Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Applying Flame retardant Suit
Today Dylan took his first step toward officially becoming a Jew. He was circumcised. At 6:30 this morning we went over to the surgery center. There we were met by the wonderful Cantor K, our Moyal. We went over things with the anesthesiologist and the urologist and then they took Dylan to the OR. There, in the presence of the Moyal, he was put under a general and the circumcism was performed. As the surgeon worked, so did the Moyal. After, the surgeon came out and told us he was done and that everything had gone smoothly. Cantor K came out with him and brought us into a separate room where he recited prayers, we had some manachevitz (at 8:15 a.m. - hey - it's happy hour somewhere right!) and then we went back to see Dylan.
He cried coming out of the anesthesia but as soon as we gave him a bottle of juice, he was fine. We came home and he slept for a number of hours. To see him right now, slamming his bottle on the floor, crawling, getting into general mischief, you'd never know what happened today.
Before you flame me, please know that Marc and I put a great deal of thought into this decision. One of my blog friends who is very much anti-circ wrote me a heartfelt and well thought out email as to why I shouldn't have this procedure done to my son. As she took so much time in writing it -I took a great deal of time in making this decision.
First and foremost - this is one of the most sacred rites in the Jewish religion. While we do know that there are Jews who are anti-circ, we are just not one of them.
The second and most compelling argument to do it was first hand accounts by parents we had met who had made the decision not to circumcise their son only to have it done when they were older because of infection. Please don't tell me it's rare, I have spoken to so many people IRL this has happened to for it to be a fluke. My sister-in-law is a pediatrician and has told me war stories. The last straw was Dylan's teacher. Her son had a circ at 12 years old due to a terrible infection that had the poor kid out of school for an entire month.
On a wholly shit note... not only did Dylan have surgery today but he climbed up two steps in the house today! Can you say - time for another gate or two :)
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Congrats Dylan!! Yep, Definantly time for gates Julie!
ReplyDeleteOn the whole circ debate, well, I am 'for' them for health reasons. Glad it went smoothly. Better now than 10 or more years from now, he won't remember a thing! Hugs.
I'm personally not planning on circing my kid (if it's a boy). But I think it's a decision each family has to make. and I really appreciate that you thought about why you did what you needed to do. Doing things blindly one way or the other is just plain stupid. THinking through it is what matters most. It just goes to show how lucky Dylan is to have a mama like you. :)
ReplyDeleteYour decision, whether based on health or religion was YOUR decision. Some will disagree (I personally agree) and it's their right to do so, but hopefully they will be respectful of the decision you made.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, the gates. Thank you Mr. Child Gate Inventor from us here drinking Budweiser (or whatever form of drink you choose).
Mazeltov Dylan! Your baby, your choice. Both my boys are circ'ed for the record.
ReplyDeleteI'm not pro-circ, but I agree that there seem to be quite a few boys getting it done older due to problems with infections etc. I work with no less than 6 people who have had to get their sons done at age 5+ because of this.
ReplyDeleteI said a Shechiyanu. Mazel Tov! Glad everything went smoothly.
ReplyDeleteYay for manachevitz!
ReplyDeleteYay for climbing stairs!
And most of all: Yay for making the decision that is right for you!
Stairs....OH MY! Happy to hear that Dylan is bouncing back quickly!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't think to question it, particularly since you are Jewish and its a huge part of your religion.
ReplyDeleteDucking flames while admitting that we had our son circ'd because frankly, it never occured to us not to.
Congratulations! I think it's your decision (and your DH's, of course), and you did the right thing. What amazes me is a baby's ability to climb stairs as if nothing happened- gotta love that! congrats again!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to full on motherhood!
ReplyDeleteNo decision I've made as "mother" has passed without comment from someone (family, friends, passersby even) so you've got to set your own course and remember nothing you do will be right to everyone in your world.
This is just the start. Wait till you get to schools. ;)
Congratulations :)
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that Dylan is doing so well after the procedure. :)
ReplyDeleteThis decision was yours alone as parents and it is great you thought it through so much. We will circ as well and spent a lot of time researching to come to the same conclusions you did.
ReplyDeleteThe clincher. My boss having a circ in his 30's after a zipper accident! *ouch*
Yeah Julie:)
ReplyDeleteSo happy that everything went well with Dylan. We had Ben and he had to be redone at a year because the skin gre back up... But everything is fine. My friend didn't have it done for her son and at 5 he wouldn't use the bathroom because he looked different. At six he start to get infections and had it done over the summer. He is fine today! My husband is also done...but later in his life and was made it wasn't done when he was a baby:)
God Bless,
Check ebay out for gates for Dylan.
Summer
Can you believe my son was circumcised in Guatemala at birth? We were surprised, but pleased. I am not a man so I wouldn't know this for sure, but I was afraid of teasing and such in locker rooms if he wasn't circumcised. Plus, like others have mentioned, my father had to have it done in his 40's and it was miserable.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the cir went smoothly and Dylan seems to be taking it like a champ.
ReplyDeleteAs for baby gates....ummm yeah....we have 3 just on the first floor of our house. You can't leave or enter any room without stepping over one. Its kinda like a workout.
Mazel tov! Would never have questioned your family decision.
ReplyDelete(good luck with the climbing!)
Mazel Tov, Dylan!
ReplyDeleteYour child, your decision, IMO.
hello
ReplyDeleteput your info in jewisheritage.fr
shalom
marcel