On this day, in 1998 at 3:43 p.m. EST, Ian Joseph debuted in Charlotte, North Carolina. If you don't mind indulging me for a minute, I have a cute story to tell about the day he was born.

While pregnant with him, I was a regular at the gym--they offered complimentary babysitting for Quinn and I signed up immediately. One of the instructors there, Mia, told me "you should meet Tricia. I think you're both due around the same time. I'll introduce you to her." I hopped on the treadmill beside hers and began chatting away. She had that look on her face that said "will someone please shut this woman up??" Completely oblivious, and desperate for adult conversation, I just kept flapping my gums determined to make her want to be friends. Turns out she was due Sept. 22nd and I was due Sept. 10th. As it got closer to the fall (and she had warmed up to me) we would joke about her delivering early and me being late. We could conceivably have our babies on the same day. Little did either of us know that our words would be prophetic.

After I delivered Ian and was recovering in my room, I heard some voices out in the hallway saying, "bye, Tricia. Tell Mommy 'bye-bye'. " I swung my post-epidural, wobbly legs out of the bed, opened the door and spotted Tricia's two-year-old son, her husband and his parents standing outside a nearby room. I asked them when she had the baby and they said "at 12:30 this afternoon." No way!! I just laughed and laughed. Ian and Will WERE birthday twins after all.

Even though the two boys have little, if any, recollection of each other (since we left Charlotte when they were two) September 15th is a day I will always remember fondly. Of course because we celebrate sweet Ian's birthday. And also because it reminds me of a wonderful friendship, born of our sons' births, that is still in my life today.