Happy Birthtoday whoever you are, I mean, will be

[DFW]

Last edited Fri May 25, 2018, 11:11 AM - Edit history (1)

My daughter in Frankfurt went into labor this morning. By this afternoon, Mrs. DFW and I will be grandparents.

The next chapter starts.........

*edited, as we now know who. Our new granddaughter is named Maja ("MA-ya," pronounced like the Yucatán-Guatemalan native American tribe). She weighed 3,625 grams and was 51 centimeters long at birth. THAT won't last!

[Kurt V.]

1. Congratulations

[TEB]

2. Congratulations

Hope mother and child is well

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

3. Great news... congrats!!

[Phentex]

4. Whoo hoooo!

Can't wait for the details. You will be fantastic grandparents.

[Scarsdale]

5. Congratulations.

Is this a military family? One of my sons was born in Germany, at a USAF base hospital.

[DFW]

17. We don't wear uniforms in my line of work.

I don't even wear a tie unless it's 101% necessary.

Our granddaughter was born in a normal German hospital. My daughter is a dual citizen and the father is a German national. My daughter has nonetheless already done the paperwork with the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt so that our granddaughter will also be a dual national. We need every Democratic vote we can get, and in just 18 years, we'll have another one!

[Jim Lane]

34. Mark 2056 on your calendar

Never mind just another vote, that's when she'll be eligible to be President!

At one point I was editing the Wikipedia articles on Orly Taitz and related birtherism topics. My memory has faded somewhat but I think your granddaughter is a natural born citizen and therefore eligible. Like Ted Cruz, she was born abroad to one citizen parent and one noncitizen parent. The only difference is that Cruz's mother was solely an American citizen while your daughter is a dual citizen, but that shouldn't disqualify Maya.

[DFW]

35. I'd have to make it to 104 to see that.

I think I'll wait for her to complete elementary school first.

My daughter has already made plans with the U.S. consulate in Frankfurt to get Maja her certificate of "Birth of an American Citizen Abroad," just like my two daughters have. Within weeks of their birth, I had been to the American Embassy in Bonn (pre-Berlin days), and walked out each time with their first U.S. passports and their social security numbers. In those days, you could just walk in. These days, you have to make an appointment. But yes, Maja should count as a natural-born U.S. citizen. Maybe if she isn't tired of politics and does a good job in the White House, she can then have a few successful terms as Chancellor of Germany!

[sprinkleeninow]

38. 😊

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

6. Congratulations...

Being a grandparent is a special honor and loads of fun you get to be a crazy young person all over again. Plus nobody cares cuz they all think it’s wonderful.

[Blue_playwright]

7. Congratulations!

Yay to new adventures!

[onecaliberal]

8. Congratulations! Being a grandparent is the best thing in the world.

[TuxedoKat]

9. Ahh

what a sweet post! Congratulations to you and your family!!!

[Jim Lane]

10. Happy Towel Day to the new arrival and the rest of the family! (n/t)

[sl8]

11. Congratulations!

[Aristus]

12. Congratulations, DFW!

Being a grandparent is wonderful!

[malthaussen]

13. Congratulations to your daughter...

... I'm not sure why grandparents get congratulated, but congratulations to you and your wife as well.

-- Mal

[DFW]

16. Good question--it's not like we did any of the work!

[KatyMan]

43. Yet! :)

Congratulations!

[DFW]

46. Yes, so we're told! n/t

[Fla Dem]

14. Congratulations Gramps!

[OldEurope]

15. Congratulations!

And may the little one have a bright future!

[DFW]

18. The mystery guest has revealed her identity

A baby girl, 3625 grams (around 8 pounds and one ounce) and 51 cm (around 20.08 inches).

Considering the parents, I figure an eventual IQ of somewhere around 180, if not off the charts completely. Mother-daughter and/or father-daughter arguments in about 15 years should be held outdoors so as not to ignite the furniture!

[Lionel Mandrake]

55. Congratulations, Grandpa!

Last edited Sun May 27, 2018, 05:49 PM - Edit history (1)

Not used to being called Grandpa? Would you prefer Opa? Whatever she calls you, you'll get used to it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. Congratulations to you both!

And welcome to Maja!

[ailsagirl]

20. That's wonderful, DFW!!

[elleng]

21. CONGRATULATIONS! and WELCOME, Maja!

What a wonderful family you have!

[Boomerproud]

22. So happy for your daughter and son-in-law and the new grandparents.

Welcome Maja! Wishing you a wonderful, long and happy life full of love and purpose!

[smirkymonkey]

23. Congratulations DFW!

So happy for your growing family!

[DFW]

24. One part I didn't even go into, yet

My wife's mother, who will be 91 this September, and whose health is not the best, came down here to the Rheinland with my wife this afternoon, and is very excited to be a GREAT-grandmother. It's given her a new will to live a little longer, so she can live to speak with a descendant she thought she'd never live to see. I know my grandfather was proud as hell of his two great-granddaughters (my two girls) that were equally proud to have a great-grandfather until they were 13 and 11. We practically had to threaten a diplomatic incident before the German school system gave them a special dispensation to go to his 100th birthday in America, taking 2 days off of school.

