Caring for parents oh and having a baby

I’ve been sitting on a secret that made me feel shocked, giddy, teary, and honestly a bit wordless: I’m going to be a grandmother later in the year. The news landed just before Christmas, and it didn’t properly feel real until I found myself wandering into baby shops like I had some kind of built-in grandma radar, snapping pics of tiny clothes and imagining a whole new little person joining our family.

But there’s more to this milestone than pure excitement. We talk about privacy and boundaries too, because my son and his partner are keeping things low-key and they’re choosing no social media of the baby. I share what it’s like to respect that (even when the “show the world” part of me wants to burst), and the moment their announcement finally became public through a beautiful reel that had me in happy tears.

Then the chat turns to the bigger midlife truth that can sit right beside the joy: I’m also watching my dad’s health change as he gets older. Between specialist appointments, those sudden lumps in the throat, and the realisation that our parents won’t be here forever, I reflect on the circle of life and what it asks of us. It even pulls in my own experience of depression and burnout, because some moments are brutal and they still belong in the story.

If you want honest midlife conversation about becoming a grandparent, caring for ageing parents, grief, mental health, and finding meaning in everyday moments, press play. Subscribe, share the episode with someone who needs a lift, and leave a review so more of us can find this little pocket of sisterhood.

Transcript

Welcome Back And A Big Reveal

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello and welcome back to Embrace. Ah, I got that wrong. Welcome back. Hello and welcome back to Midlife Sparkle. I'm Belinda and this is just a little spot on the internet or in the podcast land of me talking a few things, midlife, what's going on in my life, things that you might resonate with, whatever sort of pops up. Anyway, I can now drumroll, please, da da da reveal that I'm going to be a grandmother later in the year. So I found out this news before Christmas. My son and his partner came down with a Christmas present box, and we opened that box and there was a little baby soup inside. Wow, it was surreal. For the first 24 hours, I was in shock, but in a really good way. Not shock, like I said, surreal. And the next day, actually, my husband and I were going to Chadston to do some Christmas shopping. And I kid you not, pardon me, I was just gravitated towards every single baby shop there was in Chadston without even looking. It was just like this innate shopping sense. So instead of the meccas or the, you know, the stores that I love, I was just in every little baby shopslash kid shop that I could find, taking photos and sending them to Mitch and his partner. So then it sunk in. It sunk in by looking at little baby clothes. And I'm just over the moon. I'm so happy. I wanted to shout it to the world, of course. However, I was had to, I was, had to be strict and secretive. They were very strict, sorry, about keeping it to themselves. They're a private couple. They're not really on social media. And they really wanted to make sure they told the people in person that are really close and matter to them. But I am now allowed, allowed to reveal it because they were struggling to get out to see all their friends. You know how cray cray this world is for everyone. But they're they're two very hard-working individuals and very committed to their fitness. So yeah, they have big, full days. I'll tell you what, they're gonna have more big, full days ahead. But that's that's very, very exciting. So they figured a week or so ago they put up a beautiful, beautiful, maybe cry, happy tears cry, little reel on their Insta of a baby, a baby suit, and my partner's my partners, Mitch's partner putting up some little black and white photos on the baby suit. And one of them was of my boy, my big boy Mitch, leaning on his partner's belly. And oh my god, it was so surreal. Again, I'm using that word a bit, but if any of you have experienced this, to see this tiny little baby boy that you brought into the world, your firstborn, leaning against his partner's beautiful big baby belly. Oh, makes me ought to cry again. So yeah, we're all very, very happy. It's all going really, really well. And I can't wait to share more when I'm allowed, and of course, when the baby's born. They're keeping it strictly no social media of the baby, which I totally respect and understand. From a purely selfish slash grandma point of view, that will probably frustrate me because again, I want to show the baby to the world, but you've got to respect, respect their wishes. It's not me having the baby, it's uh it's me being part of it, though. People have asked me, well, what are you going to be called? What are you gonna be called? Definitely not grandma and definitely not Nana. And what I want to