Say Hello To Gianna Rose (I Am A Grandfather!)

That’s right! It’s time to break my silence and share with the world what I’ve been dying to say for months! Although many children know me as G-Pa, I can officially shout it out from the mountaintops…

I am a GRANDFATHER!!!

Now if this were a movie, some of you who have been following the Davis story might have noticed what appears to be a continuity error in the story line. Let me take you back and clear things up…

On May 26, 2021, I posted an announcement that I was going to have my first grandchild, sometime in December (“I Lost My Babies, But I Got A New One aka So You’re Going To Be A Grandpa”).

If you read that story or were a part of my real world, you should remember that I was the happiest person on the planet. My life and heart had previously reached all-time lows and I was in desperate need of healing, to no avail. But now, finally, my world began to glow in anticipation of a life-long dream come true.

Then on July 12th, I posted “A Parent’s Nightmare“, telling the story of my oldest son’s (the father-to-be) brush with death, easily the most stressful and terrifying ordeal of my life. The entire FAMILY’S world was on dreadful hold. I had always said that a man should never have to bury his son. Then there I was, praying for the better part of a week for it to not happen in my family.

Thanks to God, prayer, technology and the amazing professionals at the hospital, he pulled through. But this miracle was not without its consequences. A week after his release, we received the devastating news that they had lost the baby, largely believed to be the result of insurmountable stress.

It was a boy, to be named “Kenny”, like father, like grandfather, like great-grandfather.

Heartbroken, his girlfriend apologized to me because she knew how badly I wanted a grandson. I comforted her and told her that it was not about me. It was about them and that I had faith that God would bless them with a child soon enough.

He did…

Then sadly again, they lost that one at around the same length of time.

I never posted anything on social media about either loss, out of respect for the situation. It was a private matter. And when some friends inquired about the status of the first baby (including if it had been born yet), I told them in private, because they asked.

When his girlfriend told us that they had been blessed with child a third time, we were overjoyed. Everyone agreed to keep this amongst ourselves, fearing the worst, but hoping and praying fervently for the best. The baby was due in December and this time the little boy was discovered to be a little GIRL!

We redesigned one of the now-vacant bedrooms at our house for when we would get the chance to keep our granddaughter overnight (or for GOOD – I told them we were going to fight for custody the minute the baby was born…). All that was blue was now pink. But that didn’t change the baby saxophone toy, music lessons, Taekwondo lessons, books, (family) history teachings and sports that we had planned for her. We just had to throw in some ballet lessons.

Yeah, we’ve plotted out her future!

As the due date grew closer, discussions with the doctor indicated that it would be safer to have a c-section a few weeks earlier, so now a date of birth was more definitive. November 30.

As many of you know, I began my journey to fitness by working out every single day in the month of October (taking only Sundays off), telling everyone I had my reasons for my new life and health goals. What I didn’t say was that I was getting healthy for the baby. I wanted her to be able to say that she lost her grandfather when she was 40 and enjoyed a great life with him – God willing of course. I wanted that for her with ALL of her relatives.

But after all the good news, “Miss Fortune” attempted to intervene, again.

I tore my calf muscle, then later sustained a lower back strain and finally, found some deterioration in the right shoulder rotator cuff. But that wasn’t going to stop me.

Then misfortune struck again when the van shut off on the highway a few days ago (my recent post). Yesterday the technician called to tell me that it had so many (without warning) things wrong with it, that after the thousands that it would cost for their end to repair it, we would STILL have to take it to an engine shop which would actually cost more. You know it’s bad when the auto service center does NOT want to take your money and advises you to junk it and get a replacement vehicle. They even waived the $120 diagnostic fee, taking pity on us. Rest In Peace, Soccer Dad minivan. Thank you for two decades of flawless service and joyful family memories.

November 30.

We waited for my son to tell us that mom-to-be went in and out of surgery and was in recovery with the new little one. It was scheduled for 10 a.m. but that might as well have been infinity because it felt like it. When he finally gave us the news, we rejoiced and gave praise to God for the latest in the Davis line:

Gianna Rose Davis
Born 11/30, 10:58 a.m.
7 lbs. 1oz. – 19.5″

He told us he was sending a newborn photo, but we answered that we weren’t going to look at it. Our first look needed to be face-to-little-face.

Then “Miss Fortune” tried to finagle her way into the story once again.

The tire’s air pressure warning light on vehicle #2 forced us to go back to the service center. Once they checked and added air, we drove to Starbucks to pick up an order for the new mom. We hadn’t gotten out of the service center good before almost being T-boned by a speeding car.

Shortly after, another car nearly side-swiped us as we were entering the highway. And of course, it was now rush hour on the interstate. Time for the Bumper Cars and Demolition Derby to begin.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear fate was trying to keep us from meeting the young princess.

Not today, Satan.

We made it safely to the hospital parking garage, then stumbled across the street and into the entrance just as my back began to cramp and the pain increased in my calf. But the folks at the hospital had my back… …literally.

They wheeled me to the elevator as “Grandma” kept up alongside us:

To the floor…

…down the hall…

…into the room and…

Flashback to conversation with my close friend Steve:

“You’re gonna cry, dude.” Steve warned.
“No, I won’t.” I replied.
“Trust. You gon’ cry. The minute you see those eyes…”
“No, I’ll just be happy to see her. I ain’t cryin’…”

Flashforward to the present:

I cried.
That UGLY cry.
That southern Baptist funeral cry.
That Halle Berry Academy Award acceptance cry.

Which made my wife (Grandma) cry…

Which made my son, Kenny Jr. (Dad) cry…

Which made Nikki (Mom) cry…

Which made little Gianna cry…

Which made the nurse cry.

They had to take the baby from me because my knees got weak, and I couldn’t breathe.

Oh, shut up.

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30 minutes later (SEATED), my granddaughter and I looked into each other’s eyes.

And it was then that I learned the true meaning of “love at first sight”.

We had been through it as a family, but we kept our faith and held strong, turning it all over to God. In turn, God blessed us all with the greatest Christmas and lifetime gift of all.

Gianna Rose.

And everything was all right.

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Epilogue:

Two hours later, they were wheeling me out of the room to the elevator, PASSED the nursery…

…to make sure I wouldn’t stop to threaten all the male babies.

Cause y’all know that I will love this child unconditionally and there is absolutely nothing that “G-Pa” won’t do for her.

And there’s no pain I won’t hesitate to inflict on the first boy that even DREAMS about her.

We left mother and father to be with their little princess. They’re going to need to enjoy as much time with her as they can, because as I mentioned earlier, next week I’ll be fighting for custody.

Welcome to the family, Gianna Rose.

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