BABY NEWS
So today, sort of an update and a story.  As many of you know, my wife Lisa and I will be having a baby soon--a girl.  It will be our second; we already have our terrific son, Ethan, who is about to turn 4.  We went to the doctor today for a routine checkup, to see how things are going with the unborn baby.  Our due date isn't until March 16th.  We weren't expecting big news today.  But we got some--the pregnancy is progressing so well, that our baby girl might just be born earlier than expected--even before the month of February is out.  Perhaps within two weeks.  Yow!

Well, we'll be ready.  But finding out that the baby might just come sooner than we thought definitely gives one a shot of adrenaline; and reminds me of those days when baby Ethan was born, back on February 11, 2008.  What was happening with us was sort of a big deal; I mean, both Lisa and I have Moebius Syndrome.  As far as we both knew then and know now, there had not been a couple, who BOTH had Moebius, who had a child together (there certainly have been many wonderful children born to moms and dads in which one of them had Moebius).  So we didn't know what would happen.  Would our baby have Moebius Syndrome?

We certainly thought about the possibility, and tried to be mentally ready in case it happened.  Both Lisa and I figured that, well, if that happened, who better to teach our son how to live life with Moebius than us, who both had been doing it?  We certainly would know a lot about what Moebius means, and the problems it could create.  But the thing was--as Lisa's pregnancy progressed, and as the checkups came and went, everything seemed very normal for our unborn child.  There seemed to be no indication of anything different, or wrong, or abnormal for him.  And we both came to feel pretty certain--when Ethan, as his name turned out to be, was born, we didn't think he'd have Moebius.

But when the big moment came, I think it's safe to say that for both of us, we still wondered a little:  would he be affected by Moebius somehow?  Was there something that the doctors simply hadn't seen?  When Ethan was bortn, I quickly began looking as hard as I could to study his face, and his eyes...and sure enough, he had no Moebius at all.  We would have loved him just as much, if not more, no matter what he had; but instead the deal was--both of Ethan's parents have Moebius, but he absolutely does not, and he smiles and moves his eyes like crazy.  And we're glad for him.  He smiles for us. :+)

We feel good about this new baby as well, and the doctors have been very happy with her development; she certainly has a strong heartbeat.  But still, when she's born, both Lisa and I will study her carefully, because honestly...when both parents have Moebius, and you're going to have a baby, you just don't know for sure.  You wonder.  And you don't want to take anything for granted.  But like I said, what we do know is that we can handle anything, and we'll love the baby no matter what.  And the stork bringing her may already be in flight...!

"When is the baby is mommy's tummy coming???"--Ethan Smant, perhaps being clairvoyant (!), the other day.