Laura

J.P. adores, and I mean adores, Jude's cousin, Laura McCutcheon (I guess that makes J.P. and Laura second cousins).  For a while, when Laura was between jobs, she nannied for him.  Laura is a wonderful person and in the relatively brief period of time she kept him for us, she made quite an impression on him.

Recently, Laura was home for a month from Spain, where she's been living and working for several months.  She came over one night and we all went to a Nashville Sounds' game.  When Laura arrived at our house, J.P. was so excited he couldn't contain himself.  Jude and I have never seen him talk so much, so fast, about so many different things in so short a period of time.  He was insistent on telling Laura about everything that was going on in his life, big or small, as quickly as possible.

Jude and I always have been so impressed with how good Laura is with J.P. - how well she connects with him.  To me, Laura has just always seemed to radiate a certain happiness and it rubs off on other people.  Certainly, it's rubbed off on J.P.  He just enjoys being around her.  It's been that way from day one, whenever she's been around him.  Laura is going to be a wonderful mother, someday.  I'm convinced of it.

It's funny, but one of the most rewarding things about my relationship with Jude's family and, in particular, her many cousins, has been watching all of them grow up.  When I first met most of them, they were just kids, literally.  Now, they're out of college, working and some are even married and have children.  It's been one of my great pleasures to watch, often from afar, as they have matured into adulthood.