The other day, M and J were out playing in the back yard when M ran over to J to give him a big hug.
"Ewwww!" yelled J, running to S with his arms outstretched.
J's arm was covered with boogers. Apparently, M had a very runny nose at the time.
Boys are awesome.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Baby 3 is here!
On June 17, 2009, baby 3 was born. We'll call him A.
With M and J, I missed out on the traditional birth experience. They were born four weeks early, and by c-section, so they were born in an operating room. I was sitting by S's head, but shielded from the blessed event by a plastic screen. I was only permitted to stand and see when each baby was already out and crying on his mommy's tummy. I remember those images vividly, but those moments and memories have always felt distant. Thankfully, the magic occurred a few moments later when they were brought to me, wrapped in blankets and placed in my arm. To do this day, I tell M and J when I read them their bedtime stories that I always place M in my left arm and J in my right because that is the way I held them the very first time.
They'll get sick of hearing that in a few years, but I don't care. Their father is a mush-ball, and they need to come to grips with that.
With A, the experience was totally different. First, S was late, uncomfortably so. Thankfully, A seemed to be very healthy, so there was no real cause for concern other than S's previous c-section. Second, we were at a smaller, more quiet, more peaceful hospital. Finally, we were hoping that A's birth would be "normal," so there was less of a sense of urgency.
In fact, I was shocked by the lack of urgency, even though S was induced. Don't get me wrong, people paid attention to us, but we often went an hour or two without seeing anyone. I now know that this was very normal, and that help was always a few steps away. I was just surprised a doctor wasn't in the room, monitoring the situation every moment! I think that explains a lot about my knowledge of these things. So, we walked laps in the hallways, tried different positions for S to labor in, and generally tried to pass the time as she grew more and more uncomfortable. Around noon - she'd been induced at 6:00 a.m. - she was not progressing much yet was in a lot of pain, and opted for an epidural. And I'm very glad that she did.
Needless to say, she was able to relax. In fact, she even slept for a bit. About an hour later, maybe a little more, she was ready to push - to deliver our son. That part only took her another 35 minutes.
I cannot easily describe watching A be born. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before, and felt unreal. On the one hand, here I was in an ordinary room next to my wife, while just inches away, in the harsh spot-light the doctor was using, a strange, almost unrecognizable object was emerging. And then, seemingly in an instant, that object turned into the head, torso, and arms of my son, who seemed to be reaching for S just as she reached down to help bring him into the world and pull him to her chest.
And there he was, my little A.
With M and J, I missed out on the traditional birth experience. They were born four weeks early, and by c-section, so they were born in an operating room. I was sitting by S's head, but shielded from the blessed event by a plastic screen. I was only permitted to stand and see when each baby was already out and crying on his mommy's tummy. I remember those images vividly, but those moments and memories have always felt distant. Thankfully, the magic occurred a few moments later when they were brought to me, wrapped in blankets and placed in my arm. To do this day, I tell M and J when I read them their bedtime stories that I always place M in my left arm and J in my right because that is the way I held them the very first time.
They'll get sick of hearing that in a few years, but I don't care. Their father is a mush-ball, and they need to come to grips with that.
With A, the experience was totally different. First, S was late, uncomfortably so. Thankfully, A seemed to be very healthy, so there was no real cause for concern other than S's previous c-section. Second, we were at a smaller, more quiet, more peaceful hospital. Finally, we were hoping that A's birth would be "normal," so there was less of a sense of urgency.
In fact, I was shocked by the lack of urgency, even though S was induced. Don't get me wrong, people paid attention to us, but we often went an hour or two without seeing anyone. I now know that this was very normal, and that help was always a few steps away. I was just surprised a doctor wasn't in the room, monitoring the situation every moment! I think that explains a lot about my knowledge of these things. So, we walked laps in the hallways, tried different positions for S to labor in, and generally tried to pass the time as she grew more and more uncomfortable. Around noon - she'd been induced at 6:00 a.m. - she was not progressing much yet was in a lot of pain, and opted for an epidural. And I'm very glad that she did.
Needless to say, she was able to relax. In fact, she even slept for a bit. About an hour later, maybe a little more, she was ready to push - to deliver our son. That part only took her another 35 minutes.
I cannot easily describe watching A be born. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before, and felt unreal. On the one hand, here I was in an ordinary room next to my wife, while just inches away, in the harsh spot-light the doctor was using, a strange, almost unrecognizable object was emerging. And then, seemingly in an instant, that object turned into the head, torso, and arms of my son, who seemed to be reaching for S just as she reached down to help bring him into the world and pull him to her chest.
And there he was, my little A.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
What was that?
One of the funniest things I've ever seen was when M was one year old and playing on the floor. He was only wearing a diaper, and he farted - LOUDLY. He immediately jumped up and looked under his butt, saying, "What was that?"
I love having boys.
I love having boys.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Cast of Characters
I want to do my best to keep this blog anonymous, so I will probably refer to most people simply by a letter. So, without further ado, here are the cast of characters.
I am an attorney, an associate with a firm specializing in civil litigation. I am also a guitarist, a weightlifter, and a rabid Michigan football fan.
S is my wife. We started dating in high school while I was a senior and she a junior. We went to college together, and were at the same University for graduate school. We have been happily married since the fall of 2003. S is a professional who works with children, and has significant knowledge of child development and child psychology. She is also a wonderful cook who seriously considered becoming a chef. She would have been a great one.
We have twin sons, M and J. They were born near the end of 2006, so they are a little more than two at the time I write this. They are fraternal - very fraternal. While my wife thinks they look like brothers, I am not sure I would think that they were related if I didn't know better. Their personalities are also very different. We like that a great deal because we really want them to be seen as M and J, the individuals, and not so often "the twins."
We also have a third son, who I will call 3 for the moment, due this summer. We are very excited, and so far, both S and 3 are very healthy and doing well.
I am an attorney, an associate with a firm specializing in civil litigation. I am also a guitarist, a weightlifter, and a rabid Michigan football fan.
S is my wife. We started dating in high school while I was a senior and she a junior. We went to college together, and were at the same University for graduate school. We have been happily married since the fall of 2003. S is a professional who works with children, and has significant knowledge of child development and child psychology. She is also a wonderful cook who seriously considered becoming a chef. She would have been a great one.
We have twin sons, M and J. They were born near the end of 2006, so they are a little more than two at the time I write this. They are fraternal - very fraternal. While my wife thinks they look like brothers, I am not sure I would think that they were related if I didn't know better. Their personalities are also very different. We like that a great deal because we really want them to be seen as M and J, the individuals, and not so often "the twins."
We also have a third son, who I will call 3 for the moment, due this summer. We are very excited, and so far, both S and 3 are very healthy and doing well.
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