My daughter and her longtime best friend continue to go through life’s adventures together.

Not only were they practically inseparable in high school – people often wondered if they were sisters or at least cousins, both with the last name of Jackson – but they have also continued to maintain close ties in the years since graduation. They were in each other’s weddings, helped out with the bridal showers and baby showers, and now have infants that were born a little more than four months apart. Katelyn’s baby, Bennett, was almost a month early when he arrived in September of 2021 but he is a dark-eyed, alert, healthy big boy. He and my granddaughter Lorelei – who just turned three months old on April 15 – have already had a couple of ‘play dates’ and make a cute couple, though Bennett most definitely takes up most of the blanket. And to be honest, there’s not a whole lot of interaction just yet but there are smiles and inquisitive stares as they try to figure out who they are looking at.

Lorelei has great facial recognition for those of us who get in her face all the time; me included. She has a sweet smile that shows her dimples and lights up her eyes; and in the last couple of weeks has also discovered her tongue and her voice. She is doing a little babbling, has even giggled a couple of times and of course sticks her tongue out when the mood strikes her.

It really doesn’t seem that long ago when Kate and Ally were suiting up for soccer tournaments, we were on the road to Dublin or Santa Cruz or Fresno. Kate’s mom Edy and I had shared as they were finishing up their travel soccer careers that while at times it seemed endless as we were going through it, the truth is it was over fast. We talked about doing a mother/daughter trip to Santa Cruz for a weekend after soccer to enjoy the beach and strolling through the shops, cleats and shin guards not required, but somehow that never happened. Now, it would have to be a mother/(grandmother)/daughter/baby trip, but I’d still be okay with that.

My daughter is preparing to return to work but isn’t sure she is ready. She did have time off prior to her due date and several weeks after for the recovery and ‘bonding’ time with baby but she is discovering you can’t put a timeline on that bond.

Luckily, she will be working a part-time schedule right now so she won’t be separated from the baby all day, just a few hours a day, a few days a week. And I get to do some of the babysitting so hopefully that eases her mind as well.

In fact, when I sent Ally and Judd off for a birthday night dinner for Judd a few weeks ago, I stayed with Lorelei and Sonny the Corgi at their house while they enjoyed a couple of hours to themselves. It was the first time they had both left her; Judd was apologizing because he just knew she was going to scream the whole time, as they were leaving at what is known as her witching hour; the time of the evening when she is crabby.

Right after they left, she did start to cry. I tried the baby swing; she didn’t want it. I tried another musical/motion contraption thing they have in their living room; she didn’t want it. So I walked her around the house for a couple minutes, humming a little tune, then sat down on the couch and bounced her on my knee. Within five minutes, she was conked out. Not a peep. They got back from dinner and I sent them back out to get dessert; she slept through the whole thing.

They were amazed. I just call it the ‘Grammy touch.’

Marg Jackson is editor of The Oakdale Leader, The Escalon Times and The Riverbank News. She may be reached at mjackson@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 209-847-3021.