1st and 2nd Day of Baby David's Life (and the Bris)

What an angel right?

Guess who peed all over me and himself? You guessed it - Baby David is like a fountain. I mean over my shoulder and across the room. Not only peeing but pooping that dark meconium (that I know we just love to see because it means he is healthy since he did not do it in utero) but why did he have to pee like a fountain, while pooping the really sticky dark meconium, and start crying because he kicked his newly circumcisized you know what (which was bleeding a tiny bit and with the pee on it must have felt just great). All this at 2 am.

I know, I know - that's my problem and he is just trying to learn how to breath and eat and pee and poop - plus get a ton of shots and the big c (for circumcision). What do I have to complain about when you compare it to his world (before birth - warm and safe and shaded and now out in the cold - picked and proded and and just too many lights and sounds in one day).

No worries. All is well. I cleaned him up, the floor, and me too. He is sleeping like a.....a....a...yes.....a baby.

Now lets backtrack a bit to give some perspective on his day.

It started pretty nicely with a lot of holding and hugging. Dad and David.

Sarah and David (brother and sister now).
Bubbie and David (my mom).

I mean...a lot of holding, cuddling, and everyone was oh so happy. Heather and David (Summer's mom).

Suddenly life changed.

The Bris: Circumcision

Jewish boys are circumcised during the first week of life (usually the 8th day). It is a covenant that is maintained througout the ages. It is also the official time to name the baby: which happens to be David Mark Fetterman II.

Well, today he joined the tribe. (The larger family ceremony will be held later this weekend.) For those not familiar with circumcision - it is the trimming off of the foreskin of the penis - yes - potential owee - but not really too bad for this age with lidocaine and the rest.

In any case, here is the new tech gaget they use today (in the old days the tool looked more like a cigar cutter or clipper).

Yes - that is the penis popping up from under the green towels. And yes again, that is a metal clamp, that close to you know what. In fact the way this contraption works, the vertical bar on the right has a metal bell at the end of it. It goes over the head of the penis. Then the foreskin is drawn over the bell (while the penis is protected by the bell). Then the clamp is put around the foreskin and the doctor trims the foreskin, by cutting the foreskin against this metal bell shapped contraption. It was pretty interesting to watch but wow, now you can see why I feel bad about complaining about my day and how I got peed on. I mean really - what kind of day would it be for you if you started with a lot of holding and hugging and it was interrupted around mid-day with your private parts in a clamp and well - you get the picture (literally and figuratively).

On the flip side, we actually held the bris ceremony during the circumcision. Sarah chanted in Hebrew. My mom did the responsive reading and I led the ceremony. It was actually a very nice and meaningful moment. It is a ritual that binds us to a millenial people and tradition - something much larger than ourselves at any given moment in our lives.

So I guess, you might say our day was showered with love.

P.S. The emails that have arrived at our virtual doorstep have also showered us with love. We appreciate them and thank you all. Some have come from friends I have not seen since high school, others like this one below are from friends I have known for many years. This one in particular is truely from the heart from a good friend:

Dear Papa David,

Mazel Tov! Hooray! Yippee! Very Cool! (And I loved the blog).

Dear Baby David:

This is Uncle Ian writing. You are very fortunate to come into this world surrounded by your father, your sister and your mother. I have known your father for a long time and he is a wonderful man. You will do well here. You also have me around for extra help and a host of others. We will dance and sing and study and play together. Welcome here.

Dear Papa David,

Love you man. I will write later with other news.

Ian

Ian J. Grand, Ph.D.
Program Director
Somatic Psychology
California Institute of Integral Studies