14w1d: An unexpected turn of events (not scary)

I don't know if I've written about my grandparents before. We don't have the best of relationships. They had 7 daughters, with my mom as the 2nd oldest. The whole family is filled with drama and strife. Only the youngest two daughters are consistently in good graces. My mom (and her older sister), are consistently on the outs. Which means, as her children, so are we. My favorite aunt (3rd youngest) is usually in but sometimes out. She passes on all the family gossip.

The whole situation is weird. I'm not very good at playing social games. (Well, actually, I am. I just don't like to do it. Which is why I ruled out academia during my senior year in college.) So my grandparents know that I'm not down with their...whatever. My mother still really wants a good relationship with her parents. So I do all the right things, go to all the dinners, parties, send thank-you cards. But I also have written them a few angry letters, including one I wrote from Africa that actually changed things for a while. (For about 5 years, we were invited to all the family dinners, and especially notably, to the family Christmas party. Usually they have separate dinners for us.)

Anyway, about a month ago, I told them I was pregnant. I also told them I'd had a previous miscarriage. My grandmother had 3 losses of her own, with the last resulting in a hysterectomy. They weren't in a row and she still got 7 kids out of it, so I don't think she truly "gets" what it's like to lose a child and not know if you'll ever have another shot at pregnancy, although on the other hand, she did lose her uterus, and she presumably wanted more children.

My grandmother does not like babies, by the way. Or at least she didn't. My older sister was their first grandchild, and they didn't care at all. My grandmother said it "was too soon"--after all, her youngest was only 7. They never warmed up to any of us until we were toddlers, and even then, it was only my brother (first grandson) that they liked until about age 5.

But apparently, I am having their first great-grandchildren. I have 2 cousins who have been married longer than I have, one of whom I never talk to. I just kind of assumed she would be pregnant by now--she finished grad school about 3 years ago, so, come on, what's she waiting for? (I think she's 29 now, possibly 30). The other one is a pediatrician, but, when we talked about it at my older sister's wedding last year, she said she very much wanted kids but wasn't secure enough in her job (only 2 years out of residency) to have them yet.

I'm not sure if it's the first greats, the prospect of twins, or maybe even telling them about my loss, but...they like me now. They've been calling me ever week to see how I'm doing. My grandmother wants to tend my babies when they're here.

I'm sure it will eventually wear off, but it's very odd to be in their good graces. As a consequence, my husband and I, along with my sister and her husband, get to go to their cabin this weekend. I haven't been to the cabin in over 10 years. When we were little, before we were kicked out of the family, we'd go several times a summer. I'm so excited. They no longer have horses, but...the smell. It will smell like the cabin. I can't wait.