I had a great-grandmother until I was 19, and she was one of the coolest women I ever knew. She let nothing stop her but the Grim Reaper himself. On my first trip to Europe, she found that she would be in London at the same time I would be, and invited me to join her and a few girlfriends for afternoon tea at her hotel. You can imagine the "propah" English butlers at the door giving me their "yeah, sure" look when I told them I was there to join Mrs. so-and-so for tea. But they did check, in case the old Yank lady really did have a great-grandson in London, and politely escorted me to her table when they heard I was legit. Very funny scene, a table with four or five 80-somethings and 16 year old me in blue jeans! We did get a stare or two (OK, more like a hundred).

[Duppers]

27. Another great story.

👏 😁

I enjoyed it.

[Duppers]

25. Congratulations!! 👏

You and your dear wife must be over-the-moon excited!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. Congratulations!

[Heartstrings]

28. Welcome to the world, Maja! nt

[sprinkleeninow]

29. "God Grant Them Many Years in Health and Happiness!"

We say this as Eastern Orthodoxy people.

~sprink
💙🇺🇸🌊

[DFW]

36. Thanks! We are in for more than a few old world bits of wisdom

A friend of mine is one of those all-round genius types who learned both Hebrew and Aramaic just so he could read the Torah and the Talmud in the original. He's currently in Israel, but when he gets back, I will no doubt have a few wise sayings to write down. I understand neither Hebrew nor Aramaic, so I'll have to make do with his translation.

[sprinkleeninow]

37. I nearly replied to y'all this in Slavic and Greek!

"Mnohaja i Blahaja L'ita!" "Chronia Polla!"

[link:

|

I'm Slavic descent by way of grandparents from the Carpathian Mountain area of now Slovakia.
I adore 'all' ethnicity!

Best regards to you and yours where a 'light' has shone upon your family!

💙🇺🇸🌊

[DFW]

39. Actually, those two, I WOULD have understood

"Mnohaja L'ita" is close enough to the Russian Много лет ("mnogo lyet" ) that it was unmistakable. And Chronia Polla are two of those Greek words who have become roots in half of the Indo-European languages. Chronia has become "chronic" and all its variations, and Polla has morphed into a prefix for more words than I can list (polyglot, poly-unsaturated fats, etc. etc.).

However, get a little farther way from the easy ones, and I would be lost in space!

[sprinkleeninow]

42. 👍

Enjoy your family and the new, wee babe!

[DFW]

45. In about 5 hours, we are heading down to Frankfurt for our first introduction!

Although, I remember what my own grandfather said when I offered to send him a photo of our first newborn: "Don't bother. All newborn babies look like Winston Churchill." So, for a Christmas present, I got an iconic photo of Winston Churchill, on his way to Parliament in his bowler hat and cane, cut out Chruchill's face and pasted in the face of our new daughter. I think he laughed for three minutes straight.

[sprinkleeninow]

48. Aw, they do have a 'look' initially, but it don't last long atall.

They're a tad smushed from their journey!

I remember photos of all our nieces and nephews soon after they arrived and I thot, "Ut-oh!" I knew better, but needed to keep from staring at them!😁
Your girl is be-oo-ti-ful!

Have a safe and enjoyable trip. Button popping and suspender snapping is expected, tho! 😉

[UrbScotty]

30. Congratulations!!

[greatauntoftriplets]

31. Congratulations!

[AJT]

32. Congrats grandpa and grandma!

[Worried senior]

33. Congratulations

My only Great Grandson will be one year old in June.

[DFW]

40. I hope you get the chance to discuss philosophy with him!

That should give you some time yet!

[Laffy Kat]

41. Always welcome great news!

Makes the whole day happier.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

44. What wonderful news, my dear DFW! Congrats to you, your wife and the happy parents!

She is a good size too and I'm sure she will be beautiful AND smart!

Welcome to the world, dear Maja!

to all!

[DFW]

47. Thanks, Peggy!

In a few hours, we are heading down to Frankfurt for our first introduction.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

53. Have a great time!

[steve2470]

49. Congrats to you, your daughter and MrsDFW!

I know this is a very happy day for all of you

[DFW]

50. Thanks, Steve!

We're heading down to Frankfurt in about an hour to say hi!

[samnsara]

51. awwwww neat!!!!

[Docreed2003]

52. Congrats!!!

[Solly Mack]

54. Welcome to the world, Maja!

Congrats to all!

[DFW]

56. So, introductions have been made

Our daughter went home with the baby one day after giving birth. This is not typical, but all are well, and hospitals are breeding grounds from all kinds of ugly microbes, so she said why not? Our granddaughter is very peaceful (except when hungry!), and i content to be in the arms of whoever is holding her, trying out facial expressions and enjoying the fresh air. So far, so good!

And her name will be spelled "Maya," since Germans will understand it, and English speakers will not have to be set straight at every introduction. My daughter is nothing if not practical.

[Rhiannon12866]

57. What wonderful news! I am so happy for your entire family!

[DFW]

58. Thanks for that! I don't know when I'll get a photo

But at some point we will. On the way back, we met our elder daughter at the Frankfurt airport, who had been in Amsterdam on a quick 5 day trip with her boyfriend, hoping to time the trip with her sister's having her baby. Now THAT's what I call timing!