Zip your lip! Sorry I have lax in posting. You have every right to be annoyed with me as I leave you hanging on the fate of lil Squirt.

Short story is, as expressed yesterday, he's fine.

Actually, he's fantastic.

Except at 3 AM, when he's hungry and suffering the indignity and discomfort of the ol' wet diaper. Then, he's a real pain in the arse.

Long story. Lil Squirt, as we discovered at the 3 (4?) D ultrasound prior to his arrival, had a unilateral, incomplete cleft lip. Palette was, in fact, intact. So, instead of having to suffer through multiple surgeries for palette, lip, ear, etc. correction, he merely needed some cosmetic surgery to fix the lip. Trust me, there are worse things than this. As evidence I offer the following: google "facial cleft." Let me know what you think of those stories.

Alright, back to Lil Squirt. Plastic surgeons, probably at the urging of worried parents, wait only 3 to 6 months before correcting the cleft lip. The reason they cite is that the earlier the operative scar is made, the better the chances are that the scar will fade in appearance. They wait until they believe the infant is of a age/weight where the general anesthesia is not a huge risk.

That was Mrs. Friendly's and my primary concern. Once put down, we hoped that lil Squirt would wake up. Thank God, he did. Now his only worry is his cool scar which may need further surgery dependent on how the lip looks in a few years.

How does he look? Well, the early results are in and I think the results are successful. Despite being a handsome little devil with the split lip, the reconstruction makes him cuter. Hear that ladies!

Speaking of ladies, this kid really attracts attention from the fairer sex. I remember that Junior did and still does get a great deal of attention due to her cuteness, but I notice that nurses, old and young ladies, female doctors are all enamored of the little man. I must remember to tell him that the ladies like cute and he should remain so for efficacious future relations.

Now, after hearing my tale of woe, you might want to do something. Well, I am only too happy to oblige. Although we did not prevail upon both of these institutions for services, they do good work. First off, we have Boston Children's Hospital. Mrs. and I visited twice: once for prenatal testing; the second time for a consult after lil' Squirt was born. In both instances, I was struck by the approach the staff took there. Generally, I am underwhelmed by the level of effort and attitude of those in the medical industry. At Boston Children's, our experience with the staff was phenomenal. They really seem to be dedicated to the service of children. Given that the average level of affliction there is considerably higher than lil' Squirt's, e.g. facial clefts, undeveloped appendages, heart deformations, etc., their level of effort is a blessing indeed. Secondly, we have the Cleft Palatte Foundation, let's call it a clearinghouse for those who suffer, at the very least, as badly as lil' Squirt. For the most part, these kids are much worse shape.

Please, if you can spare a few bucks, send it either way.

Again, thanks for your interest in lil' Squirt and for your thoughts and prayers.  ¶ 1:02 PM