Yet another absurd (-adjacent) baby: James Mark!
Like his big brother (my habibi Henry) and cousin (the angry spud Lyana), Sweet Baby James decided to pop in on the world a bit early. This necessitated tubes and lines and monitors, and after a week he’s still in the NICU, but as he’s now merely a “lazy eater” (per his mum), he should be heading home sooner rather than later.
Henry is apparently anxious to meet SBJ, and told his pop he wanted to get a toy for him. (According to my sister, the last thing that household needs is another toy, but whatchagonnado?) Let’s see how long before he wants to send the baby back.
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Two things:
One, I am deeply grateful that my nieces were able to avail themselves of the best that medicine has to offer. There’s more to these birth stories; suffice it to say that what was merely momentarily dramatic could have been tragic had they not been at the hospital.
I get why people are leery of medicalizing birth—goddess knows I’ve voiced my own critiques—but it’s not 1968, women aren’t being knocked out before delivery, and birthing rooms, midwives, and doulas are now an ordinary part of the hospital birthing experience. And good medicine saves the lives of mothers and babies alike.
Two, I’m thinking of going to the Twin Cities in January to meet these new babies and reacquaint myself with Henry (and see some old friends).
I know: the Twin Cities in January?! But the flights have gotta be dirt cheap—most folks aren’t scrambling to travel to the below-zero—and I’m not teaching then, so why not? Plus, I want to see if I can still handle the forsaken cold.
Y’all know I dig New York (most of the time), but winters here are often merely dreary. I look forward to the bracing.
AbsurdBeats 
it’s remarkable how what for most of history (and still around the world) a real mortal threat to moms in the making is now largely a celebration of life, better you than me heading into that kind of deep winter safe travels if you go.
God, Blue was beautiful album.
I was a snob about Joni Mitchell—thought she was, I dunno, “soft” or some such horrible thing—until I read that Prince was a huge fan. I wasn’t a particularly huge fan of Prince (back then), but I respected his musical acumen, so gave her a whirl. One more reason to thank His Purpleness.
the man had taste in music that was hard to deny, yeah that album is always good which I can’t say for many others.