reflections of a grandfather (w/pic)

Priceless. Such a precious picture, Steve. Simply beautiful. <3

Beautiful picture, Steve! Thanks for sharing! You are very blessed!

Charlene

Simplly joy well he will adore you just wait till he lifts his tiny head up to look at you .

Can he make a face yet?

All the Best, Karen

Dear Steve,
Ethan resembles his grandpa from the standpoint of 'peaceful', 'serene', . What a GREAT picture.

Thanks and God Bless,
Lillie

Such a gorgeous picture. I never get tired of looking at it. Lucky boy, lucky grandpa.
love,d

Steve, that is a beautiful picture!!! Thanks for sharing! Just puts a big smile on my face!

Keri

Such a picture of true, pure love and beauty. Thank you, Steve. He is as handsome as his grandfather!

Beautiful baby and picture! Congrats again, Steve.

Steve

that photo belongs on book album A hardcover album with your writings in it for ethan.

It is so lovely and serene to look at.

could look at that all day

makes me feel good

Karen

an update...where did the month go?

Mommy and baby came to Los Angeles on Saturday for a nine day visit. There will be a baby shower tomorrow in San Diego. The only ones in my family who have not seen Ethan are my son, DIL, and my two grandchildren..They are coming tonight for the weekend so it will be wonderful for them to see him and for me to see them. I get to have a sleepover with my grandchildren for two nights...a very special treat.

Back to Master Ethan. He continues to enthrall me. It seems he is really developing a marvelous smile, at times, and seems to relate to voice and focuses on faces, at times. I believe he is starting to know who we are. He is a lovely, lovely little boy and brings us such joy.

One of traits that is difficult on the family is the fact that I always worry, too much, when anyone is sick. It makes it tough on my loved ones. I think I am a bit better than I used to be, but probably not much Smile

So, two days ago, the little guy seems to have developed a cold and I suggest we take him to a pediatrician to see if everything is o.k. before his flight on Monday morning. "We will be in San Diego over the weekend and if he gets worse, no one will be around, and we will wind up in the emergency room..not a great place to take a seven week baby. I think we should have the doc listen to his chest.”

My daughter is skeptical, call her doc in PA and she agrees, so off we go and the pediatrician is very nice and gives us a bunch of advice and even draws some blood which the little guy did not appreciate...

There seems to be an “epidemic" of whooping cough in California from what the doctor told us. I pray he does not have that because evidently you can’t inoculate a baby until 6 months. He is seven weeks today. In any event, I saw the look on my daughter’s face as the doctor was talking and seeing how upset she was when he was crying from the stick in his foot. Later that night, I said to her...”I don’t think you guys could understand why I worried the way I did until you were a parent yourself.” She agreed and now she “gets it.” I said to her...”you probably will feel protective towards him the rest of your life...no matter his age...I still feel the same way about you and you are 31. It never stops"...at least for me, it doesn’t.

One special bonus...Ethan doesn’t seem to mind my singing....My wife, daughter and I sang “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” to him the other day and he gave us a big smile. He really seemed to like it. Last night we went out for pizza and my daughter’s order was messed up so I quickly ate mine and then walked with him outside the restaurant for 20 minutes of heaven. First I held him so that he was looking at the sky. I don’t know what he sees but he seems to love looking at the sky. It was still somewhat light out and the sky was a beautiful color...Then he got a bit restless so I turned him over and held him like a football with his head in the crook of my arm and my other arm under his belly with my hand on his belly/chest and as we walked I brought him up to my lips and kissed him and then sang something I haven’t sung in maybe 30 years...an old Hebrew lullaby. Tumbalalaika. I just realized I have been singing it for 40 years without knowing the translation.

