It has been a long 5 Days since last Wednesday when we received a voice mail from the Dr's office letting us know that the blood work came back with a slightly elevated risk for neural tube disorders (problems with the spinal column).

Thank you to the many people who have reassured us over the past few days that such tests can be very unreliable.

We have been looking forward to our Dr's appointment today when we would not only find out the sex of the baby but would be able to get a better look at any potential problems as well.

The exam room had quite a setup. There was a big comfy exam table for my wife and a chair for myself. The doctor turned down the lights and the wife and I even had our own monitor to look at while the Dr. stared at hers in the opposite direction.

If you have ever seen an ultrasound in action, you know how confusing they can be. Ghostly shapes come in and out of view and every now and then the doctor would freeze the screen and take a measurement of something.

The doctor began pointing out the bones in the legs and then commented that one of the feet might look irregular. The term "club foot" was used.

"When do we get to see the spine?" my wife asked.

"The baby is laying in the wrong position to get a good look" replied the doctor.

The wife laid on one side and then on the other. The doctor jostled my wife's abdomen in an effort to get the baby to turn over but she was sleeping soundly.

Finally the spine came into view. "That's strange," I thought to myself, "do they always bend that much?"

"The spine does not look normal" said the doctor.

More measurements, more ghostly shapes creeping in and out of view.

The doctor left and consulted with another doctor who came in and explained what they had seen. There appears to be excess fluid build up in the brain which is an indicator of spinal trouble. The Dr also mentioned the "lemon sign" which has to do with the shape of the head also indicating spinal trouble. The abnormal foot points to spinal trouble. And, of course, there was the spine itself.

The wife burst into tears which helped give me the strength to be the strong manly husband.

I asked for best and worst case scenarios. The Doctor was vague but there was mention of never being able to walk.

We scheduled another ultrasound for Wednesday along with a meeting with a genetic counselor.

I took the rest of the day off and went home with my wife.

I know that some people think this sort of thing should be kept private (certainly not blog-appropriate faire). All I can say is that it helps. Writing out your feelings can help you cope with the same. And it gives me the opportunity to tell our friends and family the story without having to retell and retell.

So. There it is. Right now we have many more questions than answers. It's as if the school nurse were to call you at work about your child to say "There has been an accident".

"What happened and how bad is it?!" would be your first questions as you reached for your car keys.

Right now we don't have answers to either of those questions.

The wife and I have spent the afternoon talking about the pain and the frustration but mostly about the love. The love we have for our daughter that overwhelms us.

At some point today we switched from a husband and wife who are expecting their first child to a father and mother who are concerned about their daughter.

She is my daughter.

My first.

Her name is Annabelle.

Pray for her by name.

Updates to follow.

Links:

Birth Defects

Neural Tube Defects

Elizabeth sent me this one.

From the New York Times:

Teaser Graph:

The world’s physicists have spent 14 years and $8 billion building the Large Hadron Collider, in which the colliding protons will recreate energies and conditions last seen a trillionth of a second after the Big Bang. Researchers will sift the debris from these primordial recreations for clues to the nature of mass and new forces and symmetries of nature.

But Walter L. Wagner and Luis Sancho contend that scientists at the European Center for Nuclear Research, or CERN, have played down the chances that the collider could produce, among other horrors, a tiny black hole, which, they say, could eat the Earth. Or it could spit out something called a “strangelet” that would convert our planet to a shrunken dense dead lump of something called “strange matter.”

(From today's reading: Deuteronomy 1-4)

Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.

What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

- Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 7-8, 32-34

Point of Interest:

At this point in history, it has been 40 years since the Israelites escaped from Egypt. None of the former generation are left. The nation of people encamped on the eastern boarder of the promised land are basically the children of those that were slaves in Egypt.

The one constant in their lives has been the leadership of Moses. The man who talks with God.

As they prepare to go to war and conquer the promised land, Moses explains that he will not be going with them.

The book of Deuteronomy is the last time Moses will address his people.

This week's reading plan for those of you who are caught up:

Monday, March 31, 2008 --- Judges 6-7
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 --- Judges 8-9
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 --- Judges 10-12
Thursday, April 03, 2008 --- Judges 13-15
Friday, April 04, 2008 --- Judges 16-18
Saturday, April 05, 2008 --- Judges 19-21
Sunday, April 06, 2008 --- Ruth 1-4

From Dad Labs:

Advice from friends with children:

Make sure to use your veto power when names are coming out . . . it is your job to make sure that you don't have a child that is named during some psychotic hormonal mood swing. Advice: suggest a couple of crazy names that she would have to veto . . . that way you have a couple of vetoes up your sleeve. (I was so disheartened when [my wife] hated my suggestion of Ugolino . . .)

- a friend and a father

UPDATE:

Elizabeth points to this in her comment:

We have all done it.

You stagger to the kitchen, pour a bowl of cereal, reach for the milk, and through blurry eyes you realize that the expiration date was yesterday.

So you open the carton, jam your nose in and sniff. It smells funny.

