A boy...

Dear son-
Here's your sonogram. See the little boy parts? We're still not decided about the circumcision. It sure would be easier if you had a choice, but if we wait until you are old enough to decide for yourself, it will be much more painful. Most of the other boys get circumcised, but it’s really just a cosmetic surgery. There is some evidence that a circumcised penis prevents disease latter in life, but is that enough of a reason to chop off part of your penis? I have to tell you this is a difficult decision and one your mom and I won’t make lightly.

Dad

Your mom waiting for ice cream

Dear son,
Here’s a picture of your mom waiting for ice cream. We were in New Orleans Louisiana for your mom’s new job. During this time she worked for Spay Louisiana, and we worked with the Big Fix Rig. The Big Fix Rig is a portable spay/neuter clinic where people can get low cost and free surgery for their companion animals. This clinic was desperately needed because there was a devastating hurricane in New Orleans and lots of dogs and cats still needed help almost a year later.

While we were there we saw all kinds of destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and it was interesting listening to all of the different stories from the people who returned and were trying to get their lives together. Some people had nothing but a trailer to live in while they worked on their houses, most of which had been gutted by either the hurricane or the resulting flood after the levees in the city collapsed. It was good to help out for a couple of days, but I wish we could have done more. While we were there, more than 100 cats were spay and neutered. Right now in the US more than 5 million dogs and cats are killed in animal shelters every year because people don’t spay and neuter their animals. I sure hope things are different by the time you are able to read this.

Love,
Dad

names--nick and others

Dear Mini-Coop.
In case you are wondering, this particular nickname came from students at Bellarmine University in Kentucky after I took several journalism students to New York City for a College Media Advisors conference in March of 2006. While we were there, we searched for a (fake) Kate Spade diaper bags (your mom is obsessed with designer names), and the students took to calling you the Mini-Coop (a Mini Cooper is a small car—you can see a Mini Cooper in the Mark Wahlberg movie The Italian Job, although the movie isn’t that good).

I think the nickname is funny. Your mom and I have nicknames for all family members. For example, after Franklin had surgery he had a long scar on his left shoulder blade so we started calling him Franklin-Stein. When your mom was first pregnant with you, she thought you were in her fallopian tube, so your nickname was Filopia. We changed it after we found out you were a boy. I tried Phillip, but that didn’t seem to stick.

Some of the other names we’re thinking about include Holden (my favorite), Weston (your grandma Cooper hates this one so much she calls once a week with alternatives), Sawyer, Carter (your grandma Weyrick’s favorite), Zachary (your grandpa Weyrick’s favorite) and Gabriele (your mom’s favorite). Just last night me and your mom decided we both really like Kieran. Your middle name is going to be Michael (already decided) and of course your last name is Cooper. The contender right now is Kieran Michael Cooper. We’ll see.

Dad

Dear Son

Dear son,
Your parents are weird. Don’t let anyone tell you any different. Your mom, if you don’t already know it, loves dogs almost to the exclusion of all other things. I’m a science fiction geek with a taste for new media technology. Although by the time you grow up, there will probably be vastly different new media technology than the stuff I teach about now. That’s okay. Hopefully I’ll be keeping up with the latest trends in communication.

I need to apologize for waiting six months before starting this online journal. If you know anything about me by the time you read this, I guess you won’t be surprised to find out it took me six months to start this.

Right now I’m reading Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of N.I.H.M to you (you are still in your mom’s belly). I hope you like the story. Mom’s afraid for Mrs. Frisby, but I have a feeling everything works out in the end for her and her little mice.

Dad