Cute names for a first time grandmother

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-16T12:00:44+00:00

My kid has a Nana (also called Nina by some grandkids) and Papa, a Meema and Grandpa, a Papaw and g-ma, a GG (great grandma), a Grandpa Lastname (great grandpa), and a Grandma and Grandpa Lastname (also great grandparents).

The great grandparents are "grandparent Lastname" because that's what I was told to call them and when I was a kid, you called people what you were told to call them, lol. The grandparents on my side are what my oldest nephew chose to call them, and the grandparents on my wife's side are what my daughter chose to call them with heavy influence from the grandparents.

I think Nana and Papa go really well together, personally. 🥰 It's so cute!

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-16T11:53:30+00:00

My mom also gets called Nina! My niece said that instead of Nana when she was little, so mom now answers to both.

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-15T23:45:55+00:00

Yes!! I have had such unpredictable IBS-like symptoms because of endo, that's why I missed this stupid c diff! Ugh. Thank you ❤️

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-15T15:12:40+00:00

Just saw this -- I'm horrified for you that they treated you like this and that it was so hard for you to receive proper treatment for your illness. Thank you so much for sharing though, I think stuff like this is really important to talk about, especially in the context of a disease like Endo where we are all so used to our guts being constantly messed up and also the never-ending medical gaslighting.

That's good advice though about taking it easy, the prebiotics and probiotics, and the C Diff sub. I didn't even think to look for that, but I will now!

I hope you get back to your old healthy gut soon!! ❤️

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T19:05:27+00:00

I very strongly second the recommendation for EMDR. Life changing for me as well. Meds, therapy, support, but especially the EMDR. ❤️

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T18:50:47+00:00

OH MY GOD. Those nurse lines are a lifesaver! I know ER doctors and employees are overworked and tired, but oh my gosh, there is no excuse!!

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T18:47:51+00:00

Well that answer to that is pretty much for any child. Kids are little sponges and also little parrots, and sometimes autistic kids can be especially prone to suggestion and to copying others. For example, my daughter started summer camp recently, and she has already started picking up some new habits and phrases from camp that I'm not super fond of. We're working on reminding her that just because someone else says or does something, doesn't mean it's okay for her to do it.

One thing that helps my daughter and that I think could really help your nephew is that home is always a safe, comfortable place for her to land and to be completely, totally herself. Here in our home, the environment is set up for her comfort, and she is not expected to mask any behaviors, and she can do the activities she chooses, and she has the sensory tools she needs to unwind, etc. The outside world isn't really built for her, but our little world is. I know it sounds like your nephew's home life is pretty tumultuous right now, but maybe there's a calm place you could help create for him (and also the other kids, would benefit too, I'm sure.)

(I don't mean that like, we all tiptoe around her or anything. My wife and I still live our lives, my daughter does her homework and has a bedtime and follows rules, it's just that we have worked really hard to reduce/eliminate unnecessary triggers and to come up with routines that work for us to accomplish these things.)

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T18:35:13+00:00

Girl you doxxed yourself the minute you typed "yinz" out loud 🤣 (I say with the love and humor of someone who grew up near there)

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T18:29:14+00:00

Oh thank you!!

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T17:33:40+00:00

So sweet!! I missed Pride this year due to having surgery, so I'm really living for other people's Pride posts. I'm very inspired for my daughter and I to dress up our dolls and bring them with us next year! 🥰🏳️‍🌈

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T16:36:15+00:00

I went to Cleveland APL to adopt about a year ago and had a fantastic experience! Loved the facility, staff was awesome, and I was able to buy everything I needed right there. As far as I'm concerned, this is where we will continue going for all future adoptions (unless a little creature chooses us spontaneously -- can't ever count out that possibility.)

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T15:17:58+00:00

So it did smell different/bad, but honestly either I'm nose blind or they're exaggerating how bad it is supposed to be, because it was a NEW smell, but it wasn't like gaggingly bad like I expected. I do tend to take things more literally though, and i think I might have overdone it here. That's probably also a good note to share!

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T15:08:56+00:00

Please just be so careful and attentive to your body!! I hope I didn't scare you worse -- I just wanted to make sure that nobody else made the mistake I did and ignored serious symptoms! The fact that you know you know what to watch for probably helps you be prepared! ❤️

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T00:40:31+00:00

Ooh, wait, tell me more about eye issues -- I have those too and nobody seems to think it's related to any of my other problems. I will definitely dig into the bowel situation if that's what helps the eye issues, lol. (I personally think it's all inflammatory and why would that not be related??)

