ISAAC ALFRED MONTGOMERY

Yesterday, the 14^th of August, at 1:55pm, Isaac Alfred Montgomery made his way into the world with much ado. Weighing 6lbs. 13oz. and measuring 19 inches long, his wavy blonde hair and big blue eyes were quite a surprise to both of us, but especially to Annie who has said that he will look nothing like her. This remains to be seen as both these features may change drastically over the next several months, and it will be a sad day if he ends up looking like his father.

He is truly a thug, born in the way of another great thug, Julius Caesar. His middle name comes from his grandfather Alfred Douglas Menconi, who has no sons, and kinda got screwed with his first son-in-law (me), who doesn’t quite share his same passion for the Padres. Al is determined to turn his first grandchild into a fan, however, giving him much paraphernalia, such as clothing and sports cards, and I think his first game is scheduled for some time next week.

Both families have doted on him since the instant he got here, shedding many joyful tears, and maintaining a pretty firm death grip once they get to hold him. Both Annie and I are doing very well, tired but so content that he is finally here. He spent most of the night in the nursery, coming back for feedings every couple hours, but allowing us both to sleep pretty soundly.

His cleft was a little daunting at first, but becomes less significant every second. The great news is that his soft palate, the roof of his mouth, is totally intact, allowing him to breastfeed with the best of them. About 45 minutes after the surgery, a nurse walked in holding him announcing, “He’s got a great suck.” If anybody else calls my son a sucker, I will not hesitate to regulate, but in that context it was the sweet sound of amazing grace.

We will be in the hospital till Friday at least, laying pretty low and watching lots of Gilmore Girls, as the parade of nurses and doctors continues to circulate through our room. They will be doing lots of check ups in the next couple days, making sure the baby and baby momma are doing well, while mostly ignoring the daddy, which is the way it should be.

Thank you for all your prayers, support, and love that have led up to this point. We are truly surrounded, and we can’t wait to share him with you.