When I first learned I was to be a grandmother I never expected the child that would arrive in seven short months would be so important to me.

But you see that little face. In that face you can see her resemblance to her father and suddenly you are in love. The second grandchild comes along and you fret for seven months that you can't possibly love a grandchild like you do that first one. Then he is born. Low and behold you see that baby that is only 15 minutes old and you feel your heart fill with the most warm and loving feeling and suddenly you realize, your heart just grew. It has just expanded from that tight confined place and has filled you from stem to stern. You watch and wait for pictures of both grandchildren. You buy cameras web cams anything to see this lovely baby grow.

You beg and beg for them to bring the baby out to live in the same state with you and when one does you lavish attention on that child and you start arranging for the other grandchild to come out too. It is like you would never imagine. Love bursting at the seams for these two little children that are so like their parents and so like your own children.

They come out and you lavish attention on the second grandchild and hold an almost one year old birthday party and invite your friends so that everyone can share in the joy that is this child.

Once you learn a third child is on the way you are again consumed with fear that there is no more room in this heart of yours. Again once the child is born, you realize oh there is so much room for him in there. The fourth child comes along and you have no doubts that your heart will once again expand to fit another little child, and that this new baby will have all the grandmother's love there is to give.

Calls come in that one or more of these beloved children are sick and you fret and worry and pray that they are healthy and well soon. You call and ask about them. You find ways of making trips back across country to spend some time with them. Grabbing precious memories and moments with them to hold you until you can escape again.

With the Fifth child you realize you need pictures when you fly back to Alabama to spend a hurried weekend seeing all the children and all their children. So you arrange a fast and furious photography session to take the five grandchildren's first professional group photo. The session takes over an hour to get everyone situated, not crying and at least half happy and smiling.

Then low and behold you are not back home for long when the phone call comes in that there is another baby on the way. We are going to have six grandchildren. This baby is a sickly baby and so she goes to live with her Aunt and with tender loving care and a lot of attention she gets her all strong and healthy and off this little one goes back to her mama and daddy.

Then all your begging comes full circle and the family with four children decide to move across countrty and live near you and then and only then announce that there is baby number five on the way. This will be grandchild number seven.

Is there room for these children in my heart? oh yes. My heart is continuing to grow and make room for each and every one of these children.

So we have Five grandchildren here in town with me and two in another city across the continent. So I make lovely trips and find ways to chat online and on the phone with these lovely boys that I love so much. These two boys in Kentucky that always know my voice and never act shy when i come sailing into town on a wing and a prayer and only about 72 hours to visit with them. Never do they act as if I have not loved them every day of their life. They know, somehow they just know and it is such a wonderful thing for me to share with them. This love for each other.

As I fly back home I only have about two months before I find out I am about to come face to face with grandchild number eight. Number eight for me and baby number one for my youngest daughter.

The time goes by as she prepares for her new addition and while we wait for the delivery we get the word that The two boys are going to have a baby sister.

With this news I now face the fact that I am going to be the grandmother of Nine. Does that upset me? No! In no way does it upset me. I have come to realize that nine or nineteen, my heart will have it's own special area for each child. Each child will be loved for who they are and how they interact with me. No, I assure you the heart is not too small to love whatever number of grandchildren you are blessed with.

I wait in great anticipation for Sarah Katherine, grandchild # 9's arrival on December 2, 2009.