call myself is Poppy, and there's a story behind that. I was very, very close to my maternal grandmother right through my childhood because my younger sister was very, very sick. She was born premature. A few times they didn't think she would make it, and then she had chronic asthma. So I remember nights where the ambulance would be coming, and mum and dad would be off to the royal children's, and I would be dropped off to my maternal grandmother, and she's known as Poppy. So very, very close to her, and just the most beautiful memories. So I am going to be Poppy. Some people are saying, Oh, Poppy, oh, that's for a boy, or that's a man, that's you know, pop. And I'm like, well, you know what? Care factor, zilch. So Poppy, I will be. Poppy Belinda, I don't know. And he's not sure. He's like the step-grandparent, so I don't know what he'll he'll have. Max, my 19-year-old, or actually he's 20 in April. My goodness, teen's gone. He will just be Uncle Maxie, no doubt. He doesn't really under, or he understands it, but you know, doesn't show much excitement. Apart from he's definitely buying a Collingwood baby suit, and that's going to be his present to the baby. Uh, so there you have it. Very exciting times ahead. But also a little bit sad too. Since, well, since my third, my my 30th, my goodness, since Mitch's 30th in June last year, my dear old dad, who is 86, I've seen become more and more unwell with different elderly ailments. I have been spending so much time with them. I'm really glad that I have the flexibility to be able to help them go to all the doctors and specialists' appointments and sit and clearly listen and ask questions because they do get a little bit confused or caught up in the moment, which is perfectly understandable. And I've had little moments of grief where it's sort of, well, it has, it's made me realize that, you know, my dad and my mum aren't going to be around forever, both as and my mum's 84. She's a goer though. Oh my goodness. That's another story. So yeah, I've had these little even though I'm not they've had they've oh goodness, see, I get all tongue-tied about it. Even though they haven't left this world yet, I know it's going to happen one day. And you might have heard that noise. I'm not sure. It was an email coming through. See, I'm so professional. Anyway, back to the professional podcast. Moments of grief. And they just pop up. And I think about them, and I think about my family life, my life with my dad, my relationship with my dad and my mum. And I shed a tear or get a lump in the throat. But that's part of it. I think that's that's part of it. And that got me thinking about the circle of life. Like in The Lion King. I always think of the Lion King when I think um the circle of life. And what's his now? Alton John singing that the theme song to that that show. But but here I'm watching my beautiful dad become not like he's just restricted in some ways. He's he's elderly. And meanwhile, I'm touching this gorgeous baby belly where it's the start of life. It really brings you back to the circle, as I said, the circle of life and how it all works in in our souls, and that I um yeah, I think it brings you back down to make the most of your moments while you're here. And hey, some moments are shit. And as you may know, my depression and burnout last year was fucking shit. But you know, I've got through it and it's it's part of life. But if you can, enjoy your life, enjoy your day. But I think I'm gonna leave it on that. So I hope you have a beautiful day, night, walk, car drive, look wherever you are. But thank you for having me in your ears. It means a lot. And if you want to find out more about I know what's going on, if if you can relate to the elderly or being a grandma or having shits or little titbits, I I also Paul put this up on my Instagram now, which is known as Sparkle underscore underscore. Gosh, I'm tongue-tied today, a bit emotional. Sparkle underscore sisterhood. That's probably the one to follow now. And it was my old shop account, which I've changed. So it's there's no agenda really, there's no hustle, there's no ramming things down your throat. It's me having a chat, me trying to create in this um, you know, worldwide in the air, in this virtual world, some sisterhood for you, things that might resonate, things that might help. I'm promoting things I love, places I love. There's no sponsorship or payments or things like that. And if I do get gifted anything, I would not promote it at all unless I truly believed in it. So that is it for today. I um I hope you have, as I said, I'm repeating myself. I hope you have a lovely day. And if you, here we go, if you, this is my radio voice, if you enjoyed this podcast, please press follow so you will get automatic updates for when my next episode is out, because I'm not doing weekly ones anymore. And like, follow, screenshot, download, or share with a friend if this might brighten their day. That's it for now. Let's get our sparkle on mid life sparkle. Bye.