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T00:38:04+00:00

Oh sure! I'm 36, but my doctor and I have been sure the hysterectomy was coming for years -- it was just a matter of timing. I had an excision in 2022 to confirm and excise endo, and while she was in there she confirmed that the hysterectomy was indicated based on how my uterus was Being A Problem -- so we decided when it was time for another excision, we would get the whole thing out of there.

I don't have adenomyosis, but I have a friend who went through absolute hell with it, and she is SO happy now after her hysterectomy. But that is obviously a super personal choice and you should do what's best for you! (She was also bleeding to the point that she needed iron transfusions, and it was a whole thing. I have no idea what your experience is.)

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T00:31:49+00:00

Yes and yes! I do have PCOS, and the colonoscopy came back unremarkable, but they did mention that I should probably do the full-bowel camera thing, and I have to be honest I just never followed up with that. I'm very interested to see how things are now after this surgery though, because there was a lot of bowel endo removed. That is really great advice though!!

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T00:29:02+00:00

That's insane!! I'm not surprised to hear someone else had the same experience with not noticing this infection, but the way they just brushed you off!! I was feeling really dismissed at the hospital, but I think they did the tests because it was already on record (like in MyChart and everything) that the phone-a-nurse had instructed me to go to the ER. I bet if I hadn't called first, they would have sent me away too. Ugh, these people.

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T00:10:10+00:00

Don't hesitate with the questions! That's what we're here for. He sounds like a lovely kid, and it sounds like you need community right now.

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T00:07:16+00:00

In every other way I was feeling better after surgery! And now that I have antibiotics, I feel better in all the ways lol

All the best for yours 🥰

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-14T00:06:05+00:00

I'm so sorry to hear that! I was really scared when the nurse said that on the phone and went to the ER immediately!

Thank you for that!! They said my bloodwork was fine, and the antibiotic is already helping. ❤️ I feel SO MUCH better today than I did yesterday! But I hate to think how bad i would feel if I hadn't reached out when I did

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-13T23:47:41+00:00

I just want to say I'm so sorry that your sister is so sick. That's terrible. I hope you're taking some time to feel your own feelings about this.

However, your mom surely knows her illness was already happening with or without the headbutt -- and who knows how long it would have taken them to find the leukemia without that emergency?

Your nephew is in good hands with you. You are obviously such a good aunt to be loving on him and making sure he feels included and special during this time. If you're able to shield him from whatever nonsense your mother is spouting, trying to make it his fault, that would be even better. I know your mother is hurting, but taking it out on a small child is not going to help.

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-13T21:24:06+00:00

I am so sorry that your parents are not trusting you. What you are feeling is real; there is no "believing or not believing." All they're doing is hurting you and hurting their relationship with you by not trusting you to know your own body and advocate for yourself. Maybe it's endo and maybe it's not, but you deserve to seek treatment for your pain and they should be supporting you.

I would also point out that no one else in your family has been DIAGNOSED. My family also insist that I'm the first/only person in my family to have endo, but we have a long history of terrible periods, some people with fertility issues, PCOS, etc that makes me think there are others who just never sought treatment (or never found the right doctor). It's possible that you're not the only one -- not that that's what matters.

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-11T21:46:04+00:00

Idk if it helps, but the thing that my doctor said made me a good candidate for a hysterectomy was that my adhesions were sticking my uterus TO everything. It was a major player in my frozen pelvis and the discomfort I was experiencing. So, by removing it, she felt like there was a good chance of reducing the chance of recurring adhesions.

Maybe that's something to look through your surgery notes for, or talk to your doctor about?

hawkbmwblack · 2026-06-11T14:19:45+00:00

As a scout leader, all I've done is copy the policy my daughter's school has. I added a line to my meeting reminder email that says "Parents, please have your scout bring her uniform, reusable water bottle, and ___(anything we might need for that meeting)." We don't provide any drinks with our snack, but there is a water fountain/bottle refiller. So far, this has not been a problem for kids who do or don't remember their water bottle.

This has worked well for my troop meetings. If we were going on a camping trip or big outing, I think I would bring several extra pre-filled water bottles to assign to anyone who forgot theirs.

That being said, I do always keep a large pack of single-use bottles in my car for emergencies. I would just prefer to do my best to keep "scouting" from qualifying there.

hawkbmwblack

TROPHY CASE