10.16.09
Welcome to the World, William
I’ll start with the usual refrain. Might as well (pronounced “myzuhl”) get it out of the way. Here goes: “Well, long time no update. As I’ve said man times before, I wish I blogged more often.”
Man, this stalwart old computer is now seriously limping along. It just doesn’t have enough memory to handle a lot of applications at a reasonable speed. Even while I’m just typing this blog (and uploading some new photos), the text appears on the monitor at a frustratingly jagged pace. The monitor itself is, quite literally, on the blink, as it has on occasion these fits of flickering or shimmering. The CD/DVD drive is now toast, which is OK, as I can get most of what I need by downloading. I could, I suppose, dredge up the cash from somewhere to buy a new PC. But, short of a total system failure, I won’t be doing that. Thanks, HP. This product seems nigh indestructible.
As I’ve said before, I’ve been spending most of my time just living, and not so much recording it on my blog. I would like to do more writing, of course, because, the human mind being what it is, the funny things that my kids have said and various noteworthy events/incidents have a way of fading from memory. Life is really busy just taking care of the kids and helping out the wife. There is not enough time to do enough exercise or even take care of oneself (nah, I’ll skip shaving today).
To cut to the chase, our third son, William was born yesterday, October 15, 2009 at 12:42 pm, Tokyo time. William has the same birth month as my wife. I had avoided mentioning my wife’s pregnancy to numerous people, for the simple reason that my wife and I were somewhat worried about William being born healthy. He looks healthy and seems healthy, and I hope he will be. Unfortunately, Shiho had been taking prescription meds for about one month before we found out that she was pregnant. Early in her pregnancy, we checked with her doctor and he stated that there should be no problems as the meds were not considered or proven harmful. Still, we wanted to be on the safe side and not tempt fate. Of course, we’re not in the clear yet; we need to observe William as he continues to develop.
Yesterday was a very emotional day for me, as I was allowed to witness my wife’s operation (she had a C-section) and the birth of our baby. Initially, I thought I could be bold and brave and stand up to the sight of the surgery. In fact, after watching the surgeon slice and dice my wife’s belly for a few minutes, I began to feel very weak, faint, and lightheaded. I actually almost passed out, but some caring and observant assistants helped me to the floor, after which I felt much better. Then our son was pulled from my wife’s belly, his skin tinged with a sort of gray and light-purplish hue. I rose from the floor and watched a nurse clean William, and then I just started to cry from sheer joy. It was one of the best moments of my life, and I’m glad I was able to let myself cry (that can be hard for men to do). My wife was a bit dopey from the operation, but she seemed happy and OK. It’s quite a thing watching the surgeon carve up your wife like a butcher would hack away at a leg of lamb. I’ve always maintained it takes a special kind of person to be a surgeon—one who is deliberately able to inflict temporary pain for the long-term benefit of the patient.
Anyway, I’ve got a messload of stuff to do. Never enough time for it all. Please enjoy the photos and please accept my apologies if you’re a friend of mine and I never told you anything about my wife being pregnant.
Last but not least: WD, enjoy the ego boost. We like the name! Yes, we know it may be shortened, but we’ll take our chances.
