Grandma Does It Better?

I never thought I would see the day when someone could handle my (perfect) baby better than I could. Well that day was yesterday. My husband and I went to a family wedding, and whenever we are out of town my mother watches my Bub. He absolutely loves her, but I never thought she would have an easier time with him than me. I figured he would fuss, cry, want me (isn't that what every mom wants?!), and not go to sleep easily. Well I was wrong.

My mother (Grandma) shows up in time to take him so we can finish getting ready, and as soon as she walked through the door he heard her voice and cracked a smile. I was in such relief that she was there that I was ecstatic that he happily went into her arms. It wasn't until we were gone for a few hours and I got a picture of him with the biggest smile on his face that it got me thinking. Does Grandma do it better? I never got one text saying he was fussing, not one panicked phone call. I just got picture upon picture of his wide-eyed grin.

That is all well and good, but I knew I would get her if we came home early from the wedding since he can be difficult to put to sleep. I texted her as we were leaving the venue to let her know we were heading home and I asked how he was doing. Her response: "out like a light". Seriously!? It's an hour before his bed time! There was no way that he was out for good before his bed time. But low and behold, when we got home he was in his "comfy spot" and didn't budge....for 12 hours!! I actually texted my mom in the morning joking that she had drugged him.

So do Grandma's do it better? In some respects I think they do. Obviously they don't know your child as well as you do, but they have years upon years of experience. I mean we are here aren't we? But they also have the added bonus of going home at night. They can swoop in, have fun, wear the baby out, put them to bed, then seamlessly go back to their life. They don't have the every day stress of raising the child, which the child can feel. They are the "fun show" that comes around, gives them their undivided attention until they conk out for 12 hours (seriously best night sleep ever!).

At first I thought I would feel threatened that she could calm him when he was screaming in my arms, but now it is a safety net. I know I can call Grandma for anything, and what a sense of relief that is. So ladies and new moms, embrace it, let Grandma take over for a while!