That's when you realize that milk always smells funny. Even the freshest, purest milk has an odd odor. The question is, does this milk smell abnormally funny? So you get a second opinion.

In my case, my wife's sense of smell is much more acute then mine so I hand it off to her and 9 times out of 10 she reassures me that it is perfectly fine.

"The date is the sell-by date! Not an expiration date!" She will exclaim for the umpteenth time.

When you are pregnant, there are a series of tests done for all manner of reasons. As you can imagine, blood work is one of those tests and it basically amounts to the "sniff test".

"Does anything here smell abnormally funny?"

Yesterday, we received a voice mail from the doctor's office.

The results are in on the blood work. There is no indication of Downs Syndrome which, given our slightly older age, was a primary concern of ours.

However . . . There was a slight elevation in some chemical or other that has to do with neural-tube disorders.

Spina Bifida was mentioned.

The doc recommended that we go in for some additional and more definitive tests (Picture me sleepily handing the carton of milk to my wife for a second opinion).

Fortunately, because my wife will be over the age of 34 on our due date, we are already scheduled to see a specialist this coming Monday.

Am I worried? No. Mildly concerned? Yes.

I think my wife may have stronger feelings on the matter.

Since all we have so far is a voice mail from the doc, the wife and I are going to do a conference call first thing this morning to get some more information.

Your prayers are appreciated.

(From today's reading: Numbers 33-36)

The LORD said to Moses, "Command the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance will have these boundaries:

" 'Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. On the east, your southern boundary will start from the end of the Salt Sea, cross south of Scorpion Pass, continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon, where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt and end at the Sea.

" 'Your western boundary will be the coast of the Great Sea. This will be your boundary on the west.

" 'For your northern boundary, run a line from the Great Sea to Mount Hor and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath. Then the boundary will go to Zedad, continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north.

" 'For your eastern boundary, run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Kinnereth. Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Salt Sea.

" 'This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.' "

- Numbers 34:1-12

By David Budbill

Out walking in the swamp picking cowslip, marsh marigold,
this sweet first green of spring. Now sautéed in a pan melting
to a deeper green than ever they were alive, this green, this life,

harbinger of things to come. Now we sit at the table munching
on this message from the dawn which says we and the world
are alive again today, and this is the world’s birthday. And

even though we know we are growing old, we are dying, we
will never be young again, we also know we’re still right here
now, today, and, my oh my! don’t these greens taste good.

When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less.

- Paul Brown

From Dad Labs:

(From today's reading: Numbers 28-32)

Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses and said to him, "Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. So we have brought as an offering to the LORD the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD."

- Numbers 31:48-50

Tips from friends with children:

- Get lots of sleep now
- Pack your freezer with frozen meals and easy fix meals
- Go on lots of dates now and take any big trip you've been wanting to take before the baby comes
- Don't leave things to do in the last few months b/c you may be really tired and not feel like doing anything but having the baby come out . . .:-)
- Enjoy pregnancy, write down your thoughts and feelings
- Sing to your baby . . . [my daughter] still responds differently (calms her down) to songs I sung to her while in the womb

- a friend and a mother

Stuff White People Like

by Li-Young Lee

From blossoms comes
this brown paper bag of peaches
we bought from the boy
at the bend in the road where we turned toward
signs painted Peaches.

From laden boughs, from hands,
from sweet fellowship in the bins,
comes nectar at the roadside, succulent
peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,
comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.

O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days, to hold
the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into
the round jubilance of peach.

There are days we live
as if death were nowhere
in the background; from joy
to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
from blossom to blossom to
impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.

(From today's reading: Numbers 23-27)

God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?

- Numbers 23:19

From Dad Labs:

We have reached the end of our Must Read Book List - all of which, along with others, can be found here if you are interested.

Since I posted the list chronologically, it's easy to see how many "great works" were produced in any given century (based on our list). Here is the run-down:

1900's - 8
1800's - 11
1700's - 4 (all in America)
1600's - 10 (6 were Shakespeare)
1500's - 6 (4 were Shakespeare)
1400's - 0
1300's - 2 (Dante and Chaucer)
1200's - 1 (Aquinas)
1100's - 0
1000's - 1 (Song of Roland)
600's-900's - 0
500's - 1 (Boethius)
400's - 0
300's - 1 (Augustine)
200's - 0
100's - 3 (Cicero and Virgil)
-100's--200's - 0
-300's - 2 (Plato and Aristotle)
-400's - 2 (Sophocles and Aeschylus)
-500's - 0
-600's - 1 (Homer)
-700's - 1 (Homer)
-800's- -1300's - 0
-1400's - 1 (Bible - although the Bible was an ongoing work for 1500 years - all the way through the 100's)

It's the road signs: "Beware of lions"

- Kip Lagat, Kenyan distance runner, during the Sydney Olympics, explaining why his country produces so many great runners

From What to Expect:

This week your baby is hitting the height chart at five and a half inches long (remember, that's crown to rump) and weighs about five ounces (the weight of that boneless chicken breast you're making for dinner).
And now for the skill of the week (drum roll please.): The art of the yawn has been mastered by your baby (someone's sleepy!). In fact, you might catch a glimpse of that adorable yawn if you're getting an ultrasound this month. You'll also catch a glimpse of all the movement your baby's doing - twists, rolls, kicks, and punches. And would you believe your baby is finally big enough for you to start feeling those movements now (or anytime in the next few weeks). So get ready!

