Fashionably Late

There are several traits my daughter inherited from me. She has my dark hair, my worry wrinkles on her forehead and the same birth frame I came out on - a long skinny body that is all arms and legs. However, that is not to say she got nothing from her mom. She certainly inherited Rachel's tendency to run a bit late. She likes to wait to eat until a few minutes after her brother, and she preferred to come home a day later as well. We'll just say she wanted to make her own entrance. That's right, Malorie came home today!

This morning, after running through our overnight routine for the first time with Micah, I got up to take my Master's classes finals via the Internet. While I was busy flunking Finance, Rachel got Micah fed and then hitched a ride to the hospital to nurse Malorie. When she arrived, the doctor told her, "She is still a lazy eater, but she's holding her temperature, and has no gastrointestinal problems. I see no reason to keep her here. I have made an appointment for you to go see your pediatrician first thing Monday morning."

Rachel called to interrupt my final with the best question I had been posed all day, "What time do you want to come pick up your daughter?" We got Malorie home mid-afternoon, and again I will let the pictures do the talking. We loved having her meet her brother for the first time in over a week, and we are busy establishing a feed/wake/sleep routine for the twins. I'll let you all know when that is done... probably in about 18 years.

As for the beard, this photo will be it's defining moment. If I were a March Madness videographer, I would play "One Shining Moment" for my triumphant beard. Alas, I am not, so I am going to let Micah and Malorie feel it tomorrow morning and then unceremoniously shave it off. Unsentimental, I know, but the thing makes my face feel as if it were rubbed in that Pink Panther fiberglass insulation.

I would like to invite anyone who is fashionably late like my baby girl to contribute to Beards for Babies benefiting The Wolfson's Children's Hospital NICU. Our ten day odyssey is over, but there are plenty more parents who are there, hurting just like Rachel and I were. Our situation was never grave, and is by no means unique, but I am proud that before my babies even came home from the hospital, they were able to inspire people to do some good in this world. Thanks for helping us do that for them. I will continue to put up Mal-staches as long as they keep rolling in. So feel free to shave yours off, but before you do, send a picture to me at Bonvault84@yahoo.com. This one comes to us from my second Godson, Kaileb. It's not often you see a six month old rocking a soul patch. Great work, buddy.

Thank you all again for all your prayers, wonderful thoughts, and time spent reading about my kids. Stay tuned for less frequent, but equally irreverent and thought-provoking posts in the future.