Waiting for Reef

Today, August 31, 2013 is finally here – Reef Smith’s due date. You (Reef) have a huge loving family waiting for you. It has been a tough week for this Oma because, well frankly, Oma is not a very patient person. Oma cannot wait to meet you! However, staying busy does help the time pass.

Oma did spend the week productively. Here is a snapshot of a typical week in Oma’s busy life:

Monday – Oma and Opa had to go shopping. Not only were the cupboards bare; Oma’s laptop computer died on the trip back from Sonoma. Oma’s laptop was pretty old and well used. Off to Cost-Co we went.

Oma and Opa purchased a HP Envy 17. This laptop offers powerful performance, top-notch audio, long battery life and a full 1080p display in a stylish package. So far Oma is pretty happy with the laptop; however, the learning curve is still a struggle. It took Oma an entire day to set-up the Outlook & Roboform!

Tuesday - Oma had to work really really diligently to get back on track (pun intended) after the wonderful five days with your Uncle Moses and Auntie Sitara AND losing her laptop. Nevertheless, the time spent with family and getting to spend time at the Sonoma Raceway was priceless.  You will soon learn that Oma is a race nut!  Oma even has two race blogs NASCAR Race Mom and Kids of NASCAR.  Oma is optimistic that Reef will share her and Uncle Moses' love of racing.

Oma with Mario Andretti
(a retired Italian American world champion racing driver)

Wednesday – Oma was able to take an afternoon pause and go swimming. However, most of the day was spent preparing the Hasa Newsletter. Oma works for Hasa Pool Products  in the Media/Communications Department. Hasa produces the purest, strongest fastest working liquid chlorine available. Oma hopes to teach Reef how to swim soon!

Thursday – Oma was off to the casino this afternoon. Pala Casino offered Oma a free buffet to help her celebrate her birthday! It was lots of fun. The meal was tasty and the gambling did not relieve Oma of too much cash.

Then Oma joined your Mom, Aunt Heather and Cousin Belle for a pedicure; the perfect way to relax while awaiting your arrival. Pedicures are a safe and healthy way for Mommy to feel beautiful during her pregnancy.

Friday – The end of the month is always busy for Oma. Besides all the end of the month Hasa work, there is plenty of accounting tasks need to be done for your father and his plumbing business. Luckily, Zack Smith Plumbing and Contracting is getting busy again. Oma is wondering . . . . will Reef one day join his father in the family business?

Friday was also homemade pizza night – one of Opa’s favorite meals. Besides cooking, Oma spent most of her day getting caught up on her Hasa work. Reef’s dad stopped by for a slice of cheese pizza and to sign his State Contractor’s License Renewal form. It was nice to spend a day at home.

Saturday (today) – It continues to be hot and muggy. I am sure that your Mom is happy that Reef’s due date is finally here. However, babies are often not on time.

So in the meantime, Oma is doing huge loads of laundry. Unfortunately the housekeeper could not make today and Oma and Opa have no clean clothes to wear.

Hopefully Oma will soon meet you and tell you, in person, about all the interesting things that life has to offer.



Joyous Journey - Nana Noeleen

I hope that you understand that I take becoming a first-time Oma industriously. You (Reef) will become a vast part of my life rather quickly. Take my assurance that this Oma will do everything possible to insure that your first years be prolific.

From the moment you arrive, I know that you will teach me what you need. And as I learn, recognize, and provide you with the basics, Oma will also teach Reef about the world around you. Oma does not expect this two-way process to manifest overnight – We will think of it as more of a joyous journey than a destination – it is one of the most important, if not the most significant, journeys you and I can take.

In order to gain firsthand knowledge about grandparenting, Oma interviewed an expert! Noeleen has been grandparenting for over twenty-five years for her nine grandchildren!

Nana Noeleen - Twenty-five years and nine grandchildren

Oma: What are your grandchildren’s first names and ages:

Nana Noleen: 

1. Bradley - 25 years
2. Adrian - 20 years
3. Russell - 18 years
4. Lachlan - 9 years
5. Rhianna - 7 years
6. Alexis - 6 years
7. Addison - 5 years
8. Samuel - 3 years
9. Oliver - 1 year

Oma: What do your grandkids call you?

Nana Noleen: They all call me Nana.

Oma: What are your favorite things to do with your grandkids?

Nana Noleen: Depending on the age of the grandchild in question, our favorite things include baking a cake, reading a book, playing some games on the Wii, supervise some browsing Children's sites on the Internet & going for a walk along our Walking Tracks.

Oma: What is the most important thing you have taught your grandchildren?

Nana Noleen: Good manners should be always used, especially a "Please & Thank You" when it is appropriate. Sharing of toys and treats is also something that I like to see the grandkids do. Well behaved children seem to be disappearing these days.

Oma: What is the most important thing you have learned from your grandchildren?

Nana Noleen: My grandchildren seem to be able to roll with the punches. If they have a bad day, it gets forgotten and they start off fresh the next day. I try to adopt that positive attitude to life, it sometimes works.

