My sometimes pregnant popular wife has done it again. Please join McBone in welcoming Santiago José
to the greater McBoniverse.
Official Baby Statistics (McBone certified)
Weight: 7 lb. 1 oz.
Length: 20.25 in.
Time of birth: 8:12 AM, 07/5/14 (more on that date later)
Sex: ♂
Let's get this out of the way: this kid was born with the worst haircut I've ever seen. One month later and I'm still not sure what he's thinking, trying to mask a receding hairline with a stringy, inefficacious combover. Add in elements of a mullet, '80s punk-spike, Spock sideburns, and an over-the-ear job reminiscent of the dad from Silver Spoons and you've got some kind of postmodern mess on your hands.
Aside from that, my first impression of SJ was that we had created an adorable blend of my wife and wrestling great Gorilla Monsoon.
Behind the Name
We wanted to choose a Spanish name to reflect the kid's Venezuelan heritage. Santiago, or Saint James in English, has no significance to us other than we like the sound of it. Also, there is this Michigan beer that I unwittingly picked up a few months ago...
...that served the purpose of 1) tasting great (5.0 McBones) and 2) reinforcing that our choice of first name was indeed the right choice, which is what a good beer should do.
José is of course the name of the boy's maternal grandfather, my father-in-law, who, at any given moment may be blazing trails in stem cell research or making himself the life of the party.
Also, Joseph (technically Hovsep, or Յովսէփ, in Armenian) was the name of my great grandfather, whose adventures in life merit a blog post of their own someday.
Regarding the birth
My wife is my hero. She's a first-rate gal on any given day, of course, but as I watched her push our boy into the world for 17 hours, I kept thinking: we men who gleefully inseminate our spouses do not appreciate enough what they do in growing and birthing our offspring, and we can never really make up for the beautiful ordeal that is pregnancy. After having the McBonerito plucked from an incision in her belly, she wanted to avoid a C-section this time around. She got her wish, and I'll never forget the sight of that slimy seven-pound person popping head-first into the world.
The DOB
The kid seems to have a patriotic streak. Labor commenced on July 4th, our day of independence,
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| Old Glory |
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| Bald Eagle |
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| Washington - Hero of Independence |
and concluded on July 5th, Venezuela's day of independence.
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| Bandera de Venezuela |
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| Turpial |
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| Bolívar - Héroe de Independencia |
It occurred to me that his name could be slightly more befitting this coincidence of birth date and parental heritage, something star-spangled, something that would unite the uneasy bedfellows that are the USA and Venezuela, but then we concluded that raising him on this street would be a significant enough gesture:
With this little Michigander joining a Buckeye, an honorary Buckeye and a Hoosier, our family has a decidedly Midwestern flavor. We shall endeavor to live our lives in a manner that is worthy of this magnificent tri-state area.
Santiago*, little Patriota, if you ever get around to reading this brief history, allow me to reiterate here that your first hairstyle was the worst I've ever seen. Incidentally, I love you, kiddo. Always have. Always will.
nwb
*This instance marks the last time I will ever use his real name on this site. We're hard at work seeking an appropriate nickname. Suggestions are welcome.
3 comments:
Congratulations! I gladly and emphatically welcome Santiago to this world!
Ideas for nicknames are already brewing. Hijo de Libertad, Libertadito, José Can You See, or, after the woman who braved 17 hours of labor, Hidalgito.
Nate, You must really consider with equal gravity the circumstances that Santiago was presented with. He was enveloped in the warm womb of his often beloved and always beautiful mother for 9 1/2 months. He fantasized about life outside the womb, especially about his parents. He imagined that to honor his Santiaguito heritage, his father would be a man more akin to Simon Bolivar. Yelling "Andale, andale!!" in the delivery room and slicing the cord with one quick sliver from his revolutionary sword. Instead, after the immense struggle, his first earthly vision was not of Simon, nor of Mamacita ---but of a seriously exhausted Nate, with his eyes aglow, and his "sometimes better than his brother's" mustache not quite up to par. But, Santiago will still love you and tolerate such shortcomings. And before you know it he will have the healthiest mop of hair, and you might just envy him!! (Kathy)
Darin: these are some excellent, hilarious suggestions. I feel we're close. Verrry close.
Kathy, the sight of the old man must have been a serious disappointment. I surprised he didn't turn around and crawl right back in.
nwb
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