiver/whoever brought them into the ER.
But height forms part of her first impression.
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Three months old Little Miss String Bean is 53 percentile for weight and 99 percentile for height (length?). 
her mom jokes Storm can use a few new players… lol. Dog forbid.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/08/06/children-grandparents-play-health-benefits/
Keep spending as much time as possible with your little ones 
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Some grandparents set up or contribute to college accounts for their grands. I thought I would share current news story in AL. We contribute to college account for grands, but in a stock account.
We have set up 529 plans for our grandchildren. The great grandparents did the same. Grandchild #3 might end up having some other needs so we are rethinking how we will fund a gift for them.
Good that you are thinking of what is the right thing/best use of funds for Gkids.
We have set up a start for stock accounts in Gkids names as soon as the Gkid has a SS# (with DD1 being Guardian, UTMA account), so time for good growth of funds.
DD1/SIL are progressing on their careers, and if they continue to do so should be in good financial shape so that they can purchase a home once SIL completes his Army assignment in 25 months (and has a very substantial jump in pay, in cyber security). They are in an almost brand new rent house that would be similar to what they would purchase in their area (they were very fortunate to have secured that rent house, as there were 10 other people that wanted it the day of the open house showing – SIL had a 2 hour jump on them and assurance from the owner that if the paperwork was in first they would have it - and they also had very good credit score and background check/income check was all fine). DD1 hopefully will continue to work in her career, which will be necessary for financial security, for home purchase, and the better education of their 4 children. The older two’s private school for 4K and kindergarten is more per student than we paid for private HS in 2009-2014 time frame (7 years total for 2 kids - one had been in a very good 7-9 public program, and the only years we didn’t pay for private schooling through HS, while both DDs went to very good state U’s and came out debt free). The older two Gkids had their first day of school today, so will hear on the weekend all their exciting news about ‘big kid school’. I cannot imagine DD1/SIL pulling the Gkids from their education path and DD1 getting out of her good career path when SIL has his career after Army. Especially along with purchasing a home.
DD1 (age 29) is making more now in her career than DH made at peak of his career – he in senior level electronics contract manufacturing, ECE degree - smart and effective manager, but profitability in industry has gotten tight over the years so his peak income remained at good level because he stayed employed even with marginal pay increases (and lots of professional co-worker layoffs) over last 15 years until retirement. Of course cost of living factors/inflation going on, but that shows how detrimental DD1’s income is to their family (she has always been the primary income, from going into marriage and duration of marriage). At marriage, they both had plans of her being a SAHM at a near future timeframe, but SIL’s late career start and choices they have been making (including having 4 children in 5 years…) have the path going with dual incomes for quite a while and maybe over their working lives. SIL’s mom was SAHM for entire time of marriage (also had 2 kids like us), while I was just later on SAHM due to DH’s international and national frequent business travel – however we had better income over working lives (and with later retirement) and earlier and better investments; plus my return to work for 4 1/2 years prior to retirement at age 65. DD1 being in nurse management has good M - F hours and some flexibility – she is very talented and effective in her work (it is a job with a good deal of stress), and very good organizer/time manager and wife/mom at home. Very fortunate to have very healthy Gkids with healthy parents. In time, we will have the option to live close if they desire us to - right now they have their nuclear family going fine, and we are good where we are. It will be a while before DD2/BF get married (his career will eventually be where she lives), and maybe DD2 will have children in her late 30’s like DH and I did – she is 27 now and BF is 26, and they both have dogs – the dogs are 7 and 9 now, both rescues, he had his dog before they were a couple, and her dog was 3 when she rescued him). BF’s family and we have dog sit as well – saved them lots of money over boarding the dogs.
GD2 (child #4) is getting social security number soon, and then I can match the amount we put into a stock account for her (that we put in the older 3 GKids’ stock account).
UTMA accounts revert to the child at age 18. They could go buy a car with it if desired. Does not have to used for schooling, and the guardian has no control over it after that magic birthday. That may be fine with you, but just be aware it doesn’t have the same rules as a 529!
We had UTMAs for our sons (pre-529) and never used them for college. We decided to stop funding when they were 5 yo precisely because of the terms of the UTMA. It was never a large amount of $, maybe enough for books for all four years. S1 donated his to charity, S2 has held onto his and it’s his reserve fund.
We decided to just throw $ into savings (we had an account labeled the EFC – Every Freakin’ Cent-- in honor of Curmudgeon), and refinanced the house to a 15 yr fixed rate to grow equity in case we needed to HELOC part of college. Rates were lower than Parent Plus loans at the time.
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This particular stock account was with longer time UTMA, I believe until age 24. Was never a concern for us for DDs to not use the funds for college at that time.
Yes if child is off track or has other ideas rather than college, yes on them spending their money. Many people have successful small businesses, and a young adult may decide to maybe only take education in what they need for their particular business ideas. So better than limitations of 529.
We also believed in the return on this particular investment account.
Both DDs had these accounts, and DD2 (at age 27) still has money in this account after completing college debt free - for use with extreme emergency, but plans to use to help with down payment on a house when that time comes.
