This Week, One Year

Been a pretty busy year. Good time to reflect.

A year ago this week, Lisa was going into the hospital for a C-section. Alex was born 11 June 2007.

As Lisa was in recovery from surgery, my oldest and bestest friend Dave was bringing his wife, H, into the same hospital. She was going into labor with THEIR first child.

I was best man at Dave and H's wedding.... it was a ton of work, and some of the most satisfying work I've ever done. The host gave me a challenge coin that I carry to this day; I'm not fully dressed without it. The host was impressed enough with the job I did making sure the wedding and reception came off ok, and his home wasn't trashed, that I now have a challenge coin that says "Skip Quant - Pete Pace's Platoon Sergeant 1968-1970". Anybody paying attention will notice that Peter Pace was the first Marine Corp General to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - Skip Quant was his platoon sergeant when Lieutenant Pace was a fresh-faced young officer in Vietnam. I'm damn proud of that challenge coin.

I'm also damn proud that I was Dave's best man, and damn proud that Dave agreed to be my best man, not once, but twice. Yeah, he's smarter than me; he got it right the first go-round, it took me two times to find the right woman.

But this is about what happened a year ago this week, not about our respective weddings.

A year ago this week, doc cut Lisa open and pulled out a wonderfully healthy baby boy - Alex.

A day later, H delivered her first child to her and Dave, a wonderfully healthy baby girl, A - except she was jaundiced.

Lisa had to stay in the hospital to recover from the gut-cut. Baby A had to stay in the hospital to get light treatments for jaundice - but Mommy was fine, so the hospital kicked Dave and H. out.

I don't think I've ever seen my oldest and best friend so upset as when he and H. were being discharged and told to go home, but they couldn't take their baby girl with them.

Now I'm gonna get a little bit preachy, but this is important. IF YOU WANT TO HAVE GOOD FRIENDS, YOU MUST BE A GOOD FRIEND. Often that means you have to sacrifice for your friends.

I am absolutely blessed with the best friends any man could ask for... and while I'm not perfect, I think that is because I choose good people to be friends with, and I do my damndest to be good friends to them.

A year ago this week, the hospital discharged H as healthy, but kept baby A because of her jaundice. Lisa was still a patient, recovering from the gut-cut.

I told Dave, "They let someone sleep in here with Lisa - that's supposed to be me, but it doesn't have to be. Let's go home, let Mommy H stay in here with Lisa, and that way Mommy can stay with baby A, and us Daddies can come back tomorrow."

Dave hated being away from his wife and daughter; I hated being away from my wife and son. But we did it, and let both Mommies be with both kids, and everything turned out ok.

That was a year ago, this week.

This year, Alex had his birthday party last Saturday. HUGE party, lots of people, WONDERFUL time :)

Dave and H's daughter A has her first birthday party tomorrow (Saturday) - it should be a great time as well.

Slightly rough start, and slightly rough year - Dave and I have been so busy, we've barely spoken over the last 12 months. But we have the kind of friendship that can survive that, especially now that our time is focused on our next generation. Tomorrow is a pool party; lots of splashing and toys and 1-year-olds getting adults completely soaked.

Ought to be a lot of fun :)