It was officially announced yesterday, though I’ve known for almost two months. I learned a lot about myself in that time. First, I suck at keeping secrets. Especially secrets that are so huge, so amazing, so exciting that my lips just tremble with anticipation as I contemplate spewing out the details. More accurately, I suck at the thought of keeping such a long-sought-after answer to prayer. But I did it. For the most part.

The second thing I learned about myself is I haven’t been adequately prepared for this new adventure. I haven’t spent any time considering the important decisions that need to be made. But, though I’m behind on the timeline, I’m a fast learner and I can google with the best of them.

So, you ask, what is this big announcement? What has caused me to self-reflect about secret keeping and adventure preparing?

If you follow me or members of my family on Facebook or Instagram, you already know the details and the last few paragraphs have been exercises in “get to the point already!” I’m sure you’re thinking this even if you don’t follow me on social media.

I’m going to be a grandma.

My oldest son and daughter-in-law have been trying to get pregnant for a few years. It has been a frustrating and often sorrow-filled journey for them through infertility treatments, surgery, and some “well, let’s try this and see what happens” procedures. In the end, it could have been an overlooked symptom of a somewhat common problem. Those details are for my sweet DIL to share if she wants. But ultimately, we believe God’s faithfulness prevailed and the little McGarvey is due in late August.

(side note: for this blog, and any in the future, my daughter-in-law will be referred to as T and my son as D. They didn’t sign up to be talked about here so I’ll give them some anonymity until I get their permission.)

Of course, we are all ecstatic! This will be the first grandbaby on my side of the family. We are looking forward to pregnancy normalcies like food cravings and abdomen expansions. Actually, I’m looking forward to T experiencing these things—not me. I’m done with all that. Well, not the food cravings. Pizza and chocolate still call out my name periodically.

I have many, many examples of wonderful grandparents who I’ve experienced or observed through the years. And I’m looking forward to researching this grandparenting adventure, as I did when I determined to be a non-stereotypical mother-in-law.

So, as my (our) adventure begins (with Don in tow, of course), I’ll be blogging about the path God has us on. Hitch a ride if you’d like. I’m planning to extract all the wonder and joy available in this, my rookie grandma season.

Tune in next time for my first big decision—what will be my grandma name?