The Two J's

In a week I will be 'winging' my way to DC to spend some time with my real 'baby': my youngest son, Jeffrey, and his terrific wife, Janet. I can't wait to visit with them. Pardon me while I do a little bragging (it comes with my "Jewish mother" contract). These two are such incredible human beings. They concern themselves with the world beyond their own little safety zone and feel empathy for others who are not as fortunate. They do this by their awareness as well as their actions. I am truly inspired by them. I also can't help but admire how they make the people in their lives a priority. First of all they put a lot of time and energy into maintaining their past and present friendships. Knowing how important my dear friends have been in my life, I especially appreciate this quality in them. They also have a deep, authentic love of family as well as their own family histories. They seem to understand that it is important to know where you come from... and they passionately pursue the stories from the past as they look towards their own futures. They embrace their lives as an ongoing adventure that is always showing them new surprises and joys. What an incredible way to live. I have found that I am never too old to learn valuable life lessons from my children... Thank you, J and J for your wisdom and love.

Equal Time

This is Liana...Sharon and Gary's other granddaughter...how adorable is she?!?!...another little angel from Costa Rica that lights up the room. She is such a little 'noodle' and word has it that she is exceptionally smart, too. (could I have heard that from Abby (grandma) Sharon?) Scott and Gisella are the proud parents...and they, too, don't seem to mind being a part of my extended family as they share their heart and joy with me, too. I am so grateful and blessed. Scott and Todd are seeking fame and fortune down there in Costa Rica...Through their hard work, determination and great timing, they are both becoming savvy businessmen and making lots of great real estate deals. All I can say is: "Watch out TRUMP! The Cutter boys are on the move!!"... I am so proud of them. 

Gram and Grammie check out the sliding rockers at Babies R Us! 

 

The Maketunim

I will be sharing the grandparent duties with, not only Adam's dad, but also Judy and Jerry....Jenny's mom and dad....the Maketunim. To say that I have fallen in love with these two people is an understatement. It is as if they have always been part of my family. I feel so lucky to have them in my life....Going to Babies R Us with Judy was an experience of a lifetime. Not only did we spend hours (not to mention $$$) there...but, the store will probably never be the same. We tried out everything...including the sliding rockers (ahhhh) and marveled at all of the choices that new parents are now faced with. They even have this item called "My Brest (sic) Friend" which the new mom uses to hold the baby up when she is nursing. In my day (Oh G-d, did I really just say that?) the kids wore little white shoes that you had to polish daily because of the smudges...and the only outfits available for boys were those a train on it...and, if you breast fed...you held the baby up with your arms. (imagine that) Now, the kids can wear miniature running shoes, boots, docksiders, loafers, etc.,etc. And, the outfits! wow...so many cute selections....even famous designers have gotten into the act. You almost need a degree from Consumer Reports to pick out the correct stroller and car seat. But, when it gets down to it....what stays the same is what is really most important....and that is that this little baby will be ooohed and ahhhed over...photographed continually.....cheered on when he poops and burps....and most of all, loved. How nice to have so many people who will be falling in love with Baby Buddha. Watch out, kid. : )

 

June 25, 2006

It's true what they say about June busting out all over! Buddha is certainly growing....but Jenny and Adam are glowing! And, so is Grammie. : ) 

Introspection....

I woke up this morning feeling a little introspective. You know that feeling when thoughts are running through your mind without abandon and you can't seem to stop them? I was thinking about all that is ahead in life for Adam, Jenny, Jeffrey and Janet....and, Baby Buddha....so many life experiences! Having lived through the times that they are now in, I sometimes want to pass on all of my 'knowledge' (ha!) to them so that they may avoid some of the mistakes that I made. But, the truth is that they will make their own mistakes....they will find some bumps in the road....and they will grow from them just as I have. Sometimes I wish that I could go back in time knowing what I now know. That would be too easy, I guess....and what would I really learn if I had figured things out before they occurred? What makes life most meaningful is experiencing the mystery of it all....not really knowing what is around that corner. So, I will have to be content knowing that I can only sit back and watch them go through Life's many wonderful challenges on their own.....but, always knowing that I am here for them if they need me. And, of course, Life is filled with incredible daily joys, delights, and adventures that they have yet to experience. Being able observe my children having all of those moments is one of my greatest pleasures in being a mom. One thing that I know for sure is that we each are our own captain as we steer our way through Life. It is our responsibility to make sure that we take control of our own futures. Star Jones said it best yesterday, "I'm not sure what the future holds, but I am absolutely sure who holds the future."

A special day!

Today is not only Jenny and Adam's 8th Anniversary (!)....but it also marks the last time that they will celebrate an anniversary as just the two of them. Baby Buddha will now become a part of their celebrating....how nice. Of course, it will always be important for them to take the time to be a couple....not always as easy when children enter the picture.....but so necessary. Being 'mommy' and 'daddy' are important titles....but being loving spouses is what makes the family unit cohesive, special... and a soft place for Buddha to land. Happy Anniversary to my dear children....get ready for life to never be the same as you know it now. Hang on....and enjoy the ride!

Oh Maya....

