Charlie Will Be Here Sometime Today, Thursday!

I remember the last time I was at Mel and Dan's house for the birth of a grandson.

It was also in August but steaming hot like last week. I am sure if things were a bit odd it would only be in the eye of the beholder. But certainly things were unusual.

By the time the mid-wife arrived the house was crowded. Packed with people. Melanie had volunteered her home for John's bachelor party and the wedding was in the morning. The food was in the family room, the party underway, and these single guys had no idea that upstairs Melanie was in labor!

I was campaigning and I was trying to figure out if I could make it to my 6 PM fundraiser and be back before the baby arrived. I was contemplating that when Dan skipped down the stairs and went out the front door. He said nothing. I called the host and excused myself. There was no way I could make it there and back.

Dan returned in a rush and skipped, this time, up the stairs with a bottle of oxygen tucked under one arm and braced with the other. There was not a glance at his grandma and me. We viewed this from the living room couch where we sat. Mom had just flown in for the wedding.

Mel was glad for the noise from the party. You never know if you are going to groan or something. She pumped up the country music in the bedroom just in case.

For Melanie it was really hot upstairs. No shade trees. Windows on the west. Heat rises. There was no air conditioning.

Music in two locations, bachelors jabbing John, grandma and great-grandma on the couch...toddler Ethan someplace. And, in two giant Olympic pushes, Drew was born.

We could hear him. Twenty-minutes later Melanie walked down the stairs and showed off her new baby. We went out in the street where the neighbors had gathered.

Melanie will have this delivery induced at 1:30. I will be sitting on the same couch.