S turned 2 this week. Just 2 years ago, S joined our family and completely changed our lives. We are amazed by how much he's grown from a tiny, helpless baby into a strapping, animated toddler.

We are kind of amazed at how much we've grown as parents. The past 2 years have been the shortest yet longest 2 years of my life. The learning curve of parenthood is huge and just when we think we have a handle on things, inevitably things change. It's certainly been a lesson on flexibility and patience.

We are lucky to be parents to an active, curious, healthy toddler. He's given us a whole different perspective on the world around us and he's taught us some values, virtues and life lessons that we might not have learned without him. Thank you, S, for making us fuller people. And thank you to our friends and family for supporting us through the most challenging yet joyful 2 years of our lives.

Years ago my friend Barb M. confided in me about how difficult it was for her to be in the sandwich generation. That is, she explained, when you're in the middle generation caring for both your aging parent(s) and your own child(ren). I understood and could empathize with her from seeing what my dad was going through with caring for my grandma.

I now know first hand what it's like to be in that sandwich generation. The last few weeks have been challenging. My dad was hospitalized for 2 weeks with acute pancreatitis. S had to be on antibiotics which in turn made him sick. And I suspect that he also had a touch of the flu that Roland and I both had.

I don't know what made me more ill--the flu or worrying about both S and my dad. Of course I observed S's every waking second to monitor his progress and I did what I could to treat his symptoms and speed his recovery. Although preoccupied with S, I worried about my dad and when S was off to bed the worry balance shifted onto my dad. I also felt guilty for not being able to visit my dad and help my mom more while I was ill and while I had to care for S.

Luckily everyone's better. Dad is recovering at home, still waiting for further appointments and diagnostics. S has bounced back but is still having some lingering symptoms of those nasty antibiotics. Roland and I are both well. But I still have knots in my stomach every so often. Just worrying and feeling a bit squished in the middle of the sandwich.