Who's There?

While playing around with the set-up features of this blog, I discovered viewer stats that I never knew existed. Though I have no idea WHO specifically is reading my entries, I found out WHERE people are seeing this. It's  a kind of creepy-yet awesomely cool feeling to know that I'm not the only one reading my own words. Makes me less lonely I guess. Blogging can be sad.

Before I go cry myself to sleep,  I'd like to warmly acknowledge a few loyal people:

Thank you, 53 communists who made Russia my second biggest country in terms of viewership! You rallied to beat Germany (47) again. By the way, did you know that you two are very competitive people by nature. No fighting over me, please. I have plenty of blog for you to share.

Thank you, 29 random people from The Netherlands who read me last week. I'm guessing that it must have been too cold in Amsterdam to leave the house in search of weed. Don't really know what drove you guys to find me (red lights?), but I'm thankful nonetheless.

Thank you, 8 United Arab Emirates citizens who helped put my words into a part of the world that I will never see. Your efforts have now landed me on 3 continents. Praise Allah! Though this is awessome, I'd like you to find Jesus at some point. Look for me to blog about that before the end of days in 2012.

And finally, thank you to the 937 Americans who I most likely will never know. Should we ever happen to meet, greet me with the phrase "Here is $100.". If it's not too much to ask, hand me the cash next. It's only polite to follow through with what you said and integrity is important after all. Anything less than that would be distinctly un-American. You don't want to be un-American now, do you? I didn't think so either.


Help me go global and put this blog on the map! I want peeps in Asia and Africa soon; too many of them not to have at least one reader, right? Adios mi amigos!

Universal Buddy

My daughters are really enjoying Dana's pregnancy these past few weeks. Their endless kisses and pokes to mommy's belly is overwhelming proof that Emy and Sami are ready to meet their sibling. You can even hear the excitement in their voices as they talk about "our" baby. Sometime in the past month, this kiddo stopped being just Dana's and mine; Buddy now belongs to them too. I think this quasi-ownership is super cute. I also think it's just the honeymoon phase.

Here is what I strongly believe:

1. The girls will love their new brother/sister as much as they love each other.
2. Our family dynamic will change for the betterment of each of us.
3. Dana and I will witness growth and maturity from our children that will amaze us.
4. For all the proclamations of love that this baby will bring, neither daughter of mine will volunteer to change the first explosive diaper that leaks through the onesie, soaks the crib sheet, and takes 15 wipes to clean.

It's safe to assume that after #4 happens (technically a number 2?), Buddy's novelty will wear off and the girls will resume their lives of self promotion and personal advancement. In other words, "our" baby will quickly become "your" baby to my precious daughters. Anything short of this will bring profound confusion to their parents.

We are all extremely anxious to meet Buddy in less than 3 weeks! Dana's health is good, the kids are somewhat helpful with the chores we've given them, and I'm fighting back the fears of being a dad again at age 42. Despite what would seem like an upheaval in our routine, our lives are constantly in a state of flux anyway; adding a new family member is a life change that we only see as a blessing from God.

"Our" baby, is what my girls are calling their unborn sibling at the moment. How long this universal ownership lasts will just depend on our transition from a familiar quartet to a party of five. When we hear "your" baby from our daughters' mouths for the first time, Dana and I will have confirmation that Buddy's sisters have made the adjustment to living alongside a  newborn with flying colors. Hearing "our" baby  is wonderful even if it's only temporary.

3, 2, 1. Blast Off!!!

I have a buzz.

One glass of wine is all it took. For those who are asking, Beringer's 2010 White Zinfandel made this all possible. Thank you, notable vineyard from Napa Valley.

Since I'm maneuvering in a numerical numbness, 3 weeks and 2 days is all that's left between us as the family of 4 we all know and understand, and the family of 5 we have wanted to be for a long time. Baby Buddy is a mover and shaker en utero, so my guess is that he/she is going to keep us on our toes for the better part of the next 25 years. We're all calling the baby "Buddy" during this time because:

1. we don't know the gender, and
2. this child is going to be someone's (or everyone's) constant companion for a good long time.

The excitement of a new life is hard to quantify since the variables of that child are consistently inconsistent. Will the baby be healthy? We he/she cry all the time? Are we prepared for poop running up the back again after a long layoff? These burning questions will all soon be answered.

I will confess to this, I'm nearly ready for the challenge all over again. I just need more sleep, less homework, and a 2nd bottle of wine to be properly chilled in the fridge at all times. I rarely have a drink now but I have the feeling that this 3rd baby o' mine is going to have a happier daddy after 10 PM than his/ her sisters had. Alcohol or not, my two daughters broke me in and I'm now an "experienced" father who shouldn't make the same dumb mistakes I once did.

Baby Buddy is almost here! In 23 days, our lives will start down another path and the Jones family won't look the same way it once did. Sure, we'll still have our moments of endless laughter and tears, but now another soul will add it's voice to our choir. Will it drown out it's sisters' or will it blend harmoniously with everyone's? Time will tell. My guess is that a daily afternoon glass of wine will calm the nerves and give me the clarity needed to help conduct this symphony,..........

..........or give me a buzz to drown out all the noise.