Hi folks I’m finally back. My goodness what an adventure!
I will share my thoughts and escapades in France over the next couple of posts so I don’t bore you with my enthusiasm all in one go.
My “Gone Fishing” post was hurriedly added on Thursday 28th April as a result of a phone call from our daughter in France – she had finally gone into labour and was in hospital. No more “false” alarms this was it!
Mr. Piglet and I immediately went into “headless chicken” mode as we checked out flights on the internet and contemplated the quickest way to travel to France during a very busy holiday period. We abandoned all earlier plans of taking the plane and train and decided to drive the 2000 kilometres from Portugal, across Spain and into France.
We quickly threw clothes into the suitcases, gathered together anything that we thought might be remotely useful (most of which was not), mobilized an army of friends to care for our garden and pool, made my “Gone Fishing” blog post and we were off!
During the course of the afternoon, as we were racing across Spain, we received a text from our daughter to say baby Pigleta should be born in 30 minutes, the wonders of modern technology…but then no further communication for hours.
What was happening? Was everything OK? How were Mummy Piglet (Piglet in France) and baby Pigleta faring…?
We then received a text confirming Lily-May (Pigleta), our first granddaughter, was born at 16.13, measuring 49cms and weighing 3.540 kg. We felt elated! However, this elation turned to concern when we later learned all was not well with our daughter. She had experienced problems during the birth and may have broken her coccyx.
After 800km the journey was taking its toll so we made the decision to make a stop-over in Madrid and continue early the next morning. As we programmed our GPS system our thoughts were in turmoil, and with 1200km still to travel it would be touch-and-go as to whether we would make it to the hospital before visiting time ended. Oh what an unbelievably frustrating day – we not only encountered miles on miles of road works but then came the Friday evening traffic jams as we hit the French motorways. It was motoring hell!
Reality then dawned on us, as three lanes of traffic ground to a complete standstill, that after all this effort we may not make it to the hospital to hug our daughter and meet Lily-May this evening, and yet another day would pass. Living in an area of Portugal where four cars represented a traffic jam we had completely forgotten the “stress” and “volume” of Friday afternoon traffic. Tears of frustration rolled down my cheeks as I saw miles of red tail-lights disappear over the horizon.
To top it all our mobile phone then rang and a friend from Portugal informed us they had just experienced the worst electrical storm in a decade and our electricity had tripped. In our rush to depart yesterday morning none of our friends had our house key so they could reset the electric. Pooh! Pooh POOH!!! We were going to lose all the contents of our freezer and fridge, which were both stacked to capacity due to us taking advantage of a generous supermarket discount voucher, just last week. I don’t know if someone “above” at this point suddenly took pity on us but the traffic miraculously started to clear and we were on the move. As our speed increased a glimmer of hope was rekindled – we may just make it!
We finally arrived at the hospital, physically and mentally exhausted from our journey, just an hour before visiting time ended. Our son-in-law fortunately came to meet us at the entrance of the maternity building to save us precious minutes in hunting for the correct ward. I almost fell into his arms with relief. As we walked in to our daughter’s room and was introduced to our granddaughter our hearts melted and the long, hot and frustrating journey was quickly forgotten. We were immediately smitten with Lily-May and I suddenly understood the joys of being a grandparent.
Any tips gratefully received!
Related Posts: http://pigletinfrance.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/baby-piglets-birth-story/
Perfect, perfect, perfect!
What a beautiful granddaughter, Pip! Well done 🙂
LikeLike
thank you Anne,
Can’t wait to go back and see her!
PiP 🙂
LikeLike
What wonderful newa. Congratulation to you all.
Lily May looks adorable. I look forward to seeing many more photos of her.
Loved your story.
LikeLike
Hi Lynda,
She is great thankyou!
Hope to see you next time I’m back in the UK 🙂
PiP
LikeLike
Congratulations! Lily-May a beautiful name for a gorgeous little girl.
I hope that both mum and baby are well now. Baby pictures always brighten up the day!!
LikeLike
Hi Sarsm,
thankyou for your best wishes…she certainly does brighten my day
PiP
LikeLike
Glad to have you back! Congratulations on the safe arrival of Miss Pileta! Especially, of course, to the parents, without whom none of this would have been possible!
How was the freezer when you got back? I assume you’ll tie up the loose ends in future posts! Like Mum’s coccyx. That is a decent sized baby!
LikeLike
Hi TO,
Good to be back but I’m missing them all terrribly. It must have been awful for you when you were separated from you family. It just aches.
Freezer and fridge I am glad to report ahve been emptied and apart from the loss of masses of food, no apparent long term damage. 🙂
PiP
LikeLike
Still separated. 😦 It is our wedding anniversary this coming Sunday. That is going to be hard. Hopefully they will come home around my birthday.
