It's been a busy day here in Liam's Life. It started out when I took Catherine to orientation for her new job this morning. The orientation was to go from 11 to 1 which is what time the baby shower was to start (1 pm). The baby shower was given by Catherine's friend, Brie, who has been friends with Catherine for several years.
After Catherine's frantic rush around the house in search of something to wear (while I tended to Liam), we all ended up taking a trip to my closet where things were wrenched from hangers, held up and tossed onto the bed, amid the sound of grunts and groans (not from Liam). As Catherine continued plunging her hands into a forest of fabric, hangers squeaked wildly along the metal rod as if they were no longer inanimate objects but living things being led to the slaughter.
Catherine finally chose one of my white peasant skirts and one of her tops. During this frenzy, I did sneak out a quick, "You should have done this yesterday," and immediately went back to cooing over Liam. I think I may have cowered a bit too. Maybe she didn't hear me or maybe she was too hurried to take notice, but there were no repercussions (small blessings are so awesome). 
I drove her to orientation and, as she exited the car, I noticed something fuschia peeking out over the waist of the skirt. I rolled down the window. "Your underpants are showing," I called as she hurried along. She glanced back at me and shouted, "It's OK! It's not that important," and then, with a quick flip of the waistband, she fixed her outfit and continued on. As I turned towards the exit, I noticed something else, slowed the car and began to turn around, but then, thought better of it and went on my way. Maybe the manager won't mind that hideous tattoo on the back of her neck which can only be seen when she swoops her hair up into a comb. I decided not to press my luck by telling her to wear her hair down. After all, I got away with one comment earlier and got one more in about the underpants. I wasn't going to push it.
Later, as I prepared myself and Liam to go back and pick up Catherine, Rose (my son's girlfriend) called to say she was going to be a bit late. Rose was going to ride with us and, knowing Rose (and loving her like a daughter), I wasn't surprised. And, as it turned out, it wasn't Rose's fault that we were late picking up Catherine anyway. I couldn't find my keys anywhere and, still feeling somewhat under the weather after having the worst flu of my life (and, as far as I'm concerned the worst flu of anyone's life), I felt exhaustion setting in and then tears. TEARS over lost keys? No, not tears, I thought. No tears. Just find those stupid keys.
After overturning couch cushions, stressing my husband out majorly with my muttering, and then having my mini-breakdown in the dining room as I shook out my purse onto the floor, I roughly threw everything back into my purse and realized they weren't there (by the way, I had already done this once a few minutes earlier in the living room in a much calmer state, but thought maybe they might appear somehow this time). I went into the bathroom, blew my nose, wiped the mascara that was now haphazardly strewn around my face, and went and leaned over the couch thinking about the last thing I had on when I took Catherine to orientation. I turned, opened the closet and there in my jacket pocket, ta-da! My keys. My poor husband had already given me his set and I know he was hoping desperately that I would immediately vanish for a very long time. I calmly handed him back his keys, thanked him and blew my nose one more time.
The shower was wonderful. Brie did such a nice job and it was a small group of women, which I love, because we were all able to talk to each other without the din of too many voices overshadowing our conversations. Liam was very well behaved and I brought a few hors d'oeuvres to add to Brie and her mom's montage of food. It was a wonderful time and we came home and that's when Liam got fussy. And fussier and fussier.
Catherine took him upstairs to change his diaper and then called in a loud voice, "MOM! Something is wrong with him! Look at this." She came downstairs and laid him down and opened his diaper. He had a bulge on his left side. Catherine was very near tears as my husband and I leaned over him and I felt it and I said, "He has a hernia." "What?" Catherine exclaimed. "He has a hernia. I had a hernia, you had a double hernia, several of my uncles had hernias, my brother had a hernia. It is genetic." "Will he have to have surgery?" Catherine's face was still white with fear. "Yes." "Will it hurt him?" "No. You had surgery for this at 10 months. I was two years old. He will be fine." Druck agreed and Catherine let out a sigh of relief.
Now, several hours later, the day near its end, we have driven Druck to the airport where he leaves tonight for Paris to give a talk on his work. The poor man told me just two hours before we left that he had a very sore throat. If he gets this thing I have had, it was 3 weeks yesterday and, after two trips to the doctor, I still have a sore throat. I am praying that he doesn't get sick because it was so debilitating in the beginning.
Catherine and Liam joined us on our drive to the airport. We dropped off Druck, hugged him and watched as he checked his baggage curbside. We drove away and I blinked back tears.
Copyright 2008 liamsgrandma
Last night, my sister called me at 9:58 pm and told me to put on ABC and watch the show that was coming on in two minutes. I did, and it blew me away. Diane Sawyer covered the last six months with Randy Pausch, a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who is dying from pancreatic cancer. Despite his circumstances, Randy is living life to the fullest and he gave what he called his farewell lecture to his students, the video of which has now become internationally known. His life and the way that he and his wife have lived, especially these last six months, are an inspiration to all. Thanks to my sister for pointing this man and his family out to me. I hope that everyone will view the video and also think about buying his book, "The Last Lecture."
