Our youngest grandchild, Dylan Joseph, turns ONE today.  It seems impossible that all those moments, all those days, all those seasons have turned into one whole year.

Dylan is our 9th grandchild and our 7th grandson.  Yes, there are 2 girls (each 8 years old), and then 7 boys in a row… and the boys are all 6-years and under.  Dylan fits into this mix like fingers in a glove.  He is all boy.  All smiles.  All happy.  All snails and puppy dog tails.

On the day Dylan was born, a beautiful Sunday morning, Barry and I excitedly headed to the hospital to visit our new little darling and Adam and Aimee.  He was big and round and healthy and perfect.  We held him and kissed him told him how much we loved him.  Right after that, we headed to visit Barry’s mom, Flo, who was hospitalized in intensive care.  We held her hands and told her all about Dylan Joseph… Dylan is Adam’s middle name and Joseph is Barry’s deceased father’s name.  Flo had spent a few days in and out of consciousness and was very, very weak.  But as we talked about Dylan, Flo’s eyes opened wide and knowing and full of love.  She smiled as I said, “Mom, Adam and Aimee had their baby this morning.  A boy.  Dylan Joseph.”

That’s when Flo gained full consciousness and said as clear as a bell, smiling the biggest smile,  “Isn’t that something!”  And we talked some more about the new baby… until she fell back to sleep.

Flo loved boys.  Make no mistake about that.  She had 3 boys who were her life.  She had 5 grandsons and 3 granddaughters whom she loved without bounds, but the grandsons?… could do no wrong.  She had 3 great-granddaughters, but Dylan would be her 12th great-grandson in a row, all 5-years and under.  It is one of my greatest pleasures in the world to have told my mother-in-law that she had yet another great-grandson!

Flo would pass away 12 days later… but I will never forget her great big smile and her beautiful words to celebrate the birth of Dylan.  I will tell Dylan this story of his Great-Nana-Flo and how she loved him from the first moment.  I will tell him of her eyes and her love and her smile and her words, “Isn’t that something!”

Yes, our little Dylan.  Isn’t that something! Isn’t that something that you have come to our family with your stock of blond hair and big blue eyes and wide toothy smile and just crawled into all of our hearts… and isn’t that something that you will always be guided by an angel, your Great-Nana-Flo.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Dylan!!