Back To School!

• September 2007 (1)
• May 2007 (1)
• April 2007 (1)
• January 2007 (1)
• December 2006 (1)
• November 2006 (1)
• September 2006 (1)
• August 2006 (2)
• June 2006 (1)
• May 2006 (4)
• March 2006 (1)
• February 2006 (2)
• January 2006 (1)
• December 2005 (1)
• November 2005 (2)
• September 2005 (1)
• August 2005 (1)
• July 2005 (1)
• May 2005 (1)
• April 2005 (3)
• March 2005 (4)
• February 2005 (4)
• January 2005 (5)
• December 2004 (2)
• November 2004 (1)
• October 2004 (4)
• August 2004 (3)
• July 2004 (2)
• May 2004 (2)
• April 2004 (1)
• March 2004 (3)
• February 2004 (5)
• January 2004 (2)
• December 2003 (3)
• November 2003 (4)
• October 2003 (6)
• September 2003 (4)
• August 2003 (4)
• July 2003 (3)
• June 2003 (3)
• May 2003 (5)
• April 2003 (5)
• March 2003 (6)
• February 2003 (5)
• January 2003 (9)
• December 2002 (13)
• November 2002 (13)
• October 2002 (4)
• September 2002 (4)
• August 2002 (7)
• July 2002 (10)
• June 2002 (4)
• May 2002 (2)
• February 2002 (3)
• January 2002 (1)
• December 2001 (5)
• November 2001 (4)
• October 2001 (1)
• September 2001 (1)

< > October 2004

• Wed, Oct 20, 2004 10:57 PM

  zade's bris was last wednesday, october 16th.
  
  for me, it was a significantly more emotional and less painful event than i had anticipated. i always feel a tremendous gravity when i'm in a room surrounded by family and friends, as i check off yet another of life's milestones.
  
  so, as the dad, i was on the hook to write some words of wisdom to pass on to the newest little Hirsch. i've cut-and-pasted them in below...
  
  ----------------
  
  First of all, I’ve made the conscious decision to not make any bris-related jokes. If, however, anyone finds this speech a bit too long, just ask the rabbi and he’ll cut it short.
  
  For the few of you in this room who aren’t aware, I have the world’s worst memory, which combined with our recent sleeplessness, can be dangerous. Last night, I asked Chona to gently place name-tags on all of you, but she thought at this point in my life, I should remember my family’s faces. So mom, I just want you to know I love you. (hugs someone clearly not mom)
  
  But seriously, Chona and I have so immersed ourselves in our new lives of parents, that I find my perspective of what it means to be a boy, let alone a young man, to be fleeting. Today, I’m a parent, first and foremost, and thus “go faster!� has been replaced with “PLEASE just be careful�. “Late nights� have become anything post-sundown. And leisurely dinners have become – wait, what are those?
  
  My understanding of manhood these days is of the Hallmark-variety: strong, hairy arms that pick you up, bearded trekkers soloing big mountains, fixing broken stuff around the house (or calling someone who is far more capable, in my case), baseball games and rocket ships, always sticking a camera in someone’s face and bringing shelter, warmth and protection to one’s family.
  
  But it wasn’t always that way, and in you, Zade, I am reminded of the circle of life, the vast seas of emotion that all of us must cross. Things that seem so simple now are so wonderfully complicated when you’re 5, or 15, or 25.
  
  It’s not my place to tell you how to lead your life – if there’s one thing Chona and my 70+ years on this earth have taught us, it’s to have faith in destiny - you will make the right choices, because there are no wrong ones.
  
  Your mother and I can provide the runway, but you’ll need to fly the jet, and it’s up to you to choose your destination. Embrace new things as opportunities, and remember that nothing in life is permanent, even you. Go north, go south, go east and west, but never, never look back. Get up on the stage because you’ll regret not going. Travel because you’ll learn more about yourself on the road then you’ll ever learn at home. Spend time alone because that’s one person you’ve got to be comfortable with. And, perhaps most importantly, remember these six words:
  
  when in doubt, ask her out.
  
  Your mother and I look forward to growing old with you, Zade Jasper. You couldn’t begin to comprehend the happiness you’ve already brought us.
  

