New Beginnings in 2012

Happy New Year! I'm all a blur - call me Mr. Excitement!

Mommy made me promise that my New Year's resolutions would include a commitment to have zero hospital stays this entire year. To be hospital free. And, in other words, no hospitals in 2012! Please, she added. In 16 months I have spent four weeks in the hospital at various times, not counting extraneous doctor visits there. Mommy feels that was quite enough.

Who needs hospitals anyway? Abba and mommy are veritable medical experts now. Every night they attach my Rudolph-the-Red-Toed-Reindeer monitor to my big toe and I sleep with a blinking electronic device in my crib as a monstrous machine in the shape of carry-on luggage pumps oxygen into my bed. As per my new and perfected reflex of throwing anything that crosses paths with my hands I launched said monitor from my crib one morning just for the sheer joy of the crash sound. Unfortunately for me it landed on the carpet so the noise wasn't fulfilling. But abba breathed a sigh of relief after flying into my room to check on the status of the rented device. Thankfully it did not break.

But I digress. We rang in the New Year yesterday with an auspicious occasion. Or so everyone but Lucas thought. On Jan. 1, by some counts the eighth day of Lucas' life, he had his brit, or for those of you from America, bris. That is another word for circumcision. Or Edward Scissor Hands.

We had a small gathering of family and friends at our home. Of course, they came, really, for my hospital release party, but I don't dare steal the spotlight from Lucas. Or, dare I?

Of course no brit would be complete without a rabbi, a Christmas tree and lights. And so Lucas' was the perfect combination of the three.

GongGong the Brave was asked to hold one of Lucas' legs while Ossie held
GongGong's shoulder and Lucas lie oblivious to what was ahead

Ossie also gave GongGong a pep talk

It was sort of a nice ceremony, as far as these things go. Lucas shrieked a little bit, but was placated by sugar water and grape juice. But I am positive most people came to see me and welcome me back from the hospital, not for the spectacle of Lucas' misery. I moved from open arm to open arm and made my way around the room as only I know how. The hospital stay only served to hone my skills of working a crowd as you may recall.

Even I was a little concerned during the brit as it brought back
not so distant memories

In Israel, they don't really perform circumcisions in the hospital as most people in the country make a party out of it. Accordingly, you are best off hiring a rabbi to do the job rather than opt for it as a medical procedure. This is what mommy and abba did for me, but it was a small audience of just them. There were no parties after my weeklong stay in the hospital that particular time, just after my birth.

This time was different - it was a two-week stay. We left our home as three and returned as four! It was definitely worth a party.

And let the pain, er, I mean games begin!
(Note the Christmas tree in the background)

Notice there are no photos of the actual event. I purposely skipped those for all parties involved.

By Catholic accounts, Jan. 1 is celebrated as Jesus' brit as well. Whether that was the actual date or not is subject to argument, but if you want to believe that it is, it is a special day for Lucas on several fronts.

Whew - its over now, Lucas is safe in abba's arms

We can all finally breathe now

In keeping with the "new" theme of staging this event on Jan. 1, we are hoping for some new beginnings now. Enough with the old doctors (we switched to a new, nice, angelic doctor), the hospital, viruses, and all other unpleasant things. Now we have a new brother, a new baby, a new year and new toys that I got for Christmas. Even Lucas, just days old, has a new item too thanks to the rabbi! So hopefully all these past months of viruses and the past few weeks in the hospital can slip away with 2011 and all things can become new in 2012.

How do you like my spiffy outfit?

"My First Christmas" "My First and Last Brit"

Lucas dressed appropriately for the occasion.
Don't you think?

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