When I found out I was going to be a grandmother it was the night before my own mother died from a brain tumour.
Our son had married an American girl when he was studying in Arizona USA 8 years before and we didn't ask when they would have children - it's not something that parents ask (nor should anyone else in my opinion)
Even though my mother had become a grandmother at the age of 43 - I didn't think I wanted to be a grandmother and I certainly didn't what to be called grandma, nanna, or any of the other names I had heard. They all sounded so old!
So I searched for a name that would be a bit different and would help me make the transition to grandmother status.
I came up with 'Bibi' which in Swahili means grandmother. My husband had grown up in East Africa so I had heard many Swahili words over the years and thought it would suit me.
My husband didn't have the same issues with becoming a grandfather as I had with becoming a grandmother - he was more than happy to be a grandpa and be called 'grandpa'!!
So our first grandchild was born in May 2010 and he now calls me ' Bibi' on Skype when we talk with him via the Internet.
I do worry that when he next sees me he will expect my head to be a flat screen!!
Meeting Sam was an amazing experience and nothing quite prepares you for it - as with motherhood - nothing is quite like seeing your very own baby now a grown up man be a daddy to a gorgeous baby boy.
Many other grandparents had said how wonderful grandparenting is - but I really didn't believe them or listen - after all my grandchildren would be living far wawy.
The joy of seeing Sam for the first time with his parents was an indescribable feeling - he was 4 months old and at the stage where he was quite settled and responsive and his parents were very calm and confident. Much different to my own experience when I was a mum - nothing went right for a long time.
I do remember my father in law saying to us at the time, that as long as you give your children lots of love the other stuff will fall into place - it did keep me going on the bad days.
Fall into place it did for my son, and and I watched very proudly as he so confidently became a daddy, and his wife supported him to be the best daddy he could be.
