My Favorite People Call Me Nanny

My heart is so full of love and joy for my grands!

My favorite people call me Nanny. I just don’t think I can express in words the love I have for my grandchildren as a grandmother, but I will give it a shot. Just know that what you are reading should be multiplied by at least a thousand to truly understand the depth of my relationships with my grandchildren as their Nanny.

My favorite people call me Nanny.

I chose to be called Nanny because it was close to Nancy. I was hoping “Nanny” would be my grandchildren’s first word. Haha! But seriously, when they say na-na-na for the first time, oh my! My heart feels like it is about to explode. Nanny is my favorite name, and my favorite people call me Nanny! YES! I also love my children so much, but you know it’s different if you are a grandparent. Not more or less, just different in a great way. You are getting a second chance at parenting, yet not parenting. You have a more supportive role. It is the absolute best season of life!

In 2014, my son Kevin came home and told me he was going to ask a girl out who had a little boy. I was THRILLED! Seriously, I was. I knew that if that date one day led to marriage, I would be able to love a little boy like my mother-in-law loved my little girl many years earlier. God was using my mother-in-law’s love for Brittne, my daughter, to teach me. All those years ago, God was preparing me, and I had no idea!

Kevin’s date with Liz began a journey that led to marriage, and not only did Liz join our family, but Bodhi was the added bonus. Kevin and Liz were married on October 31, 2014, and on that day, I became a Nanny! The following months were such sweet times as our love for Bodhi continued to grow each day. We were also learning how to grieve that we were not a part of his first year of life. It was a yes/and situation. Yes, we were so grateful, so full of love for him, and we grieved the days we did not know him. Bodhi was our first grandchild. He got our undivided attention and truly taught us how to be grandparents. He was the BEST teacher, and he is still just the absolute best! Gosh, I love him! He is the perfect first grandchild. He leads all the others so well. I love sitting and talking with him. I love his gentleness and kindness. My favorite people call me Nanny, and he is one of my favorite people.

On July 14, 2015, Arizona was born. One of the sweetest gifts I had ever been given was the invitation to be in the delivery room. As soon as my eyes saw my first granddaughter, I felt my heart grow. I didn’t even know I could love that deeply and unconditionally! Arizona is my sidekick. She loves time with Nanny (and Pops), and I love spending time with her. She is really sweet and a peacemaker. She loves deeply, and my love for her is just as deep! We just get each other. It’s hard to explain, but out of all my grands, so far, she is probably the most like me. We enjoy being together. My favorite people call me Nanny, and she is one of my favorite people.

We had two grandchildren and spent the next couple of years enjoying them to the fullest. We started a Friday night sleepover tradition. At first, it was just Bodhi, and when Arizona started sleeping through the night (at six weeks old), she joined him. We could hardly wait until Friday nights.

Have you ever had a child experience a miscarriage?

It’s heart-wrenching! Brittne was pregnant with her first child. She and Josh were so excited, as were we. This little baby was never held here on earth, but my heart grew again, and it ached in a way it never had before.

We were still grieving the miscarriage when Kevin and Liz were expecting number three. They told us by giving us t-shirts that said Nanny X3 and Pops X3. It was the best surprise! At that time, they lived in South Carolina, and being “on call” for a baby's delivery was so fun and stressful. We made it just in time for Liz to struggle with this delivery and had to have a C-section. Desi was born on October 11, 2018, healthy and really content to be the youngest with all the attention from her siblings. Desi is full of joy. She is almost always happy and smiling! She just enjoys life. She asks often (daily) if it’s her turn to spend the night with us. Once we had three grands old enough to spend the night, we started a rotation. Desi brings out the joy in me that is sometimes blocked by all the hard things in life. I love her so much! I’m thankful for her smile! She brightens the room and my heart! My favorite people call me Nanny, and she is one of my favorite people.

At the end of the pregnancy with Desi, Brittne, and Josh were pregnant again, and doctors said it was a miracle. We prayed over this pregnancy and tried to rest in God’s goodness. But that previous miscarriage just kept coming back to my mind, which kept me on my knees offering up many, many prayers! Josh and Brittne kindly invited me to witness the delivery. At the time, they lived in Knoxville. My bags were packed and ready for the call. When the phone rang, I quickly got dressed and took off to the hospital. I arrived in p l e n t y of time. After over twenty-four hours of hard labor, a C-section was ordered. Since it was not planned, I was not allowed to go back with them. I sat in what was supposed to be her delivery room and prayed and cried. A short time later, on August 16, 2019, Cooper was born. To hold him in my arms was magical. Many trips were made up to Knoxville to see that little bundle of joy. He is so special to me. Cooper is very smart, loved monster trucks as a toddler, and now loves to play Minecraft with his cousin, Bodhi. He enjoys life and makes ours so much better! He is our snuggle buddy. Cooper reminds me a lot of Brittne. They have similar personalities. Oh, how I love this little boy. He is our miracle baby, and we continue to thank God for such an amazing gift. My favorite people call me Nanny, and he is one of my favorite people.

Cooper was born a week after my dad died.

Life and death were both experienced within 7 days of each other. Each year around Cooper’s birthday, I think about the grief of what God has taken and rejoice over what He has given.

Sadly, Brittne and Josh had to endure two more miscarriages. There are no words to describe the heartache and loss you feel. You just have to let the tears flow, and they often did. Actually, they still do sometimes.

We have consistently prayed for all our grandchildren- those already here and those to come. But when we were told that Brittne was pregnant again, I began praying and fasting. We learned to hold the pregnancy loosely and in full dependency on God’s sovereignty, even when it didn’t make sense. On May 23, 2023, Collins was born. Oh, how beautiful she is! Brittne had another c-section, and I was able to see my sweet Collins as she was delivered. It was beautiful. (On January 16, 1989, I had a C-section and delivered Brittne.) Seeing Brittne give birth by C-section to Collins was very surreal. Collins has the sweetest smile, and her beautiful blue eyes shine so brightly. How much time do you have for me to share how special Collins is? She is a miracle and such a gift to our family. I love that little girl as much as I can love! It’s hard to explain, but she seems to complete me, her family, and our family. We all kind of fight over her attention. Spoiled? Maybe- not yet- but most likely! More like, absolutely! My favorite people call me Nanny, and she is one of my favorite people.

I am so blessed.

My heart is so full of love and joy for my grands!

I am blessed beyond measure!