I Say: This is More Mush

Like I said, my parents get a little emotional. So as not to be outdone by mom, dad wrote the following at his blog. (There sure are a lot of bloggers in this house.)

Since I started this blog, I've tried very hard to avoid posting about personal topics. Not because I don't like to share, but because I suspect that people check out a running and triathlon site for a little news, some advice, and maybe a bit of mindless trivia, rather than to hear about my feelings. The last time I made an exception and wrote about something personal was when my mother passed away. Thankfully, today I have something much happier to report. Our son, Simon Dylan Cane, was born two days ago on 10/31, and now that he and Nicole are home, I'm going to make another exception. Here are three reasons why I'm such a lucky man:

First, Simon is adorable. I'm the first to admit that I have "daddy goggles" and would think the kid was cute no matter what, but he's cute. He's named after my father (who was born Seymour, but was always called Sy) and bears a striking facial resemblance to my mother as a child. While I obviously wish he could have met his NY grandparents, it's nice that there's a little part of them in him. Clearly the boy knows how much love he's going to get because he decided to make his appearance three weeks early. Costume birthday parties every year for young Simon. 

Next, Nicole is an impressive woman. She has already chronicled her labor and delivery, so I'll spare you the details. Suffice to say that she had apparently been in labor for hours without knowing it. (She complained of "cramps", and it took my recognizing the timing pattern for us to realize that she was in fact having contractions every five minutes.) While in labor - without meaning to be funny - she asked if it was too late to do the video of her dancing to Maniac. She pushed the baby out in record time and without pain medications. She had some complications after Simon's arrival, but dealt with a scary situation with remarkable strength. Thankfully, all is well now. No doubt she will be a terrific mother. And in case you're wondering, depite the fact that it's less than 72-hours since the birth, and Nicole spent 24 of those hours doped up on morphine, 1/3 of her legendary six-pack is back, and she's wearing her pre-pregnancy jeans.

Finally, we are surrounded by an amazing community of friends, family, teammates, co-workers and students. (And for the record those categories are not mutually exclusive.) There has been no shortage of support throughout Nicole's pregnancy, and since Simon's arrival. People have been generous with their time and with gifts. (I have enough hand-me-down Baby Bjorns to open a store, so let me know if you need one.) All the calls, notes, texts, Facebook comments, and other communications since Simon's arrival have meant a lot to us. Nicole and I will do our best to ensure that our son is a happy and healthy boy, but I realize how imortant it will be for him (and us) to have support from all around. I'm grateful to all who have helped and will help.

And now back to our regularly scheduled blogging.