Ah...sharing the joy! This morning I was delighted to have received some incredibly adorable pictures of little Maya....Sharon and Gary's granddaughter. I am one of the fortunate ones who has made the "Cutter Family Photo Mailing List" and I cannot tell you how honored I feel. Maya is the daughter of Todd and Ana and lives in beautiful Costa Rica. Her cousin, Liana, also lives near there with Scott and Gisella...and, is equally as cute and precious! (will include pix of her when I get some new ones!) Maya has this wonderful glow about her that just makes you smile....and that is exactly what I did when I awoke to these newest shots of her. While they get there as often as they can....I know that Sharon and Gary would love to have these little angels living closer. Of course, I tell Sharon all of the time that getting to Costa Rica from Bham is actually easier than getting to Minnesota to see my kids. It is actually the same amount of air travel time ( approx. 4 hours)....I just have to spend a lot of the day getting there...while they can fly non-stop. That all being said, we still have the commonality of too much distance coming between us as far as our kids go. As a parent this is part of the process of 'letting go' and cheering your kids on as they find their own way in the world...even if it means that they are in another town.....or (gulp) another country. No one said that it would be easy...but you get through it with all of the modern technology that is in our hands today....and share the joy via electronic means until another trip can be planned. Who knew that a little computer chip could lessen the enormity of 'distance' and bring us closer to the ones we love (and miss)?

 

The Great Grandparents

...After getting a comment from my Dad on my blog, it made me start thinking. So, what was it like for my parents when they were awaiting the birth of my first child, their first grandchild?

Just like Adam and Jenny, I was living far from home so they didn't have the pleasure of sharing my pregnancy on a day to day basis. Of course, the Internet was just something that no one had heard of yet....so, the only communication was via phone. And, that phone was not portable....and certainly not cellular.

While I know that a grandson is about to be born.....they didn't know the sex of the baby until the doctor exclaimed, "It's a boy!" after the birth.

But as I look as these pictures, I see the same joy on their faces as I am feeling inside in anticipation of Buddha's arrival. I have actually studied their pictures as I think about them being around the age I am now. And, so it goes....the circle of life...

"Are you talkin' to me?"

This picture shows how Jenny got the nickname "Talky" !! Surprisingly, it still holds true today (!) ...as well as her absolutely, incredible singing voice. That lucky baby....he will have his mom to sing him lullabies and his dad to play the guitar. Of course, then there is the issue of Adam's new set of drums. Hmmm, I wonder how long they will last when Buddha arrives on the scene? "Shhhh, Adam, the baby is sleeping!"...

Baby Jenny

So, what is this much-awaited baby going to look like? I am hoping that he will be a wonderful blend of his parents. Here is a baby shot of Jenny.....how can we go wrong? The bottom line is that we are talking cute and adorable here. Spoken like a true grandma. : )

P.S. Jenny's dr. appointment went well yesterday....Buddha passed with flying colors! His size is perfect for 30 weeks.....His heartbeat was 160 bpm....(high end of normal)....but Grammie thinks that he is just excited to get out and see this crazy world of ours!

A look in the mirror....

What does a grandmother look like? Certainly not me....I am way too young. I always had this image of the gray-haired woman with her spectacles down on her nose....sitting and knitting. So, you can imagine my shock yesterday when I was sitting in the chair at the beauty parlor ....and I glanced at myself in the mirror and saw: a grandma! Me! There I was getting the gray in my hair covered up with a wonderful, brown hair dye....I had my reading glasses down on my nose....AND I was actually knitting (a blanket for Buddha)! I guess that I now qualify for being old enough to be a grandma. Shocking.

Here's my dear Jenny at 30 weeks! She is glowing! She and Adam exude such joy and Buddha is going to be one happy baby! He is going to be such a lucky child.... and, he doesn't even know it yet. He will be entering into a household full of music, laughter, and incredible energy! He will probably be photographed every step of the way. I wonder if he will be ready for the paparazzi --otherwise known as the grandparents!!!!

Doctor's appointment today for Jenny. I await every doctor's appointment with such eager anticipation as though, I, myself, were going. Jenny and Adam have allowed me this pleasure by sharing their journey with me every step of the way... I am so grateful. So, I will await the latest news about baby Buddha later on today. Jenny goes every two weeks now as we get closer to the August 31 due date. That's a good thing as it lessens the anxiety to a two week period instead of a month. Oh, how I remember those days when I was pregnant! Like Jenny and Adam, I was thrilled to be in that "condition" after having been told that I only had a 30% chance of conceiving....and then ended up giving birth to, not only Adam, but his brother, Jeffrey, three years later. My miraculous life's blessings. I can't imagine life without my two sons being a part of it. They bring me more joy than words can express....

Adam and Jenny pre-pregnancy

Here are the mom and dad to be! Life as they know it is about to be changed forever after Buddha makes his entrance into the world sometime in the next few weeks. Having eight years of marriage behind them, this should be a pretty easy transition.

My 8 pound miracle...

Adam Keith was born on April 18, 1974 and the miracle of his birth is still with me to this day. I cannot wait for him to experience this incredible life passage with Jenny!

It does feel a little strange (and wonderful) to watch my 32 year old "baby" prepare for his own son.

32 years ago.....

Here I am at 8+ months pregnant and expecting my first child in April, 1974....

Now, 32 years later, my son and his wife are getting ready to have their first child, my grandson!

We have named him Buddha until he comes out into the world and we can give him a real name. Until then.....his spiritual, self-reflective name is "Buddha". We hope that he doesn't mind.

And, I have named myself the "Dalai Mama"....!