Found A "Peanut"

When I was a kid between 5 and 10 years old I would often go to the playground and get on the swings with my friends. As we were going back and forth and pumping our legs to get as high as we could we often sang a song called "Found A Peanut". It was to the tune of "My Darlin Clemintine".That song came back to my mind recently when we received some wonderful news.  

At the age of 51 I will finally be entering an phase of life that most of my cousins and friends who are about the same age have already experienced: Being a Grandparent.

In last August my son, James, and daughter-in-law, Brandi told us in confidence that they may be expecting a baby. They asked us to keep the news to ourselves until a visit to the doctor.

Soon Brandi's blood tests came back and all indications confirmed that a baby is on the way. But the kids still wanted to wait to "announce" their news until after Brandi's first ultrasound. That test was done on Wednesday September 7, two days before my 51st birthday.
 
They gave us copies of the pictures from the first ultrasound. Although because of the type of test it was they didn't have the opportunity to hear it, they did see the movement of the baby's heart beat. When Paula showed me the pictures, as always, I had difficulty distinguishing what I was looking at. She had to point the baby out to me. "See" she said,  "she looks like a little peanut." (my wife would really like to have a grand daughter but her intuition is telling her that the baby will be a boy).

Sure enough I did see a small image that was at the time a lot smaller than, but nevertheless, shaped like a peanut. When we mentioned this to James he was quick to point out that at the stage of development at the time the picture was taken (about 6 weeks old) the baby is really only about as big the eraser on the end of a pencil. Nevertheless the word "peanut" had been initially linked to our first grandchild.

Over the next few days I imagined in excited anticipation of all joy the arrival of a baby into our lives will bring us. I thought about the ultrasound picture and Paula's comment. I realized what a fun nickname  "Peanut" would be for an infant. In a daydream I imagined holding a newborn in my arms and singing "Found A Peanut" to him or her. It works for me either way but it would be better if the baby was a girl. But I'm sure we'd find a way to make it work for a baby boy as well.

So after more than 40 years the song "Found A Peanut" has a new meaning for me. It represents the anticipation of discovering a love and a joy that Paula and I have yet to be blessed with in our lives.

Hurry up and get here Peanut. Your grandparents are anxious to meet you.