Happy News

Thursday - August 14, 2008

Happy News - what a refreshing title. Here of late we have dwelt on our sadness. To begin with, John would not have wanted us to do that - “Now, Sis you know I’m okay and up here with the Lord and Dad.” That is happy news for John when you think about it. So now, we‘re going to share a different type of happy news with all of you - some of you already know - but you didn‘t get to hear the story as to how we found out.

This happy news we have received is that around the end of April we are going to add a “baby” to the Hardin family. No, it’s not Bill and me (nor is it Twink and Angie) - it is none other than Jeni and David.

Two weeks ago David called me while I was at Mom’s. He couldn’t get a hold of his Dad so he called my cell phone - which I use more than the land line! He starts out the conversation in asking how I am and then he says, “What do you and Dad have planned the last of April.” Duhhh - I’m thinking, okay has Bill planned a trip to a ballgame and I don’t know about it? My mind is racing ahead all those months and thinking - no, we have nothing planned. David laughs and says, “Sue, that’s nine months from now, what are you all going to be doing?” It hit me like a bug hitting the windshield - nine months - oh my gosh, nine months - that means there’s a baby on the way! David got the biggest kick out of that! I jumped up and I have no idea what I did or said other than, “Have you told your Dad?” He hadn’t because he couldn’t get a hold of him. So I told him I would have his Dad call him right back. I had just talked to Bill so I knew he was close by his cell phone.

After hanging up the phone, I immediately called Bill. All I said was “Call David, nothing’s wrong, but call him now!” Bill said he suspected something was up, and that he had picked up what David was saying when he asked him what he had planned for the end of April! Sure he did - he couldn’t count that fast!!!! Needless to say we are all ecstatic.

On one of our visits to Hillsdale, Bill was telling Jeni and David what he calls an older man he sees him on the street walking, driving, sitting, etc. He calls them “Pops!” So, David and Jeni asked if that’s what he wants to be called, "Pops", when a grandchild comes along. We all laughed, but then Jeni said if Bill is Pops, does that make me “Mops?” I think not!! :):):) Bill will probably be called “Grand-Dad” (that was what his grandfather was called), and I will probably be called “Mammaw”. Seems like that most grandchildren will call their grandparents by the names that have been used for generations within that family! I just pray that Jeni, the baby (or babies -we tease her it could be twins - Mom loves saying that) and David are all healthy. I know, David's not having the baby, but he still needs to stay healthy!

We got to see Jeni and David last week - bless her heart - morning/afternoon sickness has hit her strong! It was so cute, Dawn was asking me if we had any little ones on the way yet - she didn’t know about the baby. She got excited when she realized she had just discovered news that hadn’t been shared with everyone at that time. There is nothing more precious than the birth a baby! As of right now, my family knows; Jeni’s family knows; David's mother and her family know, but we need to call Bill’s brothers and tell them they are going to be “great-uncles!” His brother John will love that!

Names have been suggested - which will make a very interesting post at a later date! Whatever name Jeni and David come up with will be fine.

This reminds me of Mom and Dad telling us the story behind how they named John and me - this is a happy story so no crying from any of you and especially me!
Mom said she was not prepared for twins. She had always planned on naming a daughter after her mother who had died the day after Mom was born. Mom was actually raised by an aunt and uncle who had eleven children. He mother’s name was Mary Jane - so I could have been a “Mary Jane” instead of a “Phyllis Sue.” When she realized she had twins, she nixed the idea of calling me “Mary Jane” because she couldn’t come up with a boys name that would go with that name. Why do parents think that twins names need to “go together?” Dad always said we could have been called “Jack and Jill,” or even “Salt and Pepper.” He loved teasing us about that.
Just this past week I discovered that Mom’s aunt that raised her said you could name them John and Susan after Mom's grandparents. So thus, John was named “John Philip” and I was named “Phyllis Sue” - a shorter version of the name Susan. Back then - I guess there were no books with a list of baby names! I asked Mom where the Philip and Phyllis came from and she said she thought of it - a little family history here!

We could do a name check on Bill’s name, but we may start the Hatfield-McCoy feud all over again!! No thanks - we’ll leave well enough alone for now!!

The parents to be - yes Molly you are their # 1 child!!!!

Too young to be "Pops", "Mops", and a father???? Oh my goodness - look at those glasses! Yep - that's Little Foot grinning from ear to ear! (On David's lap) :):):)

Looking to the right - does that look like a Jack and Jill, or a Salt and Pepper? John is probably telling me a tall tale!!! "Ditto John!"