Baby details

Full name: Olive Helen Hanna

How did you come up with that name? We just stumbled on Olive and it seemed to match the spunky personality she was exhibiting in the womb. Once we started referring to her as Olive, there was no turning back.

And Helen? Its Patty's beloved grandmother's name.

Statistics: 8 lbs, 5 oz.; 20.5 inches long; born 6:28 pm September 26, 2010, Elmer, NJ.

Elmer?! It was a philosophic choice with the added benefit that its very close to Patty's support network. Now I know Virtua is where you're "supposed" to have a baby because its the local apex of neonatal medicine. But we didn't want the latest and the greatest. We wanted access to medical expertise in case something happened, but we wanted to do it the old fashioned way. We believe there are benefits to that. And just as Virtua is where you go if you want the latest in medical science and technology, Elmer is where you go if you want a natural, non-induced, no-epidural birth with a mid-wife that will prevent mom from tearing without cutting her and waits until the chord stops pulsing to let dad cut it.

How was it there? Everything we expected and then some. Everyone there embraces and is tuned into the natural child birth philosophy. I'd easily recommend Elmer to anyone looking for a natural child birth.

Did Patty do it all natural? Yes. We were going to get induced on Sunday night, but Olive started moving on her own Saturday morning. There came a point where Patty took something to help her fall asleep - but that was because we had been awake for 36 hours, active labor was still hours away, and contractions were preventing her from getting much needed rest. That said, the birth itself was non-induced and drug free.

Did Hypno-Birthing Work? Yes! And it was the most amazing thing I've seen. Honestly, I walked away from this whole affair with so much admiration for Patty. To watch her take control of her birth by letting her body take over was awe inspiring. Was it pain and discomfort free the way the book promised? I can't lie and say yes. But, after seeing what I saw, I think its completely feasible.

But I don't want to credit the method because it was all Patty. Honestly. Words can't describe how impressive she was. At first, she had a hard time dealing with the contractions. But there came a point, in the tub, where she would take control of her breathing and see each contraction through. It was like watching a pro athlete or a musical virtuoso - but even more impressive because it wasn't something Patty had to train for years for. It was something she was born to do.

She did a water birth? No. On the bed, with me providing some big assistance.

Did you get queesy? Yes, at one point. But I pulled it together, and once I started seeing Olive's head, I was so excited I could have gotten through anything. Plus, Patty was so brave and strong through that last phase I'd have no excuse to not see it through. Of course, once you see that little face and then the legs come out, and then all the crying (parents and baby) and the excitement of having your new baby its all worth it.

Best parts of the night: Seeing her face. Embracing Olive with Patty for the first time. Love at first sight. Letting it sink in how deep that love already is. Seeing my mom hold her first grand child. Knowing that my daughter got to meet one of her grandfathers - something I never got to do. Seeing purportedly anti-baby uncle jeff take to her like a natural.

So what's it like being a dad? My feelings on it have changed with each day. Going into it, I thought about how our baby is the embodiment of me and Patty's love for each other, and that through her Patty and I will live on beyond our own years - inseparable. What struck me after she was born was how much I felt like I was now the head of my family - which is a strange mix of pride, love, and the desire to keep everyone together and safe. And then today I started feeling like as long as I have my daughter and she's o.k., nothing else really matters. So its pretty cool being a dad.

McDonalds has a fun pinball game

Not that I like McDonalds or anything, but its website has a pinball game on its anti-starbucks website and the graphics are pretty good. i think it would play better on my home computer (with less ram and a leaner os), but it played ok. i'm at work so i didn't check out the sound. that could spoil the whole thing.

the link: http://unsnobbycoffee.com/

"Unconscionable And False"

The words used by the Senate to describe the Bush administration's attempt to pin torture on low level soldiers.

What did the Senate investigation find: the physical and mental abuse of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay Naval Base was the direct result of Bush administration policies and should not be blamed on guards and interrogators.

http://www.eschatonblog.com/2008_12_07_archive.html#472430460332425147
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Feel free to comment on anything I write about

I'll never get offended. Otherwise, what would be the point of posting something? I posted a comment to somebody's update about a televised fight in which somebody sustained a serious injury. I completely mis-gauged the tone of the post, and posted back a note concurring in the morbidness of it all by comparing it to a cockfight. The post back suggested my opinion wasn't shared and commentary wasn't necessarily welcome.

So here's the deal: I post a lot of opinion stuff - politics, music, culture. It's always an invitation to a debate or discussion, public or private. As long as there's nothing personal in it, I won't ever be offended by what you think about my music tastes, cultural preferences, or political leanings.

For example - I love schlock exploitation films. Lots of people out there may find that preference repulsive because they arguably promote violence and are undeniably sexist. Let me know how despicable you thank crap movies like that are. That doesn't say anything about me - and often enough I'll agree with you and just chalk it up to a guilty pleasure.

Of course, I don't intend on being confrontational - so if that's the way you take that sort of thing, let me know and I'll chil.

Bush: An eight year long national disaster

Regarding a recent polls showing the public approves of Obama's cabinet picks and policy proposals:

"An Obama job approval rating of 79 percent -- that's the sort of rating you see when the public rallies around a leader after a national disaster," said Bill Schneider, CNN's senior political analyst. "To many Americans, the Bush administration was a national disaster."

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/12/10/184936/21/576/671655

thank goodness

Drudge and the radio demagogues finally have a scandal to talk about. For a while there, it looked like they'd have to sit back and just let the country be hopeful about its future and happy that its president-elect was putting some pretty sensible policy proposals on the table.

Whew. Thank goodness for a scandal!

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/12/questions-arise.html

rich people are cute

After all this media talk about the left being discontent with Obama, I finally found somebody saying Obama is just another Bush . . . . but, oops, its not liberal at all. It's the Wall Street Journal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122878176562589761.html