Something you won't see on the ultrasound, but you'll know is in working order, is your baby's nervous system, which is maturing rapidly at this time. Nerves, now covered with a substance called myelin (which speeds messages from nerve cell to nerve cell), are forming more complex connections. And those in the brain are further specializing into the ones that serve the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. Talking about hearing, your baby's is growing more acute, making your little one more conscious of sounds that come from inside your body (which means you could both be listening to each other hiccup - a skill that your baby has by now).

(From today's reading: Numbers 18-22)

Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They quarreled with Moses and said, "If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD! Why did you bring the LORD's community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!"

Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. The LORD said to Moses, "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink."

So Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."

- Numbers 20:2-12

Point of Interest:

The Fall of Moses

The story has been around ever since mankind has had a relationship with God: A good leader who is doing God's work, in the midst of temptation, takes credit for what God has done instead of pointing others to the true source of help.

In the story above, Moses claimed the ability to bring forth water from the rock himself rather than giving glory to God.

The fact that Moses will not enter the promised land shows that no person is above the law.

The Book of Wars

21:14 mentions the "Book of Wars". This is the only place in the Bible that the book is mentioned. The book itself was lost but the assumption is that it was a book containing ancient songs of war in praise of God.

Tips from friends with children:

"The first five months are all about baby and booby, so don't get in an attention tiff - remember, if your lady goes NUTS for a while, it won't last."

- a friend and a father

Stuff White People Like

by Linda Pastan

They seemed to all take off
at once: Aunt Grace
whose kidneys closed shop;
Cousin Rose who fed sugar
to diabetes;
my grandmother’s friend
who postponed going so long
we thought she’d stay.

It was like the summer years ago
when they all set out on trains
and ships, wearing hats with veils
and the proper gloves,
because everybody was going
someplace that year,
and they didn’t want
to be left behind.

The very first Easter:

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.

- Matthew 28:1-6

(From Today's Reading: Number 14-17, Psalm 90)

That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt."

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: "How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. So tell them, 'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say: In this desert your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. But you—your bodies will fall in this desert. Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert. For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.' I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this desert; here they will die."

- Numbers 14:1-4, 26-35

by W. S. Merwin

My friend says I was not a good son
you understand
I say yes I understand

he says I did not go
to see my parents very often you know
and I say yes I know

even when I was living in the same city he says
maybe I would go there once
a month or maybe even less
I say oh yes

he says the last time I went to see my father
I say the last time I saw my father

he says the last time I saw my father
he was asking me about my life
how I was making out and he
went into the next room
to get something to give me

oh I say
feeling again the cold
of my father's hand the last time
he says and my father turned
in the doorway and saw me
look at my wristwatch and he
said you know I would like you to stay
and talk with me

oh yes I say

but if you are busy he said
I don't want you to feel that you
have to
just because I'm here

I say nothing

he says my father
said maybe
you have important work you are doing
or maybe you should be seeing
somebody I don't want to keep you

I look out the window
my friend is older than I am
he says and I told my father it was so
and I got up and left him then
you know

though there was nowhere I had to go
and nothing I had to do

“What kind of crazy nut would spend two or three hours a day just running?”

- Steve Prefontaine (How he reacted in junior high when he saw the high school XC team running)

Lost in the Cosmos by Walker Percy - written in 1983 AD


"What it means to be human, to live and die in the world" - Hugh Hewitt Show

(From Today's Reading: Numbers 8-13)

They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan."

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."

Numbers 13:26-30

For those of you on track:

Monday, March 24, 2008 --- Joshua 9-11
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 --- Joshua 12-15
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 --- Joshua 16-18
Thursday, March 27, 2008 --- Joshua 19-21
Friday, March 28, 2008 --- Joshua 22-24
Saturday, March 29, 2008 --- Judges 1-2
Sunday, March 30, 2008 --- Judges 3-5

By doubling up on my reading I am closing the gap. I am about 3 1/2 weeks behind right now so it will proabbly take me 3 1/2 weeks to catch up . . .

194 lbs

Down 2 from last week

Up one for the year

At least we made a move in the right direction this week . . .

Stuff White People Like

"Overtraining is the biggest problem incurred by runners who lack the experience or discipline to cope with their own enthusiasm. "

Marty Liquori

Collected Poems by TS Eliot - written 1963 AD


"The voice of our age" - The Hugh Hewitt Show

I know the offering here has been pretty thin gruel this week - not much more than "Hey, look at that!" and "Look over there!".

My mornings have been spent dealing with the paperwork of life etc. and it takes a while for me to actually formulate my thoughts for posting. The past few mornings have not afforded me the time.

