The obligatory life update

First, of course, is the big news. For those of you who don't know, my lovely wife is pregnant. She is due in late July. She's feeling pretty good thus far, and she'll soon be out of the window where she had morning sickness the last time around. She's interested in the possibility of having a girl, so she won't listen when I tell her that I'm simply too manly to produce a girl.

Beyond that, everything else pales in comparison. As mentioned earlier, I just finished the busiest semester of my life. In addition to a full class load, I worked part time and interned for credit with a federal judge. Individually, they were all wonderful experiences, but collectively, it was quite a strain. I estimate that I wrote nearly 110 pages worth of papers and drafts of opinions. My wife is an angel for putting up with my grumpy self the past four months.

In "I'm not going to be poor forever" news, I will be working as an associate this summer at the largest law firm in Milwaukee. Among all the other benefits of working at a large firm (cough *paycheck* cough), they have a really diverse practice. I'm really looking forward to trying a few different areas of the law to see what I enjoy. I'm currently leaning toward litigation, but I want to try tax and a few other areas as well.

Jake is also growing and learning faster than I thought possible. He's quite literally learning something new every day, and it's constantly blowing my mind. I'm really looking forward to this time off because I don't spend as much time with him as I would like. If you thought I had a high opinion of myself, just wait til you hear me talk about him.

Wisconsin weather is truly awful. On Friday, we got 13 inches of snow. Today, the wind chill has been hovering between -20 and -30. It's really putting a cramp on my Christmas shopping.

I think that's about it. I hope to keep a semi-regular bogging schedule in the coming weeks. Over the next few days, I hope to discuss Notre Dame football and provide an open letter to the President-elect.

Loose ends

1. My wife knew of my love for John Adams prior to our marriage, so she has no excuses now. (She didn't know of my secret affection for Johannes Gutenberg though.)

2. Yes, my family is probably going to be wealthy some day. If that day comes, however, I'd like to think that I'll retain enough self-awareness to refrain from flaunting it under the guise of complaining about the commute to my second home to a poor 25-year-old law student.

3. Diablo II had a powerful ability to bring roommates together. I hope III can do the same.

4. Nick the Stick was only absent from my sweet allegory because I couldn't think of a historical fuigure from that period who would try to walk from Farley to Knott and end up on the other side of a lake. John Burgoyne, maybe?

5. Jake took his first steps the other day. It's a dizzying, terrifying experience to watch.

Being poor rules!

Actually, working for half a year while marrying a student and being a parent rules. Thanks to the federal government's largesse (specifically via the Earned Income and Additional Child credits), we are getting $2,968 in tax credits even though we didn't withhold a penny in 2007. If we add in the $79 from the state, we're getting over $3,000 for no reason. If we further add in the estimated $900 we're allegedly going to get to "stimulate the economy" this summer, that's nearly $4,000.

Maybe I should start voting Democrat...

A word of caution

If you don't care for the song "Frere Jacques," you probably shouldn't have a child.

More difficult: Children or law school?

After trading one for the other today, I'd say children. Jake has pinkeye, so dad's home playing Mr. Mom today. It's been really nice to have a day alone with my son, but it's also exhausting. Aside from naps, babies need attention all the time! I thought only Big Jim was that needy.

Also, huzzah for 300 posts!

Hooray for government cheese (and milk, and formula, and eggs...)

Guys, our money problems are over; we are officially on welfare! Come on kids, help me scatter car parts on the front lawn.
-Peter Griffin

Not quite, but my family is now officially on WIC (Women, Infants & Children), and we receive free formula, milk, eggs, cheese, juice, and other things that I'm forgetting. I love the fact that a future doctor and lawyer are eligible for such programs. If there's a better advertisement against the welfare state, I'm not sure what it is.

Having said that, I'm certainly not begrudging any of the free stuff. I just find it a little silly.

Jake at 1 month

FAQ

Thought I'd take the opportunity to publicly answer some questions I've been asked recently.

Q: Is your son sleeping through the night yet?
A: No, although last night he had his longest stretch of continuous sleep yet, over 5.5 hours. It was the first night during which he only woke up once. Needless to say, it was enjoyable.

Q: Have you read Harry Potter yet?
A: No. We have the book, but my wife is currently working her way through it as I reread the penultimate book.

Q: Are you still supporting John McCain?
A: Yes, although I fear his chances are quite slim. I disagree with him on some pretty important issues, but I still think he gets the big picture better than anyone else out there. On a slight tangent, I'll probably throw up in my mouth a bit if Romney is the nominee.

Baby Jake

Although he already looks different, here's a picture of my little guy at just one day old.

I'll sleep when I'm dead

Which, at this rate, might be in about two or three weeks.

What they say about not getting much sleep after you have a child is true. At 18 days old, Jake would still rather sleep during the day than the night. I sat him down and tried to have a talk with him, but I think he was more concerned with his bowel movements.

Still, as tired as I am, I have to salute my wife, who must be even more exhausted. When Jake cries, I can wake up and fall back to sleep. Mrs. Rico, on the other hand, dutifully goes to work breastfeeding.

Once we work out these sleeping kinks, I have one more important lesson to teach him: a poop is not a traumatic experience.

Back in the game

To paraphrase Jimmy Chitwood: I figured it's time for me to start blogging again.

Over the past two weeks, I've become intimately acquainted with the details of fatherhood. Let me give you the inside scoop: Babies are hard work.

With that knowledge, I've set the parenting bar pretty low. My ultimate goal is to not irreparably harm my child (physically, emotionally, and the like) before he leaves for college.

By my calculations, he should leave for college on or around August 17, 2025. From his birth (June 17) to that date is 948 weeks.

Two down, 946 to go.

This depresses me.

I knew Jacob was a popular name, but this just upsets me. I really don't want my son to be one of 11 'Jacobs' in his class. I suppose the only way we're going to get around that is to call him by his unofficial name, Jacobim:



Also, just because it has to be said, seven of the 10 girls names on that list are ridiculous. No son of mine will marry a "Madison."

Baby Rico

This an a picture of my unborn son, Batman British Johnny Rico Jacob, circa 20.5 weeks:



If you can't read those notes, they say, from left to right, "Spine," "Fist," "Chin Lips Nose," and "Noggin."

Fix Bayonets!

Congratulations to Rico and Mrs. Rico.

I think we can all agree that any child of Rico is sure to be larger than life. Only one combination of first and middle name is capable of living up the legend. A name that spread fear to the four corners of the earth (as well as tea and a certain sense of fair play). A name the sun never set on.

British Footman.

It's a boy!

I've already got it all figured out:

Notre Dame, Class of 2029

Governor of Wisconsin (or some similar state): 2042

White House: 2052

Of course, this all assumes that he doesn't end up going to the NFL. If he chooses that route, the political aspirations should probably be pushed back about 12 years.

In all seriousness, the important thing is that the baby is healthy and developing very nicely. He's got all his limbs and organs, and he's positioned well in the womb.

I'm really a father!

So I had my first real terrifying father moment today. Lauren called me earlier tonight to tell me she was rear-ended. My immediate thought was "Oh God, I hope she's okay." However, just a split-second later, my mind turned right to our child. It was the first time - the first of many, I would expect - that I genuinely feared for the fate of my child.

Thankfully, it appears that both mother and child are okay. We have to get the results of some tests tomorrow, but barring any surprises, we should be in the clear. Thank God.

The upshot of this story is that I feel more like a father today than I have felt in the first four months of Lauren's pregnancy. I couldn't be happier.

Also, this is the second major accident Lauren's been involved in. Neither was her fault, and both involved Asian drivers.

I'm just sayin'.