Oma: What is the hardest part of being a grandmother?

Nana Noleen: The tyranny of distance is my biggest hardship. Some of my grandchildren live over two thousand kilometers away and we only have Facebook and Skype communication.

Oma: What is your advice for a first time grandma?

Nana Noleen: Enjoy every minute of it. When I had my first baby, I really appreciated that my Mum and Mother-in-law would drop in the occasional cooked meal. I have returned the favor to find that my family loved it when I leave a casserole or soup or cake. It's a little treat for a busy new Mum.

Thank Nana Noleen for the excellent insight.

Such A Dilemma

Sonoma – 08/25/2012 — with Paul Smith, ZMom Smith,
Jake Koens, Sitara Wilson, Moses Smith and Devin Maxon.

Oma is getting ready for an exciting trip to the Sonoma Raceway to spend time with your Uncle Moses and Auntie Sitara. Uncle Moses is your Daddy’s big brother. Oma can’t wait to see Moses. However, at your mom’s doctor’s appointment, the doctor says that baby Reef could be born very soon. Oma really does not want to miss your arrival; such a dilemma.

Oma is not an expert; so google was consulted. It appears that cervical dilation is not a good indication of when exactly a mommy will have her baby.

A mommy can be 36, 37, or 38 weeks pregnant, 2 centimeters dilated and not have her baby for several weeks. On the other hand, the mommy can be 2 centimeters dilated and be in very early labor or pre-labor having a couple contractions an hour and maybe have a baby within the next couple days. The mommy can also be 2 centimeters dilated and be having very long, hard contractions that are close together. In this last scenario, that mommy will have her baby very soon. You can actually be in late labor or in transition, but your cervix hasn’t caught up yet and is showing early labor.

In other word – Baby Reef’s arrival remains a mystery. Research tells Oma that it’s not uncommon for a mommy to be up to 2 centimeters dilated several weeks before giving birth!

Oma is going to enjoy her trip to the Formula Car Challenge West presented by Goodyear Race 11 & Race 12 at Infineon Raceway. Uncle Moses’ Series (Formula Mazda) is a Special Support Race for the Indy Gran Prix of Sonoma!

Be an understanding baby and wait for your Oma and Opa to return home!

Is there a perfect age to become an Oma?

Today is Oma’s birthday; fifty-nine years on this terrain. This special personal day set me to philosophize – soon baby Reef will be born. Is there a perfect age to take on the responsibility for grandparenting a child?

The bible informs us that “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged.” (Proverbs 17:6)  Grandparenting is an opportunity to play, to love someone new, to appreciate the magic of a developing mind, and to be needed by someone again.

Oma and Opa can:

• Share the things they're passionate about with a new audience.
• See the world in a new way through younger eyes.
• Experience games, music, nature, reading, and other interests in conjunction with a curious young mind.
• Provide expanded support and encouragement to their grandchildren.
• Use their breadth of experience to avoid the pitfalls they may have encountered as parents the first time around.
• Watch children develop through all stages of growth.
• Learn about their grand kids' music and passions.
• Provide input that parents cannot.

Becoming a grandparent at a too young age can make you feel prematurely old. Also, if the new Oma or Opa are still busy and/or in the middle of their career; they might not be able to spend quality time with their new prodigy.

Considering these facts and to answer my own question; now is the perfect time for me to become an Oma. The perfect time to have your grandchildren (although we have no say in their arrival) is when you have the time to enjoy them.

I work from home and have a very busy but flexible schedule. I am thinking that Reef will be the first sparkling jewel in this Oma’s “Crown Of The Aged.” 

Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)

Dragon tales and the "water is wide"

Pirate's sail and lost boys fly

Fish bite moonbeams every night

And I love you

Godspeed, little man

Sweet dreams, little man

Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings

Godspeed - Sweet dreams

The rocket racer's all tuckered out

Superman's in pajamas on the couch

Goodnight moon, will find the mouse

And I love you

Godspeed, little man

Sweet dreams, little man

Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings

Godspeed -Sweet dreams

God bless mommy and match box cars

God bless dad and thanks for the stars

God hears "Amen," wherever we are

And I love you

Godspeed, little man

Sweet dreams, little man

Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings

Godspeed - Godspeed - Godspeed

Sweet dreams

Reef's Sonogram

Oma was thrilled to accompany Baby Reef’s parents and Grandma Wendy to the doctor’s appointment for a routine sonogram. I was even more pleased to hear that all was progressing well and normally!  Doctor believes that Reef will be a big baby - eight pounds or more.

The Ultrasound scans send high-frequency soundwaves through your uterus (womb). The soundwaves bounce off the baby as echoes. These echoes are turned into an image on a screen that shows your baby's position and movements.

Hard tissues, such as bone, reflect the biggest echoes. These appear white in the image, and soft tissues appear grey. Fluids, such as the amniotic fluid that your baby lies in, appear black, because the echoes go through them. The person performing the scan (sonographer) will look at these shades to interpret the images.

A sonogram is the picture taken during the ultrasound. The sonogram is a "still-shot" of the fetus.