But today is Friday and so I am going to ease up a bit and do a couple "want-to's" instead of all "have-to's".

When the wife and I found out we were pregnant, I immediately started the list making - what are we going to need to buy / do / learn? Some people advised me to take it easy and enjoy it one day at a time. Which I am totally capable of doing - ONCE ALL THE LISTS ARE DONE. Hey, the world needs all kinds . . .

This morning I pulled up the Excel Spreadsheet and discovered that I have posted all my lists to the blog. They are here if you are interested.

I want to thank those of you who have given feedback and offered tips and advice - Keep it coming! It really does help and you have changed my mind about a couple of things and informed me of a few that hadn't occurred to me.

So what's with the green? Well, Monday was St. Patrick's Day and today is the first day of Spring. But more importantly, when you don't know the sex of your child, ALL YOU CAN DO IS BUY GREEN AND YELLOW STUFF!- feel my pain.

The wife and I find out Monday, March 31st if it is a boy or girl - put in your prognostication! Vote in the poll on the right!

Today is also Good Friday, of course. It's a serious day. A solemn day. It feels like a day when people just should not be messing about. Go about your business but cut out the monkey-shines.
Some people take the day off. Some people only work 1/2 a day. I would like to take the afternoon off but I don't really feel like I deserve it. After all, I didn't observe Ash Wednesday, Lent, Maundy Thursday and the rest. At what point am I being observant and at what point am I just starting my weekend early?

But still, it feels like this should be more than just another Friday.

I suppose when it comes down to it, none of us deserve Good Friday.

The blessed weekend has arrived. The plans are to spend Saturday in the yard - Saturday evening with friends celebrating Easter Eve and Sunday with more friends yet celebrating the day itself.

It's the first day of Spring - It's Good Friday - We are at the starting gate of 6 months of spring and summer with our first baby arriving at the tail end of August.

Slap a smile on!

(Although you certainly aren't morally obligated to do so - I just thought it might be nice - and you might have a reason to . . .) ;-)

UPDATE:

The green had to go - I couldn't take it. I don't even much like the yellow. It looks good here but for some reason it doesn't seem to "go" on my blog. In any case, it's only until we get the news a week from Monday after which we can go back to the same old white which I . . . . .zzzzzzzzz . . . wha? what's that? Oh, sorry - I was boring myself to sleep there . . .

(From Today's Reading: Leviticus 5-7)

The LORD said to Moses, Tell Aaron and his sons, This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

The LORD bless you
and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace." '

- Leviticus 6:24-26

From Dad Labs:

Tips from friends with children

Stroller: important features . . .Light weight yet durable. This is obviously a trade off. But just think about what you want it for . . .If you are constantly folding it down, putting it in the car, taking it out, opening it up, then repeat . . . for every place you take the darn thing, you're going to need to be buff to handle a huge clunky stroller in this manner. But . . . if you get the total lightweight model . . . by the time you've done this for 6 shopping trips to Target, the thing might fall apart or lose a wheel.

Best bet: test drive them in the mega store and practice folding it down and putting it in the back of your "car". This will help you decide what is best for you. Find one you like, and then buy online or elitecarseats.com for a HUGH discount. I manage to fit our Chico in my VW beetle, so you don't have to buy a Tahoe just to have a kid.

Suggestion #1 - get a universal car seat stroller - this is only $50, weighs 7-8 lbs (since it's just a frame) and carries your little baby's car seat carrier - several brands will fit in the universal stroller, which your sleeping baby will be in for 6 months to 1 year. Then when baby is bigger and wants to sit in a stroller by themselves (without the car seat carrier), you can get a big old clunky, I mean durable, stroller.

by Robert Morgan

My father loved more than anything to
work outside in wet weather. Beginning
at daylight he'd go out in dripping brush
to mow or pull weeds for hog and chickens.
First his shoulders got damp and the drops from
his hat ran down his back. When even his
armpits were soaked he came in to dry out
by the fire, making coffee, read a little.
But if the rain continued he'd soon be
restless, and go out to sharpen tools in
the shed or carry wood from the pile,
then open up a puddle to the drain,
working by steps back into the downpour.
I thought he sought the privacy of rain,
the one time no one was likely to be
out and he was left to the intimacy
of drops touching every leaf and tree in
the woods and the easy mutterings of
drip and runoff, the shine of pools behind
grass dams. He could not resist the long
ritual, the companionship and freedom
of falling weather, or even the cold
drenching, the heavy soak and chill of clothes
and sobbing of fingers and sacrifice
of shoes that earned a baking by the fire
and washed fatigue after the wandering
and loneliness in the country of rain.

This looks like a good idea.

Alas, it is out of my price range . . .

"Boneless beef chuck cross rib roast is marinated with wine, aromatic herbs and vegetables before roasting for this tender and succulent Burgundy roast beef."

Recipe Here

(From Today's Reading: Numbers 1-4)

"The Lord spoke to Moses . . . "

- Numbers 1:1

Point of Interest:

God speaks to Moses over 150 times in the book of Numbers.

