March 2005 Archives
Magda had her first "solid" food on Sunday. It was rice cereal mixed with formula and, frankly, was only a little more "solid" than what she gets from the bottle or boob. Still, it was her first spoon-fed meal. She's definitely ready for the spoon -- none of that tongue reflex that prevents you from feeding younger babies -- and has been eyeing Jennifer's eating curiously (and jealously?) for the last couple of weeks.
The feeding wasn't as messy as I'd expected. Jennifer would give Magda her spoon full, and Magda would keep about half of it in. She'd always have this surprised -- and not necessarily pleased -- expression on her face. But then she'd open up for the next spoon. It reminded me of the time when I was feeding my baby brother lemon juice...
We planned ahead and caught her first feeding on video. While I take plenty of photos, I've only taped her a few times and really should be more diligent about it.
The whole Terri Schiavo saga has me incensed. I'd been following it loosely over the last year or so as it's been winding its way towards a conclusion. My sympathies have been with both her parents and her husband and I was saddened that they were making such a public spectacle out of a deeply private issue.
I have since become disgusted by the political circus this has turned into. The political pandering is truly sickening. The misinformation and willful ignorance displayed by those involved would be amazing if it were unexpected. The smarmy milking of the unfortunate woman's story for political gain is obscene.
Tom DeLay: Right now, murder is being committed against a defenseless American citizen in Florida. Terri Schiavo's feeding tube should be immediately replaced, and Congress will continue working to explore ways to save her. ... Mrs. Schiavo's life is not slipping away - it is being violently wrenched from her body in an act of medical terrorism.
George W. Bush: In cases like this one, where there are serious questions and substantial doubts, our society, our laws, and our courts should have a presumption in favor of life.
Now, you've gotta hand it to The Hammer how he managed to equate a court-mandated order with terrorism. And I'm sure glad that W apparently wasn't faced with any "serious questions and substantial doubts" in those 152 out of 153 death row cases where he ruled "thumbs down" as governor of Texas. But hey, if this makes the headlines instead of DeLay’s fundraising “problems” or if it manages to keep the second anniversary of the Iraq war. That’s right, it’s been two years and over 1500 military and uncounted Iraqi casualties since our illustrious leader unleashed his campaign against WMDs. If you remember, there were never any serious questions or substantial doubts about that, either.
The thing is, if you care to look at the Schiavo facts, there isn't even a moral dilemma here. The woman has been gone for a very long time now. The majority, if not all, of her cerebral cortex has atrophied over the years, being replaced by cerebral spinal fluid.
For a dispassionate view of the legal aspects of the Schiavo case, take a look at AbstractAppeal.com. The Q&A section clears up a lot of the misconception about the case.
Jfer already blogged about this but I want to reiterate that I would not want to be kept artificially alive like this. I would hope to be let go long before my brain has turned to liquid.
Another b-day passed me by on St. Patric's day. I'm not really into celebrating them, but it was a very nice day. My favorite part was doing lunch at Z-Tejas with my girls.
Speaking of birthdays -- my parents are turning 60 this summer and I am very much looking forward to the party (pig roast and all). Cousin Hanka will be in the CR at the same time and will join us in Stankov for the festivities. It will be the first time in decades when all of us (my parents, sister, Hanka and her parents) will be at "the cottage" where we used to spend pretty much every single weekend while growing up in Czechoslovakia. Of course now, we'll be accompanied by our own kids!
Magda had another weigh-in at the doctor's yesterday. She's now back on the growth chart at the 10th percentile and we won't need to go back until her regular 6 month checkup. At the rate she's filled out (and no, Rita, she's not "fat") I wouldn't be surprised if she moves more towards the middle of the weight range.
So now my only concern is that the mega-pack of the size 1-2 diapers I bought the other day runs out before she outgrows it. 'Cause she sure does grow fast.
On Friday, Jfer and Magda took off on a three-night trip to Forth Worth and Wichita Falls which meant that I'de have the weekend to my lonesome self -- for the first time in a very long time. Actually, not all to myself -- Homer kept me company and I also got to take care of the O'Reilly dogs, so I guess Sammy and Gracy had to substitute for my girls.
I took advantage of being foot loose and fancy free to see a Tim's band, The Bad Rackets, play at the Headhunters. I was running late (after a nice dinner with Doug and Luca) but luckily (and not unexpectedly) their show was delayed. Nobody warned me about the uniforms, though, so I failed miserably to blend in with the regulars, seeing that I was not wearing anything black, let alone black leather, let alone black leather with metally spiky things. Add to that a shirt with a collar (gasp!) and a total lack of piercings and tatoos and you know I was not one of the hip ones. Thank God Johnny was there and his preppiness overshadowed my uneclectic attire.
As far as the show goes, it was actually pretty cool, especially considering that punk rock is not my coup of tea, and I know next to nothing about it. But they were pretty tight and had a good time on the stage. And while it's always weird to see people outside the context you usually know them in, Tim looked like a natural behind his drumset. So I'd go see them again -- in a bigger venue and staying farther away from the speakers. And maybe Tim'll convince them to give the vocals a chance and turn down the damn guitars a bit.