LikeLike
What a wonderful story PiP, I was on the edge of my chair reading this! The hoops you and your husband jumped through to get to see your delightful grand-daughter, but hey – you got there in the end and like you said, how quickly you forgot everything once you saw her! I remember my (ex) mother-in law saying to me about labour that they are the worst pains but the soonest forgotten. She was so right!
I wish you and your newly extended family all the very best, hope your daughter is recovering – I got chicken pox the day after I gave birth to my second son and I’ve some lovely (not) photos to prove it as I was rushed into isolation!
Really lovely story, thoroughly enjoyed it and many congratulations to you all, you are truly blessed. xx
LikeLike
Hi Nuggetsandpearls,
Wow you were so unlucky to get chicken pox! Not the best start after giving birth.
I dreaded it when I was question by my daughter about given birth and whether it was painful. I use to cry myself to sleep sometimes when I was carrying her as I wondered how she was going to get out. At 8lb 15oz I soon discovered the pain of giving birth is undescribable but as you say quickly forgotten. 🙂
PiP
LikeLike
We just got our first grandchild last October. Congratulations. Enjoy the moments. As a long-distance grandparent myself, I try to make all the precious moments count.
And if you don’t have it already, get Skype. It’s a life-saver for when your heart is breaking because you never get to see your granddaughter.
She’s precious.
LikeLike
Hi CM,
Congrats on your first GC as well!
We have Skype thank goodness and hopefully we will be able to connect with the webcam this weekend. 🙂
My heart is breaking already. I would just like to give our daughter a BIG hug right now. She had a difficult birth, many problems and is still bedbound.
PiP
LikeLike
Congratulations Pip! Oh the wonderful world of grandparenthood! She’s a real sweetie and already has a face full of personality–oh the fun you will have!
LikeLike
Hi Margaret,
I can’t wait to go back and see her and give her a BIG hug. She certainly has plenty of personality :). Our daughter and hubby will have no shortage of baby sitters 🙂
PiP
LikeLike
She’s adorable! God bless her! Welcome to Grannyville isn’t the view just precious?! Congrats! 🙂
LikeLike
He He Grannyville – I love it!
LikeLike
She is gorgeous Pip.
Congratulations.
May she bring you great happiness.
Tip?
Spoil her…it is your right!
LikeLike
Hi Granny…we certainly plan to spoil her and give her plenty of cuddles 🙂
LikeLike
hey! Hope you don’t mind but I’ve pinched your photos Mum as mine are still on camera and I can’t find the USB stick in the bed right now… Have just posted Lily-May’s birth story, h0pefully as a form of therapy for me. We’re missing you. xxx
LikeLike
Hi my little Miss Piglet
I bet not as much as we are missing you! Loved your post BTW.
Please let me know if you need any more photos…
xxx
LikeLike
Awww! Your new grandbaby is so beautiful and adorable! Congratulations! This must be so exciting for you! 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Sharon,
It was very exciting and she is Soooooooo adorable 🙂 Can’t wait to return to France to see them
PiP
LikeLike
Hi PiP aka Grandma 🙂
Congratulations!!! Thank you for sharing your harried trip to see your daughter and new grandbaby…I couldn’t stop reading until I came to the happy ending. 🙂
LikeLike
Hi vivian
it certainly was harried….but seeing our daughter and soninlaw with Lily-May I would have travelled to the moon!
🙂
PiP
LikeLike
Congratulations to the whole Piglet family! Lily-May is so beautiful. I’m looking forward to hearing about the whole visit and all the love & cuddles you gave her.
LikeLike
Hi shell,
She is certainly cute and already knows her own mind. I love the way when I made piglet snuffling noises she started to mouth for food. It made me laugh out loud. My daughter banned me from making the noises as everytime I did so she wanted feeding LOL 🙂
PiP
LikeLike
Congratulations! I hope mummy is ok too? Pigletta is so cute!
LikeLike
Hi amblerangel..Mummy is still going through the millas she now has a very bad UTI infection unfortunately 😦
PiP
LikeLike
What a cutie! Congratulations to you and Mr. Piglet! And your daughter and son in law of course 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Liannouwen…our poor son in law. He has certainly been through it as well. He slept on the hospital floor the first night. 😦
LikeLike
Auch, poor guy! Didn’t they have an extra bed for him?
LikeLike
Hi Lian,
No unfortunately there was no space anyway in her room. He stayed on for moral support. He is such a sweetie 🙂
PiP
LikeLike
Oh congratulations – she is so beautiful.
LikeLike
thanks FD
Can’t wait to return 🙂
LikeLike
Woop! Congratulations! She looks lovely! Sounds like you had quite an adventure! Look forward to reading all about it! Nice to see you back again!
LikeLike
Hi Noob…nice to be back and will be catching up with everyone over the weekend.
Lily-May is def a sweetie…just like her grandma 🙂
PiP
LikeLike
Hi Noob…certainly an “adventure” 🙂 Catch up soon 🙂
LikeLike
Awwwwwwwwwwwwww! She’s gorgeous.
