Thank God for the Miracle of Modern Medicine

Only 4 days old

I was in labor with this little guy for just over 25 hours, but thanks to my best friend, the epidural, I was able to sleep through a lot of it. And see how happy he is that mommy got her rest? James was born at 10:15 am on the 19th weighing in at 8lbs. 12oz. and 21.5 inches long. I don't care what you say, he's the cutest future rock star on the planet.

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There have been 2,474 coalition deaths, 2,271 Americans, one Australian, 101 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, two Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians, one Hungarian, 26 Italians, one Kazakh, one Latvian, 17 Poles, two Salvadoran, three Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians in the war in Iraq as of February 16, 2006.

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Bye, Charlie.

I have never mentioned him here, but my parents dog Charlie was one of the best dogs, the happiest dogs, the sweetest dogs, I've ever known. He even saved my life once. He died yesterday of a birth defect. My family knew it was there when they got him from the shelter, but they had to take him home. He lived for three years before an infection finally stole him from us.

People who don't have dogs won't understand the ache this loss has left sitting inside me. I never got to say goodbye. People who do have dogs get that they are family. This one was special. He had the nuttiest, most loving personality. He will be VERY sorely missed by me, my husband, and the rest of my family.

There won't ever be another Charlie.