As a recap: Genesis and Job cover the period of time from the beginning of the world to the Israelites' bondage in Egypt approx 1500 BC.

Exodus covers a two year time period from about 1450 BC to 1448 BC chronicling their escape from Egypt.

Leviticus is the handbook for the priests.

The book of Numbers chronicles the Israelites' 40 years wandering in the desert. By the time we get to the end of Numbers, the Israelites will be encamped on the Eastern border of the promised land.

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses—behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.

- Muhammad Ali

Stuff White People Like

Witness by Whittaker Chambers - written in 1952 AD



"One of the central moments in American history" - The Hugh Hewitt Show

From Dad Labs:

(From Today's Reading: Leviticus 24-27)

" 'If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

" 'I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.

" 'I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year's harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. I will put my dwelling place [a] among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.

- Leviticus 26:3-13

Point of Interest:

Chapter 25 deals with aspects of slavery. Again it is important to remember that God is dealing with a middle-eastern culture 3500 years ago. Far from condoning slavery, God is dealing with an aspect of their culture that is going to need to evolve over time.

In fact, it was not unheard of for people who were facing starvation and ruin to sell themselves as slaves or indentured servants - servitude being more attractive than death.

Although I am not as knowledgeable on this particular subject as I would like to be, the Bible lays out some guidelines for the humane treatment of slaves.

It is also worth mentioning that the anti-slavery movement was largely led by Christian ministers who had the benefit of the entirety scripture to pull from instead of having to rely upon the limited view we have from the first four books of the Bible that we have read so far.

Tips from friends with children:

Be a man, don't let the women take over, they will use this opportunity to take away what few things are yours left in the house . . . I'm not completely convinced that pregnancy is all that bad, I think women just like to complain, and try to use it as leverage for your favorite chair to be thrown out.

- A friend and a father

By Wendell Berry

I was your rebellious son,
do you remember? Sometimes
I wonder if you do remember,
so complete has your forgiveness been.

So complete has your forgiveness been
I wonder sometimes if it did not
precede my wrong, and I erred,
safe found, within your love,

prepared ahead of me, the way home,
or my bed at night, so that almost
I should forgive you, who perhaps
foresaw the worst that I might do,

and forgave before I could act,
causing me to smile now, looking back,
to see how paltry was my worst,
compared to your forgiveness of it

already given. And this, then,
is the vision of that Heaven of which
we have heard, where those who love
each other have forgiven each other,

where, for that, the leaves are green,
the light a music in the air,
and all is unentangled,
and all is undismayed.

From Dad Labs:

(From today's reading: Leviticus 19-23)

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

- Leviticus 19:18

Point of Interest:

Chapter 20 in Leviticus has a laundry list of offenses that people should be put to death for.

God has already mentioned that his plan is to lead the Israelites into battle against their enemies (Exodus 23:23 being just one of many examples).

All this warring and killing would seem to be at odds with the 6th commandment "thou shall not kill".

In fact, the Hebrew word for "kill" in that passage is more accurately translated "murder" - an unjustified killing.

The Bible is replete with instances where God commands the death penalty for certain offenses or assists the Israelites in killing their enemies.

This is why the death penalty and justified war are acceptable in Christian doctrine.

There is actually all sorts of information available on the web regarding "justified war theory" if you care to google it.

Whenever I hear someone trotting out the 6th commandment as an argument against capital punishment or war I know that person has either never read the Bible or is cherry-picking passages out of context in an effort to prove a point.

I came across this list of websites that cater to people who want to travel with their dawg.

I plan on running through the list the next time we hit the road.

Car seat
Booties / socks
Cap
Travel swaddler
Blanket

Feedback is encouraged

Running is like mouthwash; if you can feel the burn, it's working.

- Brian Tackett

From What to Expect:

How big is your baby now? About five inches long and more than three and a half ounces - the size of your open hand. (Open the other one too and imagine your baby cradled in both your arms right after delivery!) Body fat (baby's, that is) is beginning to form and will continue to accumulate through the end of your pregnancy. By the time your baby is born, body fat will make up about two-thirds of his or her weight (and will make all those chubby parts especially yummy).
Your baby is almost certainly listening up by now. In fact, loud noises - the dog barking, the doorbell ringing - will actually startle your baby (and also get him or her used to such noises; for instance, fetuses who regularly hear a dog barking will become babies who sleep right through Fido's outbursts). Your baby's eyes (which have fortunately finished their migration to the front of his or her head) are making small side-to-side movements and can even perceive some light, though the eyelids are still sealed. And since practice makes perfect, your baby is sharpening his or her sucking and swallowing skills in preparation for that first (and second.and third) suckle at your breast or bottle. In fact, most of the survival reflexes that your baby will have at birth are being perfected in utero right now.

And here's some proof that your baby is truly one of a kind (as if you needed any!). Within the next week or so, the pads on your baby's fingertips and toes will become adorned with completely individual swirls and creases (aka fingerprints).

have another beer.

Or is it having another beer that makes you smarter? I forget.

