Meghan McCain Says Mom Cindy Cried When She Finally Met Granddaughter Liberty After COVID Vaccine

"My mom knows every single answer to every baby question, it's crazy," The View co-host says

Published on February 11, 2021 10:43 AM

Cindy McCain has a new title, with the birth of granddaughter Liberty Sage: "the baby whisperer."

"Liberty is obsessed with her. I was like, maybe [it's] because my mom had four kids, but she was hypnotized by my mom," Meghan McCain tells PEOPLE in an interview for this week's issue about her life as a new mother.

Cindy has been fielding plenty of questions from her daughter, too: "My mom knows every single answer to every baby question, it's crazy," says Meghan, 36. "I know she had four, but there are things where — Liberty had really bad acid reflux and my mom was really helpful with it."

At other, lighter times, Cindy just has to laugh. The View co-host remembers once, "My mom was laughing so hard. I was like, 'She's so feisty,' and she's going, 'Oh, where's that come from?' My mom's finding all of it so wildly entertaining. She's like, 'Oh really, is she not listening to you, and she's feisty?' "

meghan mccain and daughter liberty — Liberty Sage McCain Domenech. Courtesy Meghan Mccain

* For more on Meghan McCain's life as a new mom, subscribe now to PEOPLE or pick up this week's issue, on newsstands Friday.

While it wasn't until recently that Cindy and Liberty met in person, because Cindy had chosen to remain in Arizona amid COVID-19 until she was vaccinated, she and her new granddaughter FaceTimed "all the time," Meghan says.

"She didn't want to come visit because she was in Arizona when the pandemic started and I was here ... I think she was worried, because Arizona had such huge spikes, that she was worried about getting it and bringing it," Meghan says of Cindy.

But she was vaccinated in time for Joe Biden's Jan. 20 inauguration and when she saw Liberty, "she cried," Meghan says.

Speaking with PEOPLE last fall, Cindy was similarly gushing. "She's beautiful. She's just perfect," Cindy said then. "And they're so happy. She's the first little girl in the family, so I'm very excited about that."