One Year Home!

A year ago today, Charlie finally came home after 137 days in intensive care. He was released from the NICU on September 11 but his shunt soon malfunctioned and he had to go right back into the hospital for his sixth surgery. Thank God everything has been great since then and we’ve had him home with us without incident (spitting three times) for a full year.

I’ve loved every single second of it. It’s been fascinating watching him grow and develop over these 12 months. How lucky am I to have two such fantastic children. Charlie and Leah have such a special relationship with each other and I look forward to seeing that continue to evolve in the years to come. Funny to think that there will come a point when their age difference won’t be much of a factor. They’ll just be two adults complaining about their crazy parents.

I will write more about Charlie’s amazing life as soon as I get a handle on some work deadlines. That is, if I haven’t melted into a pool of slime like the Wicked Witch of the West. We’ve been having such a brutal heat wave that I fear the Earth may have fallen off its axis and is hurling towards the sun. Yesterday we set an all-time record in downtown L.A. of 113 degrees, even hotter in the Valley. Today we’re supposed to enjoy much cooler temperatures—about 105.

The heat wave from hell started on Saturday, the day Leah was performing in the annual Living History Tour at the historic Rosedale Cemetery near our West Adams home. Each year they pick five or six people who are buried there and have actors portraying them at the gravesite. This year they decided to feature a group of trailblazing women that included actresses Hattie McDaniel and Anna May Wong; jazz singer Nellie Lutcher; Georgia Robinson, the first African American policewoman in Los Angeles; and several famous suffragettes. Leah played Minnie Roswell Langstadter, who was one of the youngest female journalists, having worked as a reporter for a Chicago newspaper when she was only 15 years old. She interviewed people like John D. Rockefeller and J. Pierpont Morgan, and it was Minnie who reported William Vanderbilt’s famous statement, “The public be damned!” Leah’s portrayal was wonderful, and she braved ten tours and six hours in the stifling heat wearing an authentic get-up from the 1880s! Her petticoats alone probably weighed 10 lbs!

A year ago today, the day Charlie came home, it was the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. But as I said at the time, it seemed a lot more like Thanksgiving. We love you, Charlie.

Comments

[maggie may]

This is amazing, really. I remember reading your hurting words while he was in the hospital so long like it was yesterday. Congrats on your beautiful boy and family!

[The Pliers]

He is sooooo damn cute and she makes a great historic damsel! Beautiful children, Danny and Kendall! I'm very happy for both of you!

[Catherine W]

Happy one year anniversary of your home coming Charlie! He's looking lovely and I do like your description of Charlie and Leah being two complaining adults one day!

[Karen]

Wow! A year does make a difference!

Love those pictures!

[Judy]

So happy to see/read/live this first year with you. What a beautiful family. I wonder if Charlie will write a blog too. It's weird to read your child's writings about your crazy family. My daughter amuses me when she writes about her "Crunchy Mama" on the internet for all to see/read. (A real challenge for me is not to comment.)

[The Pliers]

It's almost October 1st in France and I just found out that Tony Curtis died at 85 in his Las Vegas area home of cardiac arrest––won't we all? Die of cardiac arrest that is. But, of course, that is beside the point. I just read the NYTIMES obit-esque article and it was soooooo awful and "just the facts, M'am" with no love and no pizazz! All I could think was where's Danny's take on this! I'll be looking for it. I know there is no way that you will let Tony (Bernard Schwartz) Curtis down!

Amitiés, as always, from la France profonde!

PS, have you read "Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries" by Marily Johnson? I have and it made me think of you and one of your callings...

[churlita]

Happy one year homecoming anniversary. He looks so happy and healthy... And Leah looks gorgeous in her costume.

[A]

What gorgeous children. And I don't know how Leah managed to look so cool and collected and in character through that heatwave!

[Gordon]

Dear Danny,
You are truly blessed.
Thanks for another great blog entry.
--Gordon

[m.yahn]

beautiful beautiful, beautiful boy! oxox,m

[Pam G]

Beautiful photos. I remember so well Charlie's challenging beginnings in this world and keep him in my thoughts each day. So glad he's doing well and congrats on his first year at home. I just returned from Las Vegas where the heat was intense, too, and will be working our historic neighborhood house tour this weekend, but in a chilly rain at Pittsburgh's historic Allegheny Cemetery (death place of actress Lillian Russell, jazz great Stanley Turrentine, etc.). Quite a shock from the heat I experienced out west.

Best to the family!

[Pam G]

And I forgot to mention 19th century American composer Stephen Foster is also buried in our historic cemetery. How could I forget him since he's the real reason we have these events and his father founded our neighborhood. Must still have jet lag. We have actors in costume at our event, too, but I'm not one of them. Leah looks like she did a good job in spite of the heat!

[The Pliers]

Charlie looks soooo cute and soooo healthy! Congratulations on a wonderful anniversary date and continued radiant health to both of your children.

[Nancy]

Danny, you don't know me - I am Pam Postrel's sister and I saw you at Eve's Bat Mitzvah last year. Since then I've been following Charlie's amazing story on your blog. I just love that little boy! He is the cutest, sweetest child, and his relationship with his sister is precious and beautiful. I am so happy that you and your family are celebrating this special anniversary with him.

[robin smith]

Danny,

I am thrilled to be reading this entry One Year Home. I followed your little man very closely and prayed for him many times. Not a night went by that I did not check on him like he was my own during that very sad time. Now I am so happy to see a healthy bright boy that has already had so many wonderful times this year with family and friend. He is really something!!!

Leah is so beautiful and talented and such a great big sister and I know she was so much support to you during that time. I loved the blog about her dancing and the photo's you took or the songs you'd sing in the car together. You needed that. I still love reading your blog and always love pics of the kids and other family members.

Robin