Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown

I read a review today of a book called Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown
at BookDads.com
After reading the review I’m going to have to get a copy. It’s my understanding that this book is a detailed guide on how to kick your siblings A$$.

My brother and I used to give each other hell when we were kids. This book is supposed to be a funny look at just that type of situation. Several times since we were kids my brother and I have regaled the stories of the severe butt kicking’s we gave each other. They are quite amusing. I’m looking forward to checking this book out.

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Posted in Books

ummm FUSHIGI

As we all know I am an uber geek. I’m into sleight of hand, and wine, blah blah blah. Back in High School and into early college I made an attempt to learn to contact juggle. You remember contact juggling. It was that cool thing that David Bowie did with the crystal balls in the Labyrinth. Ok It was not actually Davie Bowie; it was another guy contact juggling to make it look like Bowie was doing it. You know what I mean. Anyway I picked up a few moves but I lost interest and gave it up.

When we were in the hospital last week I saw a commercial for Fushigi. If I understand it right this is basically the current attempt to market and teach contact juggling. This may be a mirrored ball instead of the regular crystal or acrylic balls we used when I tried to learn to do this. Fushigi might actually look cool if they did not ham up the commercials so much. Then again, I’m sure the commercials are aimed at kids and not geeky adults.

I’m not sure if I’m interested in this or if it’s just the nostalgia of having tried it before. Either way I thought I would pass along a videos and a link for other geeks or parents to look at.

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Posted in contact juggling, fushigi, labyrinth

Welcome Home Elizabeth

We had our little sleep over with Elizabeth at the hospital Friday night and the doctors said she was ready to go home bright and early Saturday morning. We packed up all Elizabeth’s things and got in the car.

If you thought I drove like a little old lady before, you should have seen me driving her home yesterday. I’m pretty sure a little old lady passed me in her Oldsmobile and gave me a WTF look. I’m sure I’ll get used to it.
Once we got home mom got her fed and I got her pack and play put together in our bedroom. This pack and play came with bassinet, changing table, napping station, and side bag accessories. The only thing it’s missing is a cup holder. We have not decided how long, but Elizabeth will stay with us in our room for a little while before moving to her nursery. I’m not sure if that’s for our comfort or hers.

Mo, Frazier, and Casper have no clue what to think of Elizabeth yet. Mo, and Frazier’s ears perk up every time she makes a noise. Off and on they both seem really curious about her. There are lots of new sounds and smells for us all to get used to.
Grandma, Grandma, and Guy-Guy came over to visit and brought us dinner last night. It was nice to have some calmer more experienced parents around to help put us at ease.

We all slept pretty well last night. It’s much easier to relax when you’re at your own house. Amy and I took turns with the feedings so that we could both get some rest. Hopefully we can work out schedule that keeps us both as rested as possible.

Although we have not been able to paint the little song that I am writing on the walls of the nursery yet, here are a few pictures of things in the nursery.

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Posted in Elizabeth, Nursery

Keep Your Fingers Crossed

So yesterday I was sitting at my desk when Amy called me to tell me that one of Elizabeth’s Doctors said that they thought Elizabeth would be able to come home on Saturday. As exciting as that statement was I had to hear it for myself. When I went to Lizzie’s 5:30 feeding last night I asked the doc to give me the rundown of how she was doing. She said that Lizzie was doing great, and as long as nothing changed between then and Saturday, she would be able to come home.

Amy and I are setup to “Room In” at the hospital tonight. All that really means is that we will be spending the night at the hospital with Lizzie in the room with us. Parents of full term babies get to have their child in the room with them while mom recovers. The hospital wants to make sure we get to spend the night with her, and have the ability to ask the nurses questions about every little thing she does that we have not seen before.

So as long as nothing changes between last night and tomorrow afternoon we will be able to bring our little girl home tomorrow.

Keep your fingers crossed.

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Posted in Elizabeth

The Big News

On Thursday August 5, 2010 at 7:36 pm my daughter Elizabeth Anne was born. Some of you are saying hmmm I knew Ben‘s wife were pregnant but I thought the baby was not due until the end of September. Well your right, Elizabeth was not due until September 27th. She was born via C Section due to complications with the placenta.

The good news is that both baby and mom are doing well. Mom has had a really tough time since the birth and had to be readmitted to the hospital but is now home and doing really well.

Baby is in the NICU but is jumping through every hoop put in front of her. She has a few goals she has to achieve before she can come home. When she was first born they told us that before she could come home she would need to:

• Breath unassisted
• Take all nutrition orally
• Gain weight
• Maintain her body temperature unassisted
• Pass a car seat test

Now Elizabeth has done all of these things separately and some of them she has maintained for quite some time. Others like maintaining her body temp, she can only do for about a day. The big goals here are for Lizzie to do all of these things (except pass the car seat test) at the same time and maintain doing them for 2 or 3 days. Once she has done that, and then passes a 90 minute car seat test, she can come home.

I have been asked a few times already what it feels like to be a dad. I have only been a dad for 12 days and I have no clue what I am doing or if it is wrong or right. I have to say that I have had the privilege of doing some pretty amazing things in my life. I continue to experience love from family and friends, I married a fantastic woman, I have heard some of the most beautiful music ever written and performed, I have performed at the Kennedy Center, The 9:30 Club, I have been on the radio, and T.V. I have sat in silence and listened to the sounds of the world, I have loved and lost, watched the sun rise and set, seen mountains and oceans, met famous people, laughed, cried ,and hundreds of other little daily miracles that we all seem to take for granted. Combine the emotions felt in all of those situations and they still do not even come close to the flood of emotions that I began to experience at 7:36 pm on August 5th, 2010. Right now, that is the best description I can give.

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Posted in Elizabeth