I’ve had a lot of titles in my life, but this week I got to add a new one: grandfather.
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Scarlett Jane Balch was born at 4:49 p.m. March 2, weighing in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.
Exactly 27 years ago today (March 8) her mother and my baby girl Katy was born. It was as glorious a day as I can remember.
Scarlett was born in Galveston, Texas, because Katy wanted a Texas baby. Katy was born in Texas, as was her brother Austin. Harper, my third child, was born here in the Toledo area and is now an aunt at the ripe old age of 4.
Katy was the first grandchild for my mother and now Scarlett becomes her first great-grandchild.
You never think of this day when your baby is so little. But most of my friends are now grandparents, and that is a surreal feeling. The fact that Scarlett and Katy are both healthy is the most important thing I prayed for.
Now I pray she does not come up with some goofy name for me. My grandfather was called Bada, because my oldest brother Don could not say grandpa when he was young and that name stuck. My friend Ed Beczynski, who owns The Blarney Irish Pub, told me Polish grandfathers are called Dziadzia (Jah-jah), but that won’t be me. Since this baby was born in Texas, I am sure there will be some attempt to come up with a Texan-styled grandpa name.
Time will tell. The bottom line is we have a new baby coming back to the area in a couple weeks. I will make sure she is a Mud Hens fan. Just don’t call me Dziadzia Muddy!
Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.
