Hey, ma, I wanna show you something... watch... see, I can blow bubbles! Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm sitting up, too, eh?

Ian is here!!!! Ian Japhy Woods was born at 7:10 a.m. today and is now resting with mama (Keri) and pops (Steve). So he was holding out to be a Libra after all... for the record, he's also Taurus moon, Libra Mercury, Scorpio Venus, Virgo Mars, Leo Jupiter, and Gemini Saturn. (I haven't figured out the ascendant yet -- too much math for a brain functioning on five hours' sleep.)

Welcome to the world, Ian.

Of course southern California has seasons. Fire season, flood season, earthquake season... The days are shorter now but