I am a gramma.  In spite of one daughter’s campaign to call me Grampoo (Gracie…. really?), I am called Gramma.  The word needs to be said in a very specific way…. graaaama…. drawn out and high pitched, alright, it could maybe be described as being whiny.   I have said graaaama to him from the day he was born.  I said it to him when he first wakes up, and when I get to hold him.  Any opportunity I have, I say it to him.

But unfortunately, I am a long-distance gramma.  I was lucky to be there at his birth and the first month of his life, but now I am back in Ketchikan, back in the rain, back at work.  It is my hope, that when we “FaceTime” somewhere in the back of his adorable little memory he will associate that sound – graaama- with me.

So far, not so much.

It has been lovely watching my daughter become a mother.  And she is a good one alright.    So darn intentional about everything she does.  She and her wife Katie.  Those two. Perfect.  And Sarah that tweenager, then adult who swore she would “never have kids” surprised us all when she announced she was planning on having a baby.  And man.  It happened fast for her.  But that is all another story.  Back to Weston, and FaceTime and graaama.

Because my daughter is a good daughter.  And because she is a good mommy, she sends me pictures, videos, Facebook updates, text messages,”Snaps” and she calls me on FaceTime when Weston is in a good mood, which apparently is always.  Except when they call me. To be fair, when they call me, he is never in a BAD mood, he just isn’t too interested in FaceTime.  I get a dead stare and then quickly, the ceiling fan becomes much more interesting.  I know it is not the iPad they use, because I have gotten the CUTEST videos of him squealing and laughing and smiling to a baby face app they have.  So, I figured it was me.

It was time to up my game.  I started making weird noises.  Blowing raspberries till my nose itched and my face was numb.  He stared a little longer before the fan took him away.  I said his name and got an even better reaction.  But still.  The fan.  The other day I sang a nursery rhyme.  And.  He.  Smiled.  And it made my day.  He smiled, right at me.  I am still feeling pretty high about it.

So would I rather see him face to face? Of course.  But there are bills to pay and miles to go before I sleep… and in between, hopefully weekends together, whenever we can swing it. And the blessing of modern technology to let me see those day to day moments – like  his Seahawks gear on game day. Grabbing his toes. Playing peek-a-boo. Hugging his little stuffed dog, fresh from his bath, or when he drowsily buried his face in his mother’s shoulder. I even like the pictures of him sleeping.  Yeah.  I like FaceTime and all that jazz.