"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for."

On Tuesday, December 18, 2012 Jayce Quinn made his way into the world.

He is the baby of my very best friend in the whole wide world.  I was given the privilege of getting to be in the delivery room.  I guess this is odd in some ways, but not for us.  

I feel like the entire experience has changed me.  I'm a different person today than I was 3 days ago.  I am amazed at how strong she is and how difficult the whole process is.  She was in labor for 36 hours.  They were the 36 longest hours of my life and the only thing I wanted was to take her pain away.  

During it all, I thought the whole thing was totally not worth it.  And then he was born.  It was magical.  It was amazing.  I cried and cried as soon as he came out.  He is the most beautiful baby ever.

I had therapy today.  At the end of last week, I was pretty sure we'd talk a lot about Newtown, CT.  I'm still struggling with my feelings about everything, but it didn't matter.  All we talked about was the birth.  The entire experience was so amazing and full of hope, life, love and the power of the human spirit.

 I love you Jayce Quinn, already and more than you'll ever know.  You make life worth living.

What advice would you give to yourself three years ago?

Live.  Really live. Take advantage of EVERYTHING.  Yes, the kids at work might make you crazy, and your family may drive you nuts, but it's so worth it.

Life is good.  You are on the verge of greatness.  Enjoy this time.  Take every advantage you can.  Good things can happen if you seek them out.

When you start to feel weird - numb as the case may be - get it looked it right away.  I know you'd rather ignore it and hope it goes away, but it won't.   The quicker you can catch it, the better off you'll be.

You have some really great friends.  Cherish them.  Take advantage of their wonderfulness.  They are the kind of folks who will be with you forever.  They love you and you love them.

Know that you are about to face a few challenges.  It's not going to be easy, but you can totally do it.  Keep your mind in the right place and anything is possible.

Baby Shower

I've been baking, wrapping, planning all day long for my best friend's surprise baby shower tomorrow!  I can't wait....its going to be ridiculously fun.