Hey! Where did I leave my beer?

Via Fark

"While Colcannon seems to be associated with St. Patrick's Day, I love the combination of potatoes, cabbage, onion and bacon all through the cooler months of Fall and Winter! I attend an annual St. Patty's Day party and this is the dish I'm always asked to bring... and I'm happy to say that the bowl comes home empty every time!"

Recipe Here

(From Today's Reading: Leviticus 14-18)

The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'I am the LORD your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God. Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.

- Leviticus 18:1-5

Point of Interest:

Leviticus 18:22 is one of the verses cited concerning homosexuality.

Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor - written 1947

(Currently unavailable on Amazon.com)

"Best literature in 20th century America" - The Hugh Hewitt Show

Tips from friends with children:

"Get a good body pillow. I splurged and bought a pricey one but it is worth it."

- A friend and a mother

You have to see this one . . .

by Robert Hedin

Of all the people in the mornings at the mall,
It's the old liberators I like best,
Those veterans of the Bulge, Anzio, or Monte Cassino
I see lost in Automotive or back in Home Repair,
Bored among the paints and power tools.
Or the really old ones, the ones who are going fast,
Who keep dozing off in the little orchards
Of shade under the distant skylights.
All around, from one bright rack to another,
Their wives stride big as generals,
Their handbags bulging like ripe fruit.
They are almost all gone now,
And with them they are taking the flak
And fire storms, the names of the old bombing runs.
Each day a little more of their memory goes out,
Darkens the way a house darkens,
Its rooms quietly filling with evening,
Until nothing but the wind lifts the lace curtains,
The wind bearing through the empty rooms
The rich far off scent of gardens
Where just now, this morning,
Light is falling on the wild philodendrons.

From Dad Labs:

(From today's reading: Leviticus 8-13)

Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Moses then said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke of when he said:
" 'Among those who approach me
I will show myself holy;
in the sight of all the people
I will be honored.' "
Aaron remained silent.

- Leviticus 10:1-3

From Dad Labs:

Book
Camera
Change of clothes
Cel Phone / Charger
Phone List
Snacks
Toiletries
Pen / Paper
Tennis Ball
Pillow
Slippers
Champagne / Glasses

Feedback is welcomed

The starting line of the New York City marathon is kind of a giant time bomb behind you about to go off. It is the most spectacular start in sport.

- Bill Rodgers

On this day in 1802, West Point (the common name for the United States Military Academy) was founded by the Congress of the United States.

(From Today's Reading: Leviticus 1-7)

" 'If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible.

- Leviticus 5:1

Point of Interest:

Leviticus serves as the instruction manual for the priesthood and so it is chock full of all sorts of regulations regarding sacrifices etc.

It is probably my least favorite book in the entire Bible. That being said, a word about all these sacrifices is probably in order.

The purpose of the sacrifice is reconciliation with God. God of course, does not "need" someone to BBQ a sheep for him to extend forgiveness - it is the people who need the sacrifice in order to enable them to be repentant and accept forgiveness.

(Think of an adult forcing a child to "walk over and say your sorry" when they misbehave)

We must remember that this is a society from 3500 years ago with a different and more superstitious view of the world.

God had to lead the Israelites through 1500 years of cultural evolution before they were capable of accepting Jesus Christ as the final perfect sacrifice once and for all.

This looks cool.

Teaser Graph:

Over a hundred years ago, a museum curator in Istanbul made a remarkable discovery. Examining an ancient map on gazelle skin, he found a location marking a mountain chain where Antarctica is today. This map is, amazingly, one of many pieces of evidence people have used to try and claim that, in fact, Antarctica is the fabled lost continent of Atlantis. Other evidence includes the recent discovery (via sonar technology) of land under Antarctica as well as the mapping systems used by ancient cartographers, which suggest Atlantis might have been located far from the Mediterranean Sea.

Next week's reading plan for those of you still on track . . .

Monday, March 17, 2008 --- Deuteronomy 21-23
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 --- Deuteronomy 24-27
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 --- Deuteronomy 28-29
Thursday, March 20, 2008 --- Deuteronomy 30-31
Friday, March 21, 2008 --- Deuteronomy 32-34 - Psalm 91
Saturday, March 22, 2008 --- Joshua 1-4
Sunday, March 23, 2008 --- Joshua 5-8

196 lbs

Up 6 from last week

Up 3 for the year

I guess that's what another week of not really trying will get you.

It's tough when someone at the office pokes their head in the door and says, "I am going to Lardo's - do you want anything?"

My assistant and I are making a pact and we are going to behave ourselves beginning next week.

So maybe that will help . . .

Abolition of Man by CS Lewis - written in 1947 AD

"Best essay of the 20th Century" - The Hugh Hewitt Show

Tips from friends with children:

Don't read that 'What to expect when . . .' book, it is crap covered in lavender.

Read the Jenny McCarthy books, Belly Laughs and I forget the second one. They are really light reads and give a hilariously real layman's take on things.

For the do's and don'ts read Pregnancy for Dummies

- A friend and a father

Stuff White People Like

The wife called me in a near state of panic today.