DD1 has a small amount left in this account (her scholarships at college were not quite as much as DD2, plus she spent money with study abroad/travel; money left in the event that she wants to build it up as investment account. She is trustee on her children’s accounts.
When my mother died in 2010, she left two small life insurance policies to Gkids. It was just shy of $18K for each of the 9. DDs were in 9th and 11th grade at the time, so their stock accounts had this boost in funds, and had time to grow until they needed the funds later college years. One grandchild was married with 2 kids and had college finished, so her money went into their family fund or to pay debts/pay down on house. One did use her money for a new car (she had college covered), to replace a vehicle that needed replacement. The others used it for college expenses/expenses during college (undergrad, while one completed a PhD and JD).
In addition to scholarships, DDs each had a state pre-paid college tuition fund which paid 135 hours in-state tuition and fees (they had a calculation for applying to out of state or private universities). We paid for those in 1995 and 1996 - and that was a very worthwhile investment. That plan stopped with purchasing into the plan - state had to put a lot of money into the plan to pay out on the contracts.
I’ve been at D’s house since Thursday, watching GD (2.5) and the dog. GD has been great, although my back hurts from keeping up with her. She has gone to sleep easily and has slept through the night. She’s ready for Mom to get home today, though, and redirecting her has been challenging this afternoon. We went outside to play in the front yard & brought the dog out with us on a leash. GD wanted to walk her, so off we went … but GD decided that she had to hold the leash all by herself in the street (it’s in a subdivision & there is traffic). I told her that she could hold the leash, but I would have to help … it’s a Bernedoodle, so this isn’t a little dog. Well, little miss “I’m a big girl” wasn’t having any of me holding the leash. I ended up carrying her screaming & crying to the house, put the dog inside, grabbed the car keys, put GD in her car seat … and drove around talking calmly to her while she screamed & cried until she fell asleep. We are currently laying on the bed while GD continues to sleep. She keeps waking up & looking to make sure I’m with her. My MIL has a friend who raised her twin granddaughters … all I can say is that I don’t think I’d survive that!!
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After a 2 hour 45 minute nap, she woke up a happy child. I, on the other hand, will be drinking a glass of wine when I get home tonight! 
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Bebe is coming over later today while her parents attempt to watch a movie. I expect to get a truckload of flexibility and strength exercises while watching her. Things like getting up from a sitting on the floor position without using hands because the hands are clutching Bebe! 
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I hope our kids have any kids they plan to have in the near future if they want us to have any quality adventures with them, otherwise they’ll have to settle for a lot of cuddles and lots of time sitting and reading together.
Of course we aren’t saying a word. It’s their lives but I definitely have less stamina each decade.
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GD, who is 2.5 yr, is into imaginary play now. She to,d me the blue rug in the living room was a pool, and the white rug in the dining room was a beach. She ran back and forth between the pool and the beach…swim in the pool, made sand castles at the beach. Guess who had to swim with her? My knees were sore and back hurt when I came home.
When I was leaving I to,d her that I was leaving. She said, “you go home to miss me.”
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The getting up and down and playing on the ground with the grandkids is what is pushing me to get my knee replacement done. I need to take celebrex when I watch the 17 month old.
He has learned the word “more”. He also has strong preferences for what books we read and what songs I have Google play.
We had our 7 month old grandchild for a week along with her Mom. I was exhausted each evening and need a vacation after the visit.
I do love all of them and enjoy every minute but it’s hard on the body.
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My sis who is just 3 years older than I (she’s late 60s) has 5 gkids, with 6th due next month. She watches them all for varying amounts of time. She’s exhausted, as is her H. They take vacations out of state to get away and relax. Her oldest gkid recently turned 10. My only other sib with a gkid has a baby gkid who just turned 4 months. They say they have to help when their D is busy at work because their SIL can’t handle baby (and 2 lab dogs) alone. SIL and their D both work fulltime.
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I bought knee pads, and I’m not afraid to use them! GD often directs me to crawl with her when we play monsters & scare my H. The knee pads are life savers.
H and I are very physical with our GD. Her other grandparents are not, which is fine - it’s good for kids to have different experiences with the people who love and care for them. I wouldn’t trade playing with GD for anything, but I definitely do pay for it. I will be taking a yoga class in the morning, with the goal of stretching out the kinks!
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Well, H and I are at least able to comfortably sit on the floor and get back up. I don’t recall my parents or grandparents ever crawling with any of us, but we did throw balls around—footballs and basketballs. My dad did try having our kids take a golf lesson. They weren’t very good at it and didn’t like it, so it was not repeated.
H’s dad did go to watch several of our kids soccer games, tho he had no understanding of the game. He also took all his 4 gkids to Disneyland with us and my BIL and SisIL the last few months of his life (tho none of us knew at the time).
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My 3.5 year GD is also into imaginary play. We play the beach game too but she like to pile up pillows and “dive” into the ocean. GD goes to daycare and also like to play “School”. This is my favorite game to play because we have naptime on the bed and then we go to the kitchen for snack time. Not too much physical effort required.
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