In 3 1/2 months as a grandparent, I have learned I can still change diapers and calm a crying infant

My grandson Cal is doing great. He is great. I keep saying this, but I had no idea how attached I would get to him so quickly. It's a highlight of my week when I know I'm going to see him.

Before Cal was born, I wasn't sure how fast my baby parenting skills would return, or if they would return at all. But it would seem I had nothing to worry about.

For one thing, changing a diaper is like riding a bike. You do it a few thousand times as I did back in the 90s and early 2000s and it becomes awfully hard to forget.

You remember, for instance, how to open a fresh diaper with one hand and position it underneath the child while using the other hand to lift their butt by pulling their feet up. You quickly recall wipey techniques for fast and efficient clean-up.

And in the case of boys, you remember to cover them up so as not to get doused by an unexpected arc of pee.

All of that was fine. But it turns out I'm also still pretty good at getting babies to sleep.

I have, I think, a natural rhythm and bounce that allows me to calm little ones down when I'm holding them. I always had a knack for getting my own kids to sleep years ago, and it appears to have transferred to Cal.

Well, it's either that or else I'm just insanely boring and the kid can't help but drift off in my presence. Either way, I am the Baby Whisperer.

It is such a joy when Cal comes over and I go to take him out of his car seat. He looks at me for a second and then gives one of those big baby smiles that says, "It's you! I know you! Mom, it's that guy! Grandpa! I love him!"

To say my heart melts in those moments is something more than an understatement. That's when I can't wait for him to grow up so I can start spoiling the little guy properly.

Spoiling, in addition to diaper changing and getting cranky babies to sleep, is right near the top of the grandpa job description.

Years later, I still find myself doing The Baby Bounce

A couple of months ago we attended one of several graduation parties on our summer calendar. After polishing off the obligatory plate of grad party chicken and potato salad, I offered to hold a young mother's baby so she could sit down and eat in peace.

I have been on both sides of this equation. There was a time when our greatest desire was for someone at a family get-together to walk up and offer to hold whichever small/infant child we had at the time.

Having two hands available for eating is a treat only parents of young ones can truly appreciate.

I walked around the party chatting up various guests while holding the baby, who was getting tired and was thus a little fussy. Immediately, without even thinking about it, I went into Bounce Mode.

Moms and dads know what I'm talking about. You start bouncing up and down lightly on your toes in an attempt to lull the little one to sleep.

I had probably been bouncing for 5 or 10 minutes before I even realized I was doing it.

I'm not sure I did it well (he never did go to sleep while I was holding him), but I can tell you there was a time when I was a master of the Bounce. Back when Terry was having biennial babies, I could be counted on to put them to sleep almost every time no matter how unhappy they were.

I always said it was because I was so boring they just couldn't keep their eyes open. But I think it had something to do with the consistent rhythm of my bouncing. I just had the knack for it.

Nowadays I'm out of practice, naturally, but it was good to see that vestige of early fatherhood rising subconsciously to the surface.

It will come in handy when we have grandchildren.

Or maybe my retirement gig will be hiring myself out to frazzled young parents to have a moment to themselves while I gently bounce their babies to Dreamland.

I could make a fortune.