Aww, thanks for asking beansbeans. I did mean to come and update this thread at the time but I got sidetracked and forgot (as you do).
So the short story is, of course I let them hold him, both of them, and my grandmother a few times. I would have let her hold him some more but he got tired and cranky and just screamed unless he was with me. We both seem to be absolutely fine so I’m 99% sure we've escaped unscathed.
Now for the long story. So... my grandmother was staying with my Uncle who is “going over” (cleaning) their house (again, my Mum and Aunt have given up and refuse to do it now) and my Grandfather was staying in a respite place in a nursing home. I met my grandmother at the house and we had morning tea together. She held him there and I got some absolutely beautiful photos of the two of them. Then we drove in separate cars (thank god for car seat hassles!) to see my grandfather in the nursing home. He held him there, fell asleep in his arms and I got more beautiful photos. Then we drove to their favourite cafe for lunch, my grandparents together in their car and DS2 and me in mine. I followed my grandmother, she was doing 55km in an 80km zone and generally causing chaos on the roads. My grandfather is also convinced he’s going to fight the RTA to get his licence back. It’s funny and sad listening to him all at the same time.
We had a lovely lunch but by this time DS2 was wrecked as he’d only had little catnaps the whole morning, just as he’d fall asleep I’d wake him again getting him in or out of the car. He just wanted to be attached to the boob the whole time. My grandfather was oblivious but I know my grandmother found it a bit confronting. She kept commenting about how she didn’t BF on demand, she fed every 3 hours or something like that, and that she was never really that good at it (of course you wouldn’t have been if you followed all that crap advice that was going around in the 40’s and 50’s) and the ubiquitous “oh he can’t still be hungry?”. Anyway, I just said (very politely) that if I don’t let him feed he will scream the place down and we’ll have to leave and that I’d rather be here eating my lovely lunch with you.
Then when we got home I changed us and washed all our stuff in a hot wash and made sure it got some sun as it was drying.
Despite what I’ve said above (I’m just debriefing the not-so-good bits) it was just wonderful to see them, I feel so ashamed that I’d put it off for so long. I must not leave it so long next time. And of course they were absolutely delighted to see us.
I alway find that we tend to talk our way out of seeing the great-grandmother who is in high care in a nursing home. I detest taking the girls there, DD1 has nightmares after every visit, not to mention that the nursing home isnt that child-friendly. Yet everytime we go out there we do enjoy it.
Those photos are so special to have, DD's great-grandfather passed away before I could get any photos of DD2 and I am so devastated that there are none of them together now that he isnt here.
Sounds like it was a huge day for you and DS though, but great to hear you had a good time.
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