COUGH COUGH...and then a sigh

I was a weinie today and finally went to the doctor...i think i heard somewhere that guys are the last to go to the doctor and the most likely to need to go...well i waited and waited and realized that waking up several times throughout the night just to cough was getting to be really annoying. Just as i predicted i received the same batch of meds that it seems everyone that goes to a military doc gets...pseudofed and some fish eyes...i don't remember what the technical name for fish eyes is...but they help with my cough alot. The strange thing was that this time the flight doc ordered a chest x-ray and said that I was pretty close to either having bronchitis or pneumonia...geez...that's what i needed to hear. Anyhow I went home and played baby for a while...i get pretty wimpy when i get sick...my parents can attest to that as well. When I had finally shaken off some of the funk after about a 2 hour nap I went downstairs to find the house all a buzz...it was nice to come out of my cocoon to some laughter and smiles. We all went outside and piddled in the backyard. We ordered pizza and just hung out for a little while...it was nice. The biggest part of my night though was shortly after dinner. Melisa had taken Kate upstairs to have her bath...and shortly after hearing her talking to Kate and finishing in the tub...I hear Melisa say "Eric come here...quick!" Maddy and I run upstairs and Melisa says..."Kate took her first steps!"

....and then my world began to move in slooooooow motion....

You see back in Sept of 2005 I left for my deployment, leaving my wife and 9 month old daughter Madison to fend for themselves in Bossier City. It was heartbreaking...I was leaving my wife whom I hadn't been apart from since we had moved to Louisiana together...and also because I knew that I would miss so much of my new daughters life over the next 6 months...her first real words...her first birthday...her first christmas...first halloween....and lastly her first steps. Sure enough within a few weeks of being gone I would receive a video from Melisa with Maddy slowly stumbling across our living room floor...there was my first baby's first trip all on her own...she was no longer a baby. I watched that video over and over and over again...I had missed it...I knew I would...I was so happy...but it still stung.

...and then my world began to speed back up to today....

This time I hadn't missed it...i was here and I was so greatful. You know it's hard to say that I may or may not miss another important time in my daughters' lives. That goes with the job I guess...whether I like it or not...it's unfortunate and not something that I like to think about...but today I was here and I am thankful that I got to see it all with my own two eyes. It was so special and I took those few moments to sigh and take it all in. The strangest part to me about it all...is that Kate is growing up way too fast for me. Not even 9 months old yet (well by a few days at least) and she is already walking...geez...i wish my world would begin to move in slow motion more often.

Eric