Rosie O'Donnell expresses her feelings about holding newborn granddaughter for the first time

The star of "SMILF" shared her joy at the birth of her first grandchild, Skylar.

Comedian Rosie O'Donnell has a lot to smile about. Her comedy "SMILF" has been signed on for a second season, and her daughter Chelsea gave birth to Skylar Rose on December 19, 2018, in Wisconsin.

O'Donnell is the mother of five children and shares Chelsea with her first wife Kelly Carpenter, but Skylar is her first grandchild

"She called me from Wisconsin -- Chels, my daughter, lives there with her partner Jake -- and she called and said, 'I'm in labor,' I got on a plane and I missed the birth by, like an hour."

Rosie O'Donnell

RELISHING BEING A "NANA"

O'Donnell shared her adventure with Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb on the "Today" show, and revealed that when Chelsea went into labor she called her mom, who immediately got on a plane and flew to Wisconsin to be with her daughter.

O'Donnell missed witnessing her granddaughter's arrival by less than an hour but was thrilled to be one of the first to hold the baby in her arms.

This sweet moment in O'Donnell's life comes after several years of conflict with Chelsea

A BEAUTIFUL BOUNCING BABY GIRL

O'Donnell described the moment she met her granddaughter as "really trippy," and gushed about the baby's luxuriant head of glossy black hair:

"She has a full head of black hair, like full. You can do styles with her hair, you know?"

THE CALM AFTER THE STORM

This sweet moment in O'Donnell's life comes after several years of conflict with Chelsea, starting back in 2015, when mother and daughter indulged in very public spats, and became embroiled in legal tussles.

O'DONNELL'S JOY IN HER RECONCILIATION WITH CHELSEA

O'Donnell has admitted that the estrangement from her daughter hit her hard, but she is now reveling in witnessing Chelsea's happiness in her child and in her boyfriend:

"[It's been great] to see my daughter so happy and so content, and this guy who loves her so much, loving that baby."

In the spirit of embracing her role as a grandmother, Rosie O'Donnell, 56, is now assuming her gray hair and flaunting her distinguished silver locks for all to see.

THE ROOTS OF A MOTHER/DAUGHTER CONFLICT

Rosie O'Donnell opened up about her difficulties with her daughter Chelsea, 21, from whom she was estranged for several years.

The schism started in 2015 when O'Donnell reported Chelsea, then 17, missing. The bitterness between the two was such that Chelsea stated publicly in 2017 that she wouldn't want O'Donnell to be part of her baby's life.

When Chelsea became pregnant by boyfriend Jacob Bourassa, she and O'Donnell reconciled:

“I think with my relationship with my daughter, Chelsea, it really has [been tested] because we went through some really public troubled times and, you know, she’s doing better now and we’re both communicating with each other,”

O'Donnell has shared the difficulties she has had in dealing with her panic attacks since her 6-year-old daughter Dakota was diagnosed with autism in 2016.

O'Donnell seems to be coming to terms with Dakota's diagnosis, and since reconciling with Chelsea and welcoming Skylar, the actress is glowing.

In a related story, Rosie O'Donnell was reconciled with estranged daughter Chelsea after she announced her pregnancy

.