She has a lot on her professional plate, personal plate and social plate and, believe you me, those are three pretty big plates to keep spinning right now. . . while pregnant . . .

She wants to get the little Ditchman a Fozzy bear for her B-day.

Trouble is, where do you go to buy Muppet gear? Which is compounded by the fact that the Muppets were apparently bought by Disney recently. . .

I assured the wife that there was a Toys R Us near my office and I would head over and pick one up.

Uh. No.

First of all, Toys R Us buildings are some of the ugliest, most severe looking buildings I have ever seen (should've taken a pic - sorry). They seem to scream at you as you get out of the car, "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here."

The sliding automatic entrance doors were remarkably narrow - as if to prevent your immediate escape . . . .

I assumed that the store would be divided into categories and I was correct. Just to the right of the entrance was the board games. Fine. Good. Families getting together around the dinner table after dinner and whatnot . . .

And then EVERYTHING TURNED PINK! Welcome to BARBIE LAND! Many people have asked me if I have a preference for a boy or a girl and I honestly don't. I would love a little boy to wrestle with - to head out with the Dawg with on a "boys only day", to get dirty with and teach the ways of the world to.

But when I think about a little girl my eyes get watery and my heart begins to break a little . . .

Standing in the shadow of ULTIMATE BARBIE DOMINATION the thought lept into my mind completely unbidden . . . . I hope its a boy . . .

Of course I came to my senses.

We can train our daughter that "Toys R Us" is a swear word and that Barbie is the Antichrist . . .

But whoa . . .

Having made my escape from the clutches of Barbie, the next section was housewares. Everything you can think of associated with chores only small and plastic. There were toy kitchenette sets, toy vacume cleaners, toy ironing boards and irons etc . . .

Funny how there is a whole genre of toys that prepares children to be adults. Of course, that's probably not why the genre exists - little Sally sees mom and dad doing chores and wants to do what they do and the toy companies respond. Just as I was standing there pondering the effects toys may or may not have on a child's development, I saw this:

We are not exactly reaching for the developmental stars here, are we? Seriously, who buys this for their chidlren?

After that I was surprised to discover that TRU carried infant clothing, bottles, diapers, strollers, car seats and normal stuff that you actually need . . . provided you don't need a "Fozzy the Bear" - which they don't have . . .

Speaking of toys . . .

When I got home after work, I made the usual weekly blog rounds and was confronted by THIS.

Now, the parents are dear friends of ours and their child is a little Asian-American cherub . . . but seriously, are we going to need one of these?

It reminds me of something from "The Grinch That Stole Christmas"

Ladies and gentlemen . . . .

The oracle of vegas has spoken.

Via Instapundit:

"Boeing's new laser cannon can melt a hole in a tank from five miles away and 10,000 feet up—and it’s ready to fly this year"

Article Here

(From today's Reading: Exodus 36-40)

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

- Exodus 40:34-35

Point of Interest:

The books Genesis and Job cover the period of man's relationship with God prior to Israel's escape from Egypt.

Exodus covers Israel's escape.

We are now at the point in human history when God has chosen the Israelite nation to be the vehicle through which he reveals himself to the rest of mankind with specificity.

by Robert Hayden

Sundays too my father got up early
And put his clothes on in the blueback cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,

Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?

From Dadlabs: (This is actually the very first video they ever did)

Stuff to bring to the hospital for the wife:

Lip Balm
Sugarless Hard Candy
Ipod w/ speaker?
Hair Clip
Toiletries
Nursing Bra
Going Home Outfit
Pillow
Slippers

Feedback is encouraged

From Times Online:

Teaser Graphs:

A Polish priest and mathematician who was a friend of the late Pope John Paul II has won the world’s richest academic prize for work that shows how math can offer circumstantial evidence of God’s existence.

Professor Michael Heller, 72, a pioneering cosmologist and philosopher specialising in mathematics and metaphysics, received the £820,000 prize yesterday in New York.

Professor Heller was nominated for the award by Professor Karol Musiol, Rector of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, who said: “His unique position as a creatively working scientist and reflective man of religion has brought to science a sense of transcendent mystery and to religion a view of the universe through the broadly open eyes of science.

“He has introduced a significant notion of theology of science. He has succeeded in showing that religion isolating itself from scientific insights is lame, and science failing to acknowledge other ways of understanding is blind.”

— Professor Heller argues against the Newtonian concept of creation, that is, against the idea of an absolute space and an absolute time and of God creating energy and matter at certain times

— He suggests modern theologians should go back to the traditional doctrine that the creation of the Universe was an act that occurred outside space and time

(Today's reading: Exodus 30-35)

Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.

- Exodus 34:5-8

Point of Interest:

I used to go to church camp every summer when I was in elementary school. One summer, our counselor asked us if we knew how many commandments there were. We all replied that there were 10. Then one kid piped up and explained that there were actually 15 to begin with.