from the lullaby..”it’s love that can burn for many years” and the love I have for my wife, children and grandchildren shall always ‘burn.’ I have been blessed with my family (and my TNBC Foundation family)and this little boy, especially, and I wanted to share the lullaby with you and at the same time, kindly sparing you from my off-key singing...but so far, my little friend is not complaining.. Smile

all the best,

Steve

TUMBALALAIKA	Yiddish - PLAY BALALAIKA

טומבאלאלייקא
Shteyt a bocher, shteyt un tracht, tracht un tracht a gantze nacht. Vemen tsu nemen un nit far shemen, vemen tsu nemen un nit far shemen. Refrain: Tumbala, tumbala, tumbalalaika, Tumbala, tumbala, tumbalalaika tumbalalaika, shpiel balalaika tumbalalaika - freylach zol zayn. Meydl, meydl, ch'vel bay dir fregen, Vos kan vaksn, vaksn on regn? Vos kon brenen un nit oyfhern? Vos kon benken, veynen on treren? Narisher bocher, vos darfstu fregn? A shteyn ken vaksn, vaksn on regn. Libeh ken brenen un nit oyfhern. A harts kon benkn, veynen on treren.	A young lad is thinking, thinking all night Would it be wrong, he asks, or maybe right, Should he declare his love, dare he choose, And would she accept, or will she refuse? Chorus: Tumbala, tumbala, tumbalalaika, Tumbala, tumbala, tumbalalaika tumbalalaika, play Balalaika, tumbalalaika - let us be merry. Maiden, maiden tell me again What can grow, grow without rain, What can burn for many years, What can long and cry without tears? Silly young lad, why ask again? It's a stone that can grow, grow without rain, It's love that can burn for many long years, A the heart that can yearn and cry without tears.

Edited by steve - Oct 14 2011 at 7:12am

As always, a beautiful post that brought tears to my eyes, as I can so relate to every word you wrote. So happy for you that you had this time together. How is little Ethan faring with his cold? I hope it did not develop into anything more than that and that he is either on the mend or completely over it. It's always so hard to see a tiny one out of sorts with anything.

The lullabye is beautiful and, again, I can relate well to the love that will always "burn" for your children and wife. Love never stops burning - and the warmth of that love is felt eternally.

Be well, dear friend.

I am so happy for you and your family,

Linda

That's a beautiful lullaby. So sweet, hope he get rid of his cold

soon.

Karen

Oh my goodness Steve,

I didn't see this picture of you and Ethan....

It is wonderful and just how I picture you with him. So peaceful and content!

I am so glad that Ethan has come to visit and meet his other Aunt, Uncle & Cousins....He is so young to be congested. Maybe if you set up a vapourizer in his room, may take some of the stuffiness away. The change in the weather can sometimes fill them up, especially this young. Don't worry about the whooping cough, Ethan is protected by his mom's immune system up to 6 months. Enjoy him and have a wonderful visit with your lovely family!

Hugs, h.

Your sister on the East Coast

Thank you Steve!

I finally understood my parent's nonsense worrying when I became a mother. Every time my little man gets sick I'm debating whether to take him to the doctor or not as after many visits I am sure that his worse colds he caught at the doctor's office... But most of the time I end up there anyway

.

It makes me really happy to know how much you are enjoying your grandson.

Un abrazote,

Natalia

OK Steve, obviously you have all of us crying those Hallmark tears! I also cry at AT&T commercials where someone is always calling home. I just visualize you and Ethan outside walking and the joy you felt, stealing those precious minutes alone with him.

All good wishes,

Steve,

What a great picture.I love the name ETHAN, so adorable.

That picture is so filled with love! Just beautiful..

Steve: Thanks for sharing...the beautiful picture and the update! Enjoy, enjoy....

Thanks all for your lovely comments and wishes..

update...wonderful news from pediatrician this morning...no whooping cough...whew!!!!

Sister Helen- doc recommended a humidifier that we have been using and steam showers that fill the bathroom with steam....both seem to be helping...

hugs to all,

Steve

p.s. I got a ton of smiles from him, today...I am delighted!!!!

Steve, how wonderful for us to be able to share in the love and joy you have with/for Ethan. He is a lucky boy, to have you for his Grandpa. (As are all your family, and us, you extended family, to have you in our lives.)

We look forward to hearing of many more milestones - smiles, giggles, and everything!

Deborah.