The world lost a wonderful man today- this man was my grandpa, Buddy Studna. I liked to call him "Buddala the Studala". As I sit here crying and trying to wrap my head around the fact that I won't see him again on earth, I know how lucky I am to have been his granddaughter. He was a man who loved winning at gin rummy, drinking a good glass (or two) of scotch, engaging in a heated political debate, living in the state of Nebraska, and spending time with family- even if he was nodding off on the couch. He's one of the few people I know who truly smiled with his eyes and found humor in most situations. My grandpa would have been 90 years old in September and he lived nearly 89 years in great mental health and good physical health. In many ways, he had what a lot of us would wish for- a full, happy life surrounded by those he loved and loved him in return. Those he left behind are very sad today yet we know he will be more comfortable where he is now. While Shorts won't get to meet her great grandpa in person, we will make sure that he lives in on stories and through pictures. Maybe they'll even cross paths on their journeys to and from heaven.
Grandpa, you will be greatly missed. Tonight Todd and I will play some gin rummy and drink root beer floats in your honor. Please know that while we aren't able to travel to your funeral service (Shorts could be coming at any time now), you are very heavily on our minds and in our hearts. I love you forever and a day, as Grandma Betty used to say, and hope that you're reuniting with family and friends who went before you.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Circle of Life
Lately I've been witnessing the ever present circle of life up close and personally. In the last three weeks or so, dear friends have been losing grandparents, getting engaged, and announcing pregnancies (and babies!). It's a constant reminder that every day- and piece of positive news-is to be celebrated. Meanwhile, Shorts is continuing to grow. We had a 7 pound growth spurt last month (you can imagine my surprise when being weighed at the doctor) and she's quite active these days. With only 6 weeks or so to go, the trusty Baby Center website tells me she's about the size of a pineapple (woah)!
A few things I've noticed about Shorts lately: 1. Even though I'm tired, I can't help but dance for long periods of time if there's a dance floor and music which leads me to believe she likes to dance. The type of music and setting don't change the outcome. 2. A few nights ago for Todd and Adams' birthday parties we went bowling. Usually, I don't score much higher than 80, but together Shorts and I scored about 115! Do we have a future bowler on our hands? Her daddy is a Big Lebowski fan after all! 3. Last weekend in the car, Todd and I were chatting to future Zayde (grandpa in Yiddish) Jason on speaker phone. Shorts began doing in-utero somersaults! Could she already be taking a liking to her grandparents' voices? I realize these are all guesses but it's been fun to dream up her interests and personality traits.
Todd definitely deserves some public recognition for cooking ridiculously good pancakes lately, telling me I'm a good sport and beautiful (and meaning it) even though I'm occasionally complaining and sharing not-so-attractive information with him, making me laugh by greeting me with his stomach out too, and being proactive with the "just say yes" campaign. We've been living it up the last few months between road trips, going out on week nights, and generally trying to say yes to all things fun. Come August, our lives are about to change in a big and wonderful way and I've heard from other parents out there that the "fly by the seat of your pants" mentality changes pretty drastically.
Lastly, as many of you may know, we've decided not to share Shorts' name until she's born. This is for a few reasons- the main one being that we know life is delicate and that this whole process- when it goes smoothly- is nothing short of a miracle. So, when our hopefully healthy baby girl comes into this world and we see her for the first time, then we'll introduce her and her name. Also, who knows? It could be that she comes out looking just like a "Shorts" and that'll go on the birth certificate! Just kidding. By the way, an extra special thank you to those of you who have donated to LeaderSpring by supporting my pregnancy "marathon" efforts! In the next few weeks I'll be having my week of being ice cream free and walking 13.1 miles in a week. It's not too late to give to this amazingly impactful organization: http://www.leaderspring.org/donate.htm.
Below are some pictures that show the evolution of the baby bump.
A few things I've noticed about Shorts lately: 1. Even though I'm tired, I can't help but dance for long periods of time if there's a dance floor and music which leads me to believe she likes to dance. The type of music and setting don't change the outcome. 2. A few nights ago for Todd and Adams' birthday parties we went bowling. Usually, I don't score much higher than 80, but together Shorts and I scored about 115! Do we have a future bowler on our hands? Her daddy is a Big Lebowski fan after all! 3. Last weekend in the car, Todd and I were chatting to future Zayde (grandpa in Yiddish) Jason on speaker phone. Shorts began doing in-utero somersaults! Could she already be taking a liking to her grandparents' voices? I realize these are all guesses but it's been fun to dream up her interests and personality traits.
Todd definitely deserves some public recognition for cooking ridiculously good pancakes lately, telling me I'm a good sport and beautiful (and meaning it) even though I'm occasionally complaining and sharing not-so-attractive information with him, making me laugh by greeting me with his stomach out too, and being proactive with the "just say yes" campaign. We've been living it up the last few months between road trips, going out on week nights, and generally trying to say yes to all things fun. Come August, our lives are about to change in a big and wonderful way and I've heard from other parents out there that the "fly by the seat of your pants" mentality changes pretty drastically.
Lastly, as many of you may know, we've decided not to share Shorts' name until she's born. This is for a few reasons- the main one being that we know life is delicate and that this whole process- when it goes smoothly- is nothing short of a miracle. So, when our hopefully healthy baby girl comes into this world and we see her for the first time, then we'll introduce her and her name. Also, who knows? It could be that she comes out looking just like a "Shorts" and that'll go on the birth certificate! Just kidding. By the way, an extra special thank you to those of you who have donated to LeaderSpring by supporting my pregnancy "marathon" efforts! In the next few weeks I'll be having my week of being ice cream free and walking 13.1 miles in a week. It's not too late to give to this amazingly impactful organization: http://www.leaderspring.org/donate.htm.
Below are some pictures that show the evolution of the baby bump.
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