Big Edie headed back to the U.S. this morning. She was going to stay longer, but other family members need her, too. She came during the bleakest time of year to help us out, weathering blizzards, ice and a shoe box apartment so that she could take care of our house and teach me as much mothering wisdom as I could absorb in five weeks.
Mom took off for the airport in the cab Will called her last night. The cab driver apparently called her William throughout the trip. He probably figured that a woman from a country that allows babies to be named Moon Unit and Pilot Inspektor would have no problem with a lady named William. In Germany, incidentally, your child's name must be contained in the government's master name list. If it's not, you have to prove that the name you've picked is legit. Our relocation agent named her daughter Alanis, which is not on the list. So she had to get a letter from the Canadian consulate office to affirm that Alanis Morisette is a real person with a proper first name. I met an ex-pat who named her Munich-borne daughter Molly, which was accomplished by a print out of Molly Ringwald's imdb.com page. Luckily for us, Edith is a "good German name" so we shouldn't have any trouble once we begin our mountain of paperwork to make the baby real. Right now, little Edie doesn't exist in the eyes of any government.
Back to my departing mom, we will miss her very much. I am and always have been a mama's girl, and even now with my own daughter here, I hate to see my her go. Bon Voyage, Big E! Come back soon!
Gosh, I can understand you're reluctant to let her go, but so wonderful she was there for little e's arrival and first month of her life.
ReplyDeleteIt was the most difficult of times, mostly it was the very best of times. Little Edie gave me many smiles the last few days and I'm so thankful that the three of us had this time together. Edie is already on her way to be a mamma's girl. Upon hearing Rakel's voice she goes into an immediate bird pose looking left and right for the latte machine. She gives her mamma the look of, "wow, you are just the kind of mamma I ordered." Next time I see Little Edie she will be surrounded by love of her extended family--many hands to hold, my smiles to share.
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