Yeah, yeah, I know I said I would never let my screen name go black. Well I have a really good excuse, say hello to Henry James aka Hank the Tank! He was born on Inauguration at 2am. He was 11 pounds 9 ounzes at birth, requiring a C-section. My poor wife. Everything ended up well in the end but there were a few speed bumps along the way. Tank ended up in the NCU for fluid in his lungs which is not uncommon. While he was there a test indicated he may have an infection so he ended on an IV and got some antibiotics. In the end he was totally fine, but as a new parent it was clear there was not going to be any slow ramp up to dealing with these kinds of situations.

Did I mention my poor wife? She had what is called an epidural headache - its a really bad migraine and it required what is called a blood patch. I won't go into the details other than say it reminded me of Anakin during his proceedure and transformation into Darth Vader. Twelve hours of labor, a c-section and two big injections right into the spine. I read in a book that labor is a right of passage for a woman and that as man you should feel humbled to be a part of it. That is an understatement!!! I used to think I respected my wife as a strong individual, well I would say that I look up to her strength to inspire myself after witnessing her in action.

So far being a parent has been a wonderful experience, its brought my wife and I closer and its given me a sense of pride and purpose I never imagined possible.

Even now with my job future uncertain I feel confident and strong in what my family has managed so far. My boss literally told me that I am due a raise for my hard work when they review budget in March. He also said that I am next to go if more layoffs are necessary due to my salary. Since my wife is not working right now that is a big concern. On the other hand my wife and I have longed to leave the east for the west, and this may just be the excuse to grab our savings, pick up and start fresh. Not many women would see unemployment as a positive.

Well its good to be back - hopefully I can manage to finish Shadows of Mindor before Fate of the Jedi comes out.

TFWBWYA