My Uncle Bill and Aunt Liz did something very cute this week that all but guaranteed them their own blog post. They sent a package … and addressed it to Pru. Her first piece of mail!
Cal was also a pretty big fan:
And what’s in the box, you wonder? What do you get for the girl who has everything?
A penguin! Thanks, Great-Uncle Bill and Great-Aunt Liz!
Posted in Calvin, Penguins!, Sweet Pea | 1 Comment »
When I was in high school, I helped my friend J.P. with his candidacy for student body president (ultimately unsuccessful, alas). As part of the campaign, J.P. purchased a remote-controlled blimp (this model, as I recall) on which the slogan “Vote J.P.” (or something to that effect) was emblazoned. Campaign volunteers (i.e., guys from our dorm) flew the blimp in the dining hall at lunch and dinner to gin up support. The blimp was enough (well, that and the fact that he was well known, popular, charming, and a two-sport captain) to get him past the first round and into the final three, who got to give speeches before the entire student body in the chapel before the final round of voting. (Andover’s election rules were a weird amalgam of the state of Louisiana and Project Runway.) The school had strict rules against the use of posters or props at the final speeches, but some unethical advisers* suggested the blimp be unleashed from the choir loft at the climax of the speech anyway. It would be a dramatic finish, he was assured, that might put him over the top, and there was simply no way the school would invalidate his election just because he’d unleashed a blimp during the speeches. Ethical to a fault, J.P. refused this advice and kept the blimp in its hangar. To this day, part of me thinks he’d have won if he’d just busted out the damn blimp (though, with a little more maturity than I had at 17, I understand he was right to not use it).
Why do I tell this not-especially-interesting story from my past? No reason.
*OK, me.
Posted in Angus, High School, Politics, Ron Paul | Leave a Comment »
At what point does the overwhelming paranoia that everything your newborn encounters is going to cause her to suffocate/overheat/be kidnapped by gypsies pass? When she turns 13?
Posted in Angus, Gypsies, Paternal Paranoia, Sweet Pea | 9 Comments »
Photos (warning: no witty titles or comments yet) here.
Posted in Angus, Calvin, Denizens of Dwyeropolis, Holidays, Pregnancy, Sarah, Sweet Pea | 3 Comments »
Please accept my apologies in advance if this post is slightly incoherent; I’ve been more-or-less up for about 72 hours. Just so nobody is worried – Sweet Pea has been born. Her real name is Prudence Victoria Dwyer. She and Sarah are both doing well. They’re still at the hospital, but will hopefully be sent home tomorrow. Since we’ve been moved from the labor and delivery wing to the maternity wing I now have to abide by visiting hours (albeit slightly expanded ones for dads) and am thus home blogging, dealing with an even more emotionally needy than usual Calvin, and being about to fall asleep. I’m going back to the hospital first thing tomorrow morning, hopefully to return with mama and baby.
Thank you to the medical staff of New York Downtown Hospital, everyone who included us in their prayers and all those members of the CT who stopped by and lent a hand (you know who you are).
Rest assured, there will be many, many photos, but not right now. I’m only one (very, very tired) man!
Posted in Angus, Calvin, Married Life, Names, Pregnancy, Saints, Sarah, Sweet Pea | 4 Comments »
When next we speak, dear blogosphere, Sweet Pea will be out (and, hopefully, home). We’re heading over to the hospital now, to start the induction process. Not the Pitocin right away; we’re starting with something that encourages dilation and effacement with the hopes that this’ll get contractions going on their own.
Your prayers would be greatly appreciated. Gerard Majella, Raymond Nonnatus, Margaret of Antioch – the whole crew – we could use a little assistance. Please, everyone, know your efforts are appreciated.
Posted in Angus, Pregnancy, Saints, Sarah, Sweet Pea | 6 Comments »
Today is the feast of Sarah’s patron saint, St. Elizabeth of Hungary. (She was going to choose Pope St. Gregory the Great, the patron of music, students and teachers, but her CCD director in a weird combination of difference feminism and rigid adherence to traditional gender roles insisted she go with a female saint.)
Now, I’m not saying that causing the baby to come today would be a great way for someone to show that they have a lot of juice in the heavenly court, or that somebody might get some cool onomastico action if she made that happen…. Nope, not saying that at all….
Posted in Catholicism, Holidays, Names, Pregnancy, Religion, Saints, Sarah, Sweet Pea | Leave a Comment »
Sweet Pea is still hanging out in the womb, but on the plus side, she’s healthy. Her heartbeat’s nice and regular, she practicing breathing, she’s about 7 lbs 11 oz (give or take 30%). She doesn’t realize it yet, but she’s only got about 2 more days of freeloading before we start eviction proceedings.
In the meantime, we took in Noah Baumbach’s latest, Margot at the Wedding, at the Angelika. We thought it was well acted and the dialog was good, but that the plot was a little slack (if they’d jettisoned a couple scenes and at least one plot thread, it would have worked a lot better). It was nice and bleak, though.
Also, I’d like to retract all prior statements critical of the new Wendy’s Baconator. It’s actually a pretty tasty sandwich.
Posted in Angus, Comedies, Food, Movies, Pregnancy, Sarah, Sweet Pea | 1 Comment »
Still no sign of Sweet Pea. At this point, I almost hope she holds out another day, so we can see an early showing of Margot at the Wedding tomorrow. Sarah, of course, may disagree.
In other news, today is my last day at work until mid-January. Yay, generous paternity leave policies and prudent use of vacation days!
Posted in Angus, Comedies, Movies, Pregnancy, Sarah, Sweet Pea, Work | Leave a Comment »
Yesterday on our daily lunchtime constitutional, Sarah and I ran into a contingent of strikers from the Writers’ Guild. They were picketing in Battery Park outside the Museum of the American Indian, neither of which as far as I know employs any members of the Guild, but I’m not an expert on unions or labor law so I’m sure this tactic makes sense somehow.
Anyway, inspired by their efforts, I decided to form my own union and try to obtain better working conditions. As such, the International Brotherhood of Expectant Fathers, Local 406, (i.e., me) is now officially on strike from being Sweet Pea’s father-to-be. The way I see it, we’ve been operating without a contract since last Sunday. We refuse to perform any additional paternal duties until the other side at least comes to the negotiating table and agrees to start uterine contractions. Binkies down means binkies down!
Posted in Angus, Pregnancy, Sarah, Sweet Pea | Leave a Comment »
Netflix – Angus Netflix – Sarah
Dwyeropolis 