  Comments:
  Add a comment:

  Name:    Email: 
  Comment: 
  
   Notify me of scrapbook updates
  

  ---

• Wed, Oct 6, 2004 2:55 PM

  zade is here!
  
  announcing the debut of yet another 4-letter Hirsch (following in the esteemed tradition of his ancestors "Lisa", "Kaya", "Doug" (ignore the -las), "Chon" (ignore the -a), and "Lany" (ignore "Helene")...zade jasper was born at 2.14AM this morning...obviously coming from the anal side of the family (Doug's), he decided to show up about 7 hours earlier than planned...mommy and daddy got an adventurous midnight sprint to the hospital, and daddy's got a very funny story about mommy if you've got the time to hear it...zade weighed in at 8 lbs., 7 oz....he fought valiantly to stay stuck in mommy's belly, requiring a full 3 trained MD's to pry him loose from his grip on mommy's ribs...his signature trick of the moment is, well, sneezing - quite loudly.
  
  tonight, the big showdown: kaya meets zade. a deal is in the works for a reality show, but don't hold your breath.
  
  hi, zade! go you!

  Comments:
  Add a comment:

  Name:    Email: 
  Comment: 
  
   Notify me of scrapbook updates
  

  ---

• Tue, Oct 5, 2004 7:52 PM

  dear kaya,
  
  as i write this, your mommy is on the phone with the doctor, talking about these contractions she's having. she's never really had them before, as you came out in a planned c-section, so we're gearing up for a long night. the next time you see us, we may have a baby brother for you to meet!
  
  i just want you to know that you've been the most amazing gift i've ever received. i worry about splitting up time between you and your brother, dealing with the chaos of two versus the depth of one, and just being a good parent and friend to yet another little child.
  
  these last two years have been the best ones of my life. i'm sure that your little brother will just make things even better, but i wanted you to know that there's always a special place for you within me.
  
  your daddy

  Comments:
  Add a comment:

  Name:    Email: 
  Comment: 
  
   Notify me of scrapbook updates
  

  ---

• Fri, Oct 1, 2004 11:00 PM

  this is likely the last time you'll hear from me until we break through the sound barrier and enter the world of "table for 4, please!". it's time we righted the family ship and added a boy to this female-dominated household; a real, honest-to-God, blue-wearing, soccer-playing, pee-on-the-ceiling, somewhat spastic little kid to pull kaya's hair and wear in some old baseball mitt and drive too fast and just generally muck about.
  
  i am definitely in my mid-30's, and kaya is definitely a kid. i spend my days working, talking about real estate, enjoying dinner parties, and complaining about traffic and politics. mind you, this isn't an entirely bad thing - i'm thinking that perhaps i'll call this the 'comfort' decade, when heavy, big issues in your brain ease up a bit, and you move gently through each day.
  
  mind you, there is a light in my life, and it's my incredible, life-altering daughter. no matter what evilness she may do in her later years, she cannot take back the pure joys she has given me in the last few years. even at 5:45, i smile as she runs into the room, and i am again in love. we eat breakfast together every morning, singing songs as we drive, eating jellybeans that we promised mommy we wouldn't eat, ordering smiley-face whip-cream and cherry pancakes, making stupid faces, and, oh yes, lots of tickling, preferably on the inner thighs...
  
  but that's not my favorite part of the day. that title is reserved for evenings when i come home from work, and my daughter screams "DADDY!" as i walk in the door, and she grabs my leg and says "take a walk with daddy!". we head out the door, take a quick right turn, and off she goes, running like mad while i cringe at the thought of yet another boo-boo on her knee. she runs through my legs, i throw her in the air, we reach for the sky, we point out the owls, the birds, the planes, the paintings, the houses, the cars and yes, even the dog poop. sometimes i float out of myself and look back at us, walking down the street holding hands, and i'm jealous of myself. it's perfection.
  
  let's not forget my wife amidst all of this fascination with my daughter. the closer we get to Baby X's due date, the faster the days go by, the bigger her belly gets, and the more i think about her. it's as if we've settled into a new phase of our lives, where we are 'co-managers' of this family, and the daily chaos, and it's comforting and easy. my 2nd favorite part of the day is when cho and i just get into bed...no one's screaming, no one needs to be called back, and it's just us. lately i find less of a need to talk - it's just so nice to be alone, just the two of us - even for just a bit.
  
  so theoretically this blog is a device to remember the joys of my daughter, so i'll try to record a few:
  
  - "unhurt my tushey": recently overheard when she sat in her carseat the wrong way
  
  - that day last week when we took her little stroller to the farmer's market, and we sampled peaches and berries, watched the planes take off, and pointed out the pretty flowers.
  
  - our afternoon flying kites in a not-so-windy sky. that girl can run!
  
  - mommy and kaya in the bath, drawing on the walls.
  
  - singing songs, over and over again.
  
  so, the next time you hear from me, we'll be back to the future, surrounded by 3AM feedings, breast pumps, immunizations, newborn diapers and more. may it go as well as the last time...

  Comments:
  Add a comment:

  Name:    Email: 
  Comment: 
  
   Notify me of scrapbook updates