Grandmother Shower

I think you should have two seperate parties. Grandma shower and good luck party. The good luck party everyone gives her gifts of comfort. Like you promise a warm dinner made for her and delivered 2 days a week, others promise accordingly. If you all can afford it maybe a few of you closer women take her to a day spa and all enjoy some papmering before her treatment starts, also have people ready to go with her or pick her up from treatment etc. She sounds like a loving woman who does for everyone else and now needs some things down for her.

I'm a grandma and I don't think I would've wanted a shower in which I received baby related gifts. This is especially true if my daughter lived 4 hours away. It's unlikely that the grandma will be spending very much time alone with her grandchild, because new parents seldom drop off baby for extended periods of time even when they live in the same town. Receiving gifts may cause her more sad feelings than happy ones. It's wonderful that you want to do something to celebrate with her but I think baby gifts are out of line.

I'd suggest having an adult celebration party and not focus on babies in the same way that we do at a shower. Find ways to be joyful and funny. Perhaps tease her about being a grandmother when she looks so young sort of thing. Perhaps say, in a fun way, something like "now that you're a grandma you have to dye your hair blue." Find some little old lady jokes.

If she and her children have a home computer perhaps you could all go together and get her a web cam so that she can participate in her grandchild's life thru pictures. I don't know how expensive they are or if your co-worker and her family would want to use one. Things to research first.

I like the idea of a good luck party as suggested by Anne Lee B. Cancer treatments can be quite physically and emotionally draining and she could probably use some encouragement with practical things such as food, a driver to take her to and from treatments as they progress, and especially knowing that all of you are behind her and there to help in any way possible.

I've never been to a G-ma shower but I imagine that anything you do will be greatly appreciated by her. You may have her register at a few places to give people an idea of what she could use as a new G-ma or even just asl her to make a list and e-mail it to all shower attendees. I would be sure to invite her daugher if you can to attend, it will mean a lot to her. What a wonderful group of people you are to do this. She is blessed to have all of you as friends.

What a beautiful idea. My parents live far away, so when we visit, we use the pack-n-play at their house - that's a great gift. Also consider a Toys-R-Us or Babies-R-Us gift card so she can buy toys when the baby comes to visit.

Being that she is single and undergoing cancer treatments etc... I would set up a phone-tree or 'help' tree... for people who can/will provide assistance to her once she starts treatment etc.
-help with transportation
-help with meals
-help with errands or picking up what she needs but can't do on her own
-help with someone, taking turns, calling her to check in on her occasionally and see how she is doing... thus a 'phone tree' etc.

It can be 'lonely' to undergo something like that by yourself...unless she has immediate family close by.
When my Dad was ill... he got real 'lonely'... being 'sick' is very isolating and you feel no one can understand. And, he would always LOVE when the telephone rang... to hear a friend's voice, just calling him to check in on him etc., or a friend coming to run an errand for him, from their heart. Even though I was at home with him and caring for him... having others and Co-Workers helping and calling you and providing a 'help tree' is VERY valued... by the person who is sick....
Being that she is Single... not married, her Co-workers and Team will be something she 'misses' and it would mean a lot, if her office... all rallied together to 'organize' any kind of help-tree for her. It would be a surprise and a great help to her... and for her morale.

Her grand-daughter... will not be close by. 4 hours away. To provide her with tons of "baby" stuff... may be overwhelming... and her Daughter/Husband should provide her with baby things as well... for if/when they do visit her. But certainly, she should not be 'babysitting'... being she is in a medical situation, herself.

She needs to be cared for.
It is a wonderful idea for a 'baby shower' for her... but I think.. the most practical would be to consider her upcoming health challenges/treatment and how the whole team, can help with that and her... as well...

And I think a computer camera would be a great gift for HER... so that she can use "Skype" and go online and "visit" with her Daughter and new grandchild...
all the best
Susan

Love the Grandmother Shower idea for this unique situation. I would play normal shower games but collectively get her gifts. I think a Pak n play is great because it will last years. I wouldnt really do clothes or bottles/diapers since she wont use them often. I wouldnt focus on the cancer part of the scenario. Just celebrate the good and be there for her in the not so good.

I don't have any thoughts, but what a wonderful friend/co-worker you are.
And what a wonderful idea! You are a blessing

If she is tech savy maybe a digital frame. Her daughter could either post pictures or send her the memory card so she could always have new picts of the the baby.
Or maybe one of the Hallmark recordable story books that she could do FOR the baby.