A few days later, it got better, as Freyja got with the program, snuggled up and fell asleep in great-grandma's arms.

Better yet was on the day after Christmas was when they (my son, my daughter, her husband, my eldest granddaughter and the twins) were all over at my place for dinner. Freyja, just one week shy of seven months old is crawling. Yeah, all over the place. Jackson is still sitting back and thinking that next step over.

Really, I have never seen such a laid back baby as Jackson. He's more into the "Hey, I'm chillin'" bit.

For a prime example see this from when he was a bit over three months old:

Yeah, the twins turned six months old on December 5. Jack is now 16 lbs. and Freyja is about 13½ lbs.

They are also just on the brink of figuring out how to crawl. Lord help us.

Here they are, just before they reached the six month mark, on their first visit to Grandpa's apartment. Freyja is on the left, Jack on the right:

My daughter gave birth to her twins on June 5, 2009. They were both breach, and so, required a vertical C-section, as opposed to the usual horizontal incision.

Anyway, they came into the world healthy and sound. Jackson Albert was first at 1:05 PM and sister Freyja Anne one minute behind. Both were adorable from the start, Jack at 5 lbs., 10 oz and Freyja at 6 lbs., 9 oz.

Now, almost 2½ months on Jack is 10 lbs, 2 oz. and Freyja is 9 lbs., 9 oz. or the exact weight her older sister was, almost ten years ago. Here's Jack, a few days ago, on Daddy's lap at just shy of 2½ months old:

Momma Kate is next and behind her, here cousin Le Anne who just was ordained that day as a pastor in the Presbyterian church.

Freyja, of course, was there, too. Here she is with Grandma:

That's Le Anne's youngest brother, Andrew, in the background.

The twins slept the whole way up to the ordination ceremony, but got fussy on the way back. They required a bottle half-way home and a diaper change. Jack was poopy, but Freyja was just wet. Grandpa Aulus bottle fed one and changed both in the back seat of the mini van. Nice to know I haven't lost my skills.

So, my 6'1" daughter is coping with carrying twins, and moving from an apartment to a three bedroom duplex.

No, it ain't easy.

Here she is, Wednesday, May 27, preparing to move in:

The very next day, she went to her doctor appointment and learned she had gained 20 lbs in fluid weight in just over one week. Tests over the next 24 hours showed she was well into pre-eclampsia and she was admitted to the hospital for bed rest and monitoring.

So now she is in hospital, poked and prodded and miserable. She is at 34 or 35 weeks and it is looking quite likely that she will be having a C-section delivery in less than a week.

Her mother, step-father, brother, daughter, father-in-law and I spent Thursday evening getting all of the furniture moved while she was on bed rest at her mother's home so that is one big thing she does not have to worry about.

Saturday evening, I stayed with her in hospital and ran interference with the nurses and kept her amused and relatively calm. That's a father's/grandfather's duty here, at least I think so, as my kids did not have the luxury of a living grandfather when they were born. In short, I am winging it, once again. It worked 9½ years ago with my first granddaughter, so, once more into the breech.

I think I've still got it right. I'll let you know in a few days.

Last night I learned that I am going to be a grandfather again. My daughter is due to give birth to her second child in June.

My 9 year old granddaughter, Zara, has already told her mother "I don't want a boy and I don't want the place to smell like poop."

Well, we'll see about the first, but on the second, you're out of luck, kiddo.

I'd really love to have a grandson, but another granddaughter will be just fine. Zara will come around on that, trust me, and she's going to be a great big sister.

My darling granddaughter, Zara, turns eight years old next week.

A few weeks ago, she and her mother and her mother's boyfriend of the past two years sat for photo portraits. I got a copy of one of those of Zara the other day:

Wow, what a cutie!

But, then, I'm a bit biased...