Not a grandparent...but I have a soon to be 2 year old daughter. I can tell you...it's TOUGH. Everything you said is pretty much correct...I get bumped all the time, stepped on, trip over toys, sometimes when she sits in my lap for reading time she will kick her feet and send me into a flare up, etc. It's easy for other people to say things like, "Be careful" or "Tell them to be gentle"...but kids are kids...they don't understand...and most of the time she hurts me by doing things that are meant to show me love. And that just is what it is. I'm not willing to give up any of those moments with her...so I'm almost always dealing with increased pain because of one thing or another. It's been even harder since I fell off a ladder at work a year ago because now my shoulder/arm are a mess as well.

BUT...if I wasn't her mom...there are definitely things I could do to spend time with her that would not be as likely to cause flare ups. As it is...there are definitely activities that are mommy activities because they are easier on me. One is feedings...when she's in the high chair I feed her all her meals at home. That's actually gotten harder since I hurt my shoulder...but as long as she's on my right side and I can use mostly that arm to feed her...she doesn't hurt me doing that. In the high chair we can also do things like color together. I read her books while she eats her meals...that is always fun.

When she was really little...we had a play yard fence that we kept up all the time so that I didn't have to worry about chasing after her because that wasn't going to happen. At my MIL's house...we sometimes put the baby fence around me to protect me from wild and crazy kids...prevent the bumping and such while still letting me be around everyone.

Those are just a few things that we do. When that day comes...you can definitely find some ways to handle those first few years while minimizing the issues like bumping and flare ups. It won't be what you would have envisioned pre-CRPS...but it will still be time spent with loved ones. The hardest part actually won't be the kids...it will be talking with your OWN kids...their parents...about what you NEED from them to make these visits as easy as possible for you. That's always the hardest for me anyway...because I am not good at asking for help...but you've got to do it if you want to be able to spend time with littles but have the issues that we have. Let me know if you have any other questions about anything I did with my daughter to make life a little easier. As the years go by I am sure I will be adding to that list.