Abby's 1

So, Abby turned 1 yesterday. Where did the year go? How did she grow so much? When did she start sleeping through the night? Well, maybe not that last one...

Been the usual "busy" around here the last few months... So way behind on news and pics. This post isn't going to fix all that, but at least it will be a start.

So, things you may have missed because you weren't told.

(1) Abby can walk... since the first of the year actually, but she took several weeks to repeat the act and now is always on the move.

(2) Abby got tubes in her ears last month. Way too many ear infections and antibiotics - heck the doctor called what he pulled out of her ears as "thick snot."

(3) Abby is probably hearing better now because she will not take naps at day care anymore.

(4) Abby has many teeth.

(5) Abby has another ear infection... she really knows how to get the nice bugs. Fortunately treating it is easier when the tubes are there.

(6) Abby babbles more now... only a good 4-5 sounds typically, but they have some meaning (book, puff {any cheerio like thing counts}, mama {which, of course, means more}, dada {doesn't mean me, but we don't know what it means either})

(7) Cheerios rock.

(8) Instead of writing this post, I should probably be turning around her car seats in the hope that she will not cry as much in the car.

We had a party for her yesterday, which was quite fun. Here are a couple more pics from yesterday.



Cupcakes made by our friend and party participant, the proprietor of Cupid Cupcakery and yes, they tasted as least as good as they look.





For a girl that already loves all things bread and cake, she was not happy about this... probably because we put her back in the high-chair and she really hates being confined, I mean really.

Missing in action...

That title could describe a lot of things over the last few months... But mostly it is related to Nathan E. Hellman, MD, Ph.D., who passed away on February 13, 2010 after a massive stroke earlier that week. Nathan was a long-time, close friend of mine and we attended both High School and Wash U. together after college. Regular readers of my blog may have visited Nate's blog over the years as I have always had a link to it. Nate was a prolific writer, hosting three blogs - one of which has become a highly read professional blog in his medical specialty of Nephrology. Nate's passing left behind his wife Claire and two children Sophie and Max as well as his parents and his two sisters and their families.

It's hard to know what, if anything, to actually write about this event. To say it sucks is an understatement of grand proportions. The same about he will be missed, was a great guy, etc. Nate was truly a great person... kind, patient, dedicated, brilliant, and funny.

I went to his memorial service in Boston this past week, which was held at the hospital where he worked. This was no small service, and really a testament to how good a person and friend Nathan was... I was asked to be one of the people to talk about Nate at the service. It was really humbling to try to talk about my friend.... to try to capture even a small part of who he was. But, then to be there and hear nine other stories during the service (and many more before and after) that were all different, yet had similar themes was.... incredible. He had quite an impact on people, just by his example.

I could never do justice to the way Nate wrote... fortunately we have his blog for that. But, some friends that could not make it to Boston have asked to see what I said. I have hemmed and hawed about this for a few days... not sure why, but I have. I tend to filter the negative before writing for the world... not quite my style to do otherwise. However, here is what I wrote and approximately what I said this past Wednesday.

Nathan was my teammate, classmate, my high school locker mate, my roommate, but most of all – he was my friend.

"My Friend" is something Nate often said in conversation. He always had stories about his friends and family, what they had done together, and the accomplishments of others. Friendship was important to Nathan and he was particularly adept at building and nurturing true, life-long friendships with diverse people. His secret, I think, was that among all his incredible gifts, he had this effortless capacity to make people feel like they were a very important part of his life. He drew people together with his kindness, patience, with his humility, and especially his infectious spirit. And in doing so Nate built a community of people connected both to him and to each other.

Nathan lived life to the hilt, and with an endless passion for everything he did, and I mean everything. Be it playing basketball, or exploring the world – near and far, being a scientist and physician, writing, or enjoying time with the people around him, he was always "All In". Nate wasn't a one-thing-at-time kind of guy either. During our first year at Wash U, not content with just learning medicine he decided to tackle a new language too. I vividly remember him picking up the mail and finding his Learn-Esperanto-by-mail packages and being immediately and audibly excited. Indeed, Nate's passions could even supplant common objects. I for one cannot recall a time when the sight of Captain Crunch did not remind me of Nathan.

Nathan was brilliant, creative and original. He was always had new ideas. When we were younger, it was things like founding (and winning) a Fantasy Baseball League in the pre-internet era as well as a Monty Python-inspired troupe known as the Lumberjacks. Nate shared his sense of humor and his thoughts with us in the "Saga of the Verbal Spoon", his legendary Christmas cards, and his voluminous and widely read blogs. He invited the world into his life and in turn he opened our eyes, made us think, and made us laugh.

I will remember Nathan's mix of enthusiasm and patience, his sense of humor and his passion for life, his friendship and his unbridled and indelible love for his family. I distinctly remember phone calls, as if he were going to burst with excitement, sharing his engagement to Claire and the births of Sophie and Max. The last time I saw Nate was on their wedding day. He was at once joyous and peaceful, for he was clearly with the love of his life. I will miss those phone calls sharing his joy and pride in his children, Claire, in his parents and sisters and their families.

So, in closing Nathan, it was an honor and privilege, and I thank you.