4 Generations of Franklins

I'll never forget finding out we were pregnant and getting so excited to tell our grandparents, the baby's great-grandparents. There is just something so special about getting to share the exciting news that their family tree is growing and their legacy is continuing on.

Shortly after Alec and I found out we were pregnant, we were in Cabo celebrating our 4 year wedding anniversary. We both thought it would be the perfect time to take some bump beach pictures to announce it to the world. Beforehand though we decided to call each of our grandparents to share the news with them ahead of time + none of them really use social media. So after we arrived at our hotel in Mexico, we called my Nana and Papa and they were over the moon excited! Nana of course wanted a little girl but they were both just so happy to know that they were getting their very first great grandchild.

Fast forward to November of 2023, only about 6 weeks after Weston was born, my Nana sadly passed away. Unfortunately, we weren't able to make it up to Pennsylvania for Wes to meet her beforehand because he was still too young to travel. Therefore when it came time for the funeral, him + Alec stayed back while I traveled up-north to celebrate her life. I'll never forget talking with all of her girl friends and hearing how excited she was to be a great-grandma. She was sharing the news with everyone who would listen and to this day that just brings the biggest smile to my face. I know she would just love Weston's curious, determined, and fiery personality so much!

Like we had always planned, my dad and I took Weston up to Pennsylanvia at the end of April 2024 to meet his great-grandpa Papa + all of my dad's side of the family. As you can imagine it was a super special + emotional trip but I know Nana was watching over us the whole time.

In mid-April Weston had just started daycare and unfortunately caught a little stomach bug earlier that week before we were suppose to leave. By the time the trip came around though he was back to feeling 100% and I felt perfectly fine so we decided to go ahead with the flight anyway. Overall Wes did pretty good on the flight. He defintely isn't a big sleeper on planes, there is just too much for him to look around at and listen to. So my dad and I just passed him back and forth the whole 3 and a half hours (😅) keeping him as entertained as we could. Of course as soon as we landed and got him in the Doona he passed out, which made a peaceful drive from Pittsburgh to Hermitage for Grandpa Tom and I.

Unfortunately though as we were driving in, I started to not feel well. Honestly I didn't think much of it, just thought it was tiredness from traveling with a 6 month old but sadly I was mistaken. As soon as we got to my aunt and uncle's house it was over for me. And let me tell you what, nothing is more humbiling than having a stomach bug and nursing your baby. Luckily my dad was really able to step up and help out because I was pretty out of commision the first night and into the next day. I was also so scared because the next day when I woke up, I was hardly producing any milk so I thought my breastfeeding journey was sadly coming to an end. Luckily after much rest and lots of fluids, I was able to fully recover and bring my milk supply back up the following day.

Since I wasn't feeling well on Friday, we decided to just hang out and not visit my Papa as we didn't want to pass any stomach bug or germs along to him. During the day Weston got lots of snuggles from grandpa, practiced rolling over, and even got a bouncer for some extra fun.

By Saturday morning I was finally starting to feel like myself again and was so excited to introduce Papa to Weston. Here's a little video I captured of the 2 of them meeting for the first time 🥰

Sunday morning before leaving for the airport, my dad, Weston, and I swung by my grandparents house one last time to officially say goodbye. The family had just finalzied the sale of their home, since my Papa was in a nursing home, so this would be the last time we could go inside it. What a bittersweet moment this was for me, carrying my baby through my grandparents house, reliving so many happy memories. This was the house where my cousins and I would play hide and seek in the basement when we were kids, and where we watched Alec and I's wedding video altogether and I tried to have the biggest wedding photo of all the family, and where Nana would always have me help her go through her clothes and jewelry to make sure she was still in style.

All in all it was a vey special, bittersweet trip getting to spend time with extended family, sharing memories about the past, and making unforgettable ones for the future.

XO,

Brittany

Unfortunately, in July of 2024 Papa also passed away but got to join Nana in Heaven. During this season, I have learned that it is ok for both happiness and sorrow to coexist ❤️‍🩹 I am so grateful for the legacy they both left us and will forever cherish them knowing their family tree grew even bigger when Weston was born, their first great-grandchild. Each of these pictures below hold such dear memories for me. The first picture is Weston and I sitting on my grandparents front doorstep – a moment I'll never forget 😇☁️🪽