The camp counselor had absolutely no idea what the kid was talking about at which point I explained to both my camp counselor and my fellow camper that the kid had seen a Mel Brooks movie and taken it as gospel:



Of course, there were only ten commandments - what some people may not know is that they had to be written twice - Moses smashed the first set in a fit of rage:

"When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain."

- Exodus 32:19

"The LORD said to Moses, "Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke."

- Exodus 34:1

From Dad Labs:

I heard this article on the radio yesterday and thought it was interesting.

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh - written 1944 AD

“I’m so weak and humble, it makes me arrogant and proud”

– from “Growing in Dirt” by John Popper

Tips from friends with children:

"You'll want to get is a baby bottle drying rack. You'll be hand washing a lot of those suckers and you need something to keep them from falling all over the place."

- a friend and a mother

From BabyCenter.com:

At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. (By the end of your pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts.) The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails.

Soon you'll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy — feeling your baby move. While some women notice "quickening" as early as 16 weeks, most don't until about 18 weeks or more. If this is your first baby, don't be too anxious — you may not be aware of your baby's movements until 20 weeks or so. The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they'll start to feel unmistakably like kicks.

From TMST this morning:

Children have a unique sense of time, alien to us. They understand God's sun and moon and the pangs of hunger and sleep. Clocks were invented by man as if to best God, See? I can measure your daylight! And then we go ahead and change them every six months without admitting their imperfection. To children, the clocks are merely a novel way to display numbers, with the meaningless flipping of symbols, and a way to measure only what they can and can't have right now.

This is why teaching patience is so important, and if you haven't learned it your child will teach you (and it will be a painful experience.) But if this life is a gift, then patience should be more than just tolerating the passing of time with a long wait. Without patience, life is an intolerable succession of inaccessible moments that makes joy fleeting. With patience, comes the moment to be able to reflect on past and current joys and the hope of them to come. It is here that the beautiful details of life reveal themselves to be the once and forever hiding place of God.

Good stuff

(From today's reading: Exodus 22-29)

"Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.

"Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.

"If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.

"Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.

"Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.

"Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.

- Exodus 23:1-9

Point of Interest:

Exodus 25:10-22 outlines the directions for the construction of the Ark of the Covenant.

The Ark was a chest that contained that stone tablets on which the ten commandments were written, the budding rod of Aaron and a jar of manna.

The top was a seat made of two cherubim and it is between the two cherubim that the spirit of the Lord would appear to Moses.

It contained the most important items in all of Israel and served as the throne of God. As such, it was the single most holy artifact in all of Israel.

Of course, it was the search for the "Lost Ark" that started the Indiana Jones movies:

My friend Sean sent me this:

Man holding on to overturned boat insists that his dog be rescued first

A man's best friend . . .

by Wystan Hugh Auden

At last the secret is out, as it always must come in the end,
the delicious story is ripe to tell to tell to the intimate friend;
over the tea-cups and into the square the tongues has its desire;
still waters run deep, my dear, there's never smoke without fire.

Behind the corpse in the reservoir, behind the ghost on the links,
behind the lady who dances and the man who madly drinks,
under the look of fatigue the attack of migraine and the sigh
there is always another story, there is more than meets the eye.

For the clear voice suddenly singing, high up in the convent wall,
the scent of the elder bushes, the sporting prints in the hall,
the croquet matches in summer, the handshake, the cough, the kiss,
there is always a wicked secret, a private reason for this.

Stuff White People Like

Okay, I just know this one is going to give me nightmares:

(From Dadlabs)

From Lileks today:

Otherwise, an ordinary day; aren’t they all? Isn’t that the goal, really? You just want the day to be good, and good is defined by so many small simple things. Good spaghetti with good sauce; good mood upon awakening, a good little spot of good TV at the end of the night, a good shiraz, a good interview on the radio when you’re in your car, a good report from your daughter about school and a good job on piano practice, a good feeling from having done your work, and sometimes nothing more complex than a good sandwich for lunch. No wonder I like B movies. Every good day is a B movie.

From Dad Labs:

I LOVE IT.

A couple of weeks ago when the rain just kept a-comin', a co-worker put it best; "LOOK. We have the highest gas prices in the country and some of the highest real estate prices. It cost more to live here than most other places but we are willing to work hard and pay for it, in exchange of for being near the ocean and THE SUNNY WEATHER!" Too true.

I LOVE daylight savings time.

It is so nice to come home after a long day inside a climate-controlled office and have the sun still high in the sky.

According to my weather gizmo, it was 86 degrees in the backyard yesterday.

The wife had the day off and I came home to Brazillian music and a house smelling of dinner.

I played some fetch and rope-tug with the dawg, had a beer, changed my clothes and then the wife and I watched the sunset as we ate dinner on the back deck.

Once the sun went down, we lit the tiki torches and candles and the wife read aloud from "Dirty Wow Wow"



while I listened with a glass of wine in one hand and a favorite cigar in the other.

As I remarked to the neighbors who were sunning themselves in their backyard when I came home from work, "Only two more weeks of winter! We all need to hunker down and push on through! Ha Ha Ha."