Nine days = Foreskin removal appt

Unless you are a grandma or an aunt or somehow have an extra minute 15 on your hands to do nothing, you probably won't find this video very interesting. It is of Bryson doing nothing. He is awake and calm and has been all morning. It's new for me and him, because he is usually a little agitated while awake, rooting and grunting. He is doing a little of that here, but mostly he is awake and calm and it's beautiful. We've spent the morning snuggling and cuddling and he's been awake just looking at me. It's been awesome. We bathed him last night and he smells so good. All night while he nursed I smelled his neck crevass. I never imagined myself loving the smell of a neck crevass so much. A friend reminded me last night what a blessing a healthy baby is (not that I needed it) and what a blessing Bryson is and all night as I got up to nurse him, I remembered that and tried to drink him in as much as I could. Rather than thinking about how tired (AND COLD!) I was, I thought about how blessed I am, that I have a healthy baby who my body is providing LOTS of milk for. And a yummy neck crevass ** to boot.

**Using "neck crevass" 3 times in one paragraph, must be a personal record, have I ever even used that term before? I'm thinking, no.

We have an appt with the pediatrician at noon to get Bryson circumcised and I'm feeling very apprehensive. My husband is so helpful by saying, "It will be okay" then LEAVING THE ROOM. Awww, now that I have that sweetness to go on, I'm feeling SO MUCH BETTER! I guess I'd rather have only one of us be the worrier in this marriage, but sometimes a little more compassion for the one of us who spends so much time worrying from the one who NEVER EVER WORRIES would be nice! :)

In one way, I'm wishing that the dr will say it still isn't ready (read - big enought) and he can't perform the procedure, but I know that just buys time and he will have to have it done at some point so it might as well be sooner rather than later. Most pediatricians don't do it after 2 weeks, so that gives us until Monday at the latest. I can't imagine if my son had to have a REAL serious procedure done, and how much anguish I'd feel, as I wring my hands over a basic and standard one.

As a little boy with a Jewish daddy and a Jewish grandpa, this is an important rite of passage for Bryson's little penis. Though we are not doing a Bris, it is still of course very important to Lawrence that his son be circumsized. So we have never even considered not doing it.

But I look at the small percentage of risk, coupled with the fact that the hospital wouldn't do it, and I feel sick with worry.

I guess with having only girls, I underestimated how easy it was not to have to do this!

Enough said on that. I've also posted the pictures that went with yesterday's post, now that I have them downloaded. I considered waiting to post it until I had it all together, but am learning if I wait for things to be perfect, they will never get done. :)

Bryson is sleeping and I have one hour to get us ready for our second pediatrician appt and second outing this week, I'm really enjoying being a total homebody, no feelings of stir crazy at all. I could stay couped up in our little home with him for weeks. Thankfully, Lawrence will meet me at the pediatrician's office to be with Bryson during the procedure so that I can leave the room if I need to. Let's face it, I'm no good during vacinations, so I'm realistic about how this will go down for me.

Here is a short snippet about the Jewish faith and circumcision:

The Origin of Bris Milah

Times change. Styles change. But some things never change: Bris Milah is one of them. It is a bond between God and the Jewish nation for all time. It is a bond that can never be broken.

When our forefather Abraham reached the ripe old age of 99 years (Genesis 17) the Almighty promised him that his descendants would have a special relationship with their Creator. This would forever be symbolized by the Bris Milah (Covenant of Circumcision). "This will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you".

Abraham circumcised himself as well as all the men of his household. When his son Isaac was born, he too, underwent Bris Milah on the eighth day, as Divinely specified.

Throughout the generations the Jewish people have been unyielding in performing this mitzvah. Bris Milah was often performed in secret, defying innumerable despots and hostile regimes. Spain during the Inquisition, Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, and ancient Greece and Rome all tried to ban Bris Milah. They understood correctly that this distinctive rite is the cornerstone of the Jewish faith, and that proscribing it would be the first step towards eliminating our nation.

The Jewish people, non-observant as well as observant, are uncompromising on this issue. They recognize that in order for their children to survive as Jews, they must induct them into the Divine covenant of Bris Milah.

I hope it's okay that we are one day late and doing it at the dr's office-I know it's not quite the same, but it's not like we are strict Jewish law followers anyway. We are just doing our best to incorporate the peices of our separate faiths that are important to us into our children's lives and helping them to feel seamless and not separate. I think it is very special that my children are Jewish by birth, and they will be raised to know how much God loves them, regardless of what laws they follow.

I'll update later with how it went, so check back if you want...

FYI - I just googled foreskin removal on line and got some photos of it being done. Bad idea.