TV news icon Katie Couric has become a grandma! The former NBC "Today" host and CBS News anchor announced that her daughter, Ellie Monahan, welcomed a baby boy named, John Albert Dobrosky. The new grandmother revealed the touching meaning behind her grandson's name. “He will be called Jay in honor of his maternal grandfather,” Couric wrote on Instagram. The newswoman's late husband, John "Jay" Monahan, sadly passed away at the age of 42 from colorectal cancer in 1998. "Albert is after Mark’s paternal grandfather. Mom and Dad (Ellie and Mark) are over the moon," she said in her post. "I am thrilled to have my first grandchild. We feel so blessed."
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Couric called the naming "both moving and bittersweet," in her blog post about the special occasion. "Major milestones remind me of everything Jay has missed. Graduations, weddings, and now this. He would be so thrilled to meet his namesake. Both he and Mark played lacrosse in college. In my mind’s eye, I can see them tossing the ball around with their sticks, teaching little Jay how to play the game in the park." She shared her thoughts on watching her daughter become a mother. "Witnessing your baby have a baby is wild," she said. "Ellie had an easy pregnancy and took good care of herself. I know she’s going to be a wonderful mother, and I know Mark will be a parent who is an equal partner. Jay was like that. It makes all the difference in the world."
The new grandma shared how excited she is to watch her her grandson grow up and go through the stages of life. "I am so excited to watch Baby Jay go through all the stages — smiling, crawling, walking, talking — and to see the world unfold through the eyes of a child. I’m going to try to enjoy every moment." She continued, "It’s so true what they say: The days are long, but the years are short. As a grandparent, I’m hoping the years will be long! The “grand” in front of “mother” makes me keenly aware that time is precious. I can’t wait to take him to the beach, the library, get an ice cream cone, bring him to his first Broadway show. I’m going to spoil this kid rotten and not worry about it. We are going to have to make a lot of trips to the West Coast — but thank goodness for FaceTime."
