Great Grandpa

Hi baby,

Last night we went to visit your Great Grandpa Howard (my dad's dad). Great Grandpa is 91, and we just learned on Friday that he has Lymphoma. Unfortunately it's spreading too quickly, plus his kidneys are failing, his chest is filling up with fluids, and he can't eat. So, yesterday they sent him home with a hospice care worker.

Daddy and I went over to Great Grandpa and Great Grandma's house to spend time with him and the rest of the family. Lots of people were there: Great Grandma Margaret, Great Uncle Paul, Great Aunt Melinda, Great Uncle Loren, Uncle Andy, Cousin Kayla, Cousin Lily, Cousin Jason and Cousin Scott (I think they'd both be first cousin's once removed for you), Scott's wife Shauna, and their kids Second Cousin Abby and Second Cousin Emery.

Great Grandpa is on morphine right now, to ease his pain, so he's in and out of consciousness -- mostly in a semi-unconscious state where he appears to be sleeping, but if you talk to him he can hear and respond (with communicative noises, like you you'd make a noise to say "mm-hmm"/yes). A couple of times he's woken up long enough to have small conversations (with real words), but it doesn't last long, and usually the family comes running when he does.

So, at one point when I was standing by his bedside alone (the rest of the family was busy descending on the pizza that had just arrived), holding his hand, I bent over to whisper in his ear. I asked if he could hear me and he made a "yes" noise. So I told him that he had to keep it a secret (in case he wakes up and decides to spill to Great Grandma), but that daddy and I are pregnant. He immediately made this soft, happy sound, and squeezed my hand. 

I'm so glad we got to tell him.

I wish you would have had a chance to meet him. He was such a great man, and lived a very full life. I'm going to miss him very much.