Time Flies

A year ago today, my wife and I went to see her OB-GYN. The baby was two weeks late and not showing a whole lot of signs of wanting to leave his/her cozy confines. Dr. Cloud examined her and said, "This has gone on long enough. One way or another you are having a baby tomorrow."

Meron really wanted to try to have a natural childbirth, but Dr. Cloud told her it was only 50/50 whether she'd be able to do that. I assumed that she'd just agree to the caesarian, but I had underestimated how much she wanted to do this naturally. She said she wanted to try to be induced first.

This is way more than I would have done, but there is a reason why the women have the babies. There's no way we men could handle all the discomfort and pain. If men had babies, we'd have figured out how to beam them out of us already!

We went to the hospital at 5 AM the next morning and they started the induction around 6. Meron hadn't signed up for the epidural, so that wasn't an option, something that was regretted many a time during the afternoon as the pains started getting stronger. Around 3, she hasn't made as much progress as they would like, so she agreed (quite willingly!) to the caesaran, and Benjamin Daniel was born at 4:35 on November 10, 2004.

Has it really been a year since all of that? I look at the little guy and wonder where the time goes. I can't imagine how I'll be feeling when he turns 5, or 10, or 20. There have been aggrevations, but thankfully no medical scares, no major accidents, and a whole lot of fun. He's an amazing kid and I love him a ton.

He's also becoming a local spokesbaby, almost! The drugstore that I mentioned earlier a month or so ago changed out the pictures they had up of him and put up new ones. Then yesterday, they called and asked if he could come in and get his picture taken with Santa early so they could use it in their advertising. I don't know if it's in store only or if they'll be putting an ad in the paper. He's going in Friday, so hopefully it will go well and they'll be some great pictures.

By then he hopefully will be over the most recent round of cold/sinus symptoms. He had a terrible runny nose and gunky eyes earlier this week, but we've started giving him a decongestant on a regular basis (per doctor's orders) and it seems to be clearing him up well. He's got to look good for his photo shoot!

Not much else is going on around here. We are having our Committment Sunday this week, complete with catered meal after the service. It's our push to get pledges for next year, and the program results at other churches have been very positive, so we're hoping the same will happen at Wesley. Of course, that's also hoping that people fulfill their pledges! As next year's Finance Committee chair, I'm very hopeful that will happen!

Free agents can start signing with other teams come Saturday, so it'll be interesting to see if anyone signs early, if any trades will get made, and what exactly the Cardinals will do. It's rumored they are a frontrunner for Brian Giles, who I think would fit very well in the Cardinal lineup. What the cost will be is another matter.

Two weeks until Thanksgiving!