Glad to have you back.
LikeLike
Hi Tilly,
Yep, def gorgeous but then I’m biased 🙂
PiP
LikeLike
she is absolutely gorgeous! congrats to your family…enjoy every second of it!
LikeLike
Hi Stacey,
Yep..can’t wait to go back to France.
She is 2 weeks old 2day!
LikeLike
Aww Congratulations! She is absolutely adorable! 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks E 🙂
LikeLike
My goodness what a stressful trip you had. I’m so thankful it all worked out finally and you to be with your precious sweet granddaughter.
Congratulations Grandma & Grandpa! Lily-May is adorable. You’ll have so many wonderful happy times together. 🙂
LikeLike
Hi EC,
It was stressful but even the the journey was arduous I am so glad we drove there as it gave us flexibility. Lily-May is absolutely adorable and can’t wait to go back and see her.
Will be over to say hi and catch up on your news over the weekend :=)
PiP
LikeLike
Yay! PiP is back . . . and Lily-May is one of the most beautiful babies I’ve ever seen. I mean that. What a doll! 😀
Sorry about the power loss and loss of food ~ did your home stink to high heaven when you opened the door? 😦
LikeLike
Hi NR,
Yes she is a doll…and she is already developing her own personality 🙂
Home did stink of decaying food when we opened the fridge and freezer doors and unfortunately the smell still lingers in the freezers. Not sure if we will be covered on insurance either… 😦
It’s going to take me awhile to catch up with everyone but should be back on track over the weekend :=
Cheers
PiP
LikeLike
Oh PIP she is absolutely adorable, I am so happy for you my friend, congratulations to you all xoxoxo
LikeLike
Hi RNP…thankyou 🙂
I will be catching up on all my blogging buds blogs soon 🙂
Cheers
PiP
LikeLike
Mr. and Mrs. Piglet, Congratulations. Lily-May is just gorgeous. How exciting. Your post brought tears to my eyes. As always, your writing is wonderful and the story was gripping. I’m so glad you made it that evening. What happened at home with the electrical outage?
LikeLike
Hi Ellen,
Thank you as always for your kind words. I have to say I felt very stressed sitting in the Traffic jam…but someone up above must have taken pity on us.
We are gradually clearing up and getting back to normal but still and trying to remove the smell from the fridge and freezer. 😦
Will be round to everyones blog soon to catch up!
Cheers
PiP
LikeLike
Lily is beautiful, I know you enjoyed every minute with her. I know it was also very hard to leave. Being a grandparent is a part of heaven, its fantastic. Glad you are back, looking forward to hearing more about your trip and more about Lily. 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Penny,
Yep the moments with Lily-May were very special and can’t wait to go back and see her. Hopefully we will see her on the webcam.
PiP
LikeLike
Congratulations on the arrival of Lily-May. She looks adorable. Wishing you much happiness.
LikeLike
Hi mairedubhtx …thanks! She has certainly made us very happy. Can’t wait to go back to France to se her.
PiP
LikeLike
Congrats! What a cutie!
LikeLike
Hi Carlaat and thanks! She is soooo cute 🙂
LikeLike
Enjoy Lily May and also enjoy the new relationship with your daughter as she grows as a mummy too, both are so precious. Congratulation to you all. xxxx
LikeLike
Hi Marie,
It is a time for a special relationship with daughter and one I treasure.
PiP 🙂
LikeLike
Congrats to you both.
Advice – pick her up, cuddle her, spoil her and when she crys just hand her back!
That’s what being a grandparent is all about!!!
LikeLike
Thanks itsmeagain…I like your advice 🙂
LikeLike
She is beautiful! Congrats! 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks akamonsoon,
We are so excited!
LikeLike
Congratulations!!!
LikeLike
Thanks Dennarr…any tips?
LikeLike
Congratulations Grandma!! Lily-May is beautiful! Hope mommy is doing better!
LikeLike
Hi Brenda,
I maybe biased but our little granddaughter is a sweetie! Mom is coming along slowly…
cheers
Pip
LikeLike
My dear PiP and hubby, many congratulations, she is gorgeous! What a journey but I am so glad you got to see your new baby on the day of her birth. No tips, apart from be yourselves and enjoy, being a grandparent is so, so special. The relationship you will build with Lily-May will be almost as precious as with your own child… and also progresses your relationship with your daughter as she grows as a Mummy. Enjoy, it will be one of the most wonderful times of your life! xxxx
LikeLike
Hi Marie,
It’s a shame we are so far away. I’m missing them already! 😦
PiP
LikeLike
Phew! A happy ending after all of that! Beautiful Lily-May (and photos) and so sorry about your daughter’s coccyx! Broke mine when younger, but besides sitting on a tuffet (pillow) for weeks, it healed. Hope hers will, soon! So, congratulations, grandma Piglet!
LikeLike
Hi Jan,
Phew…was the word I was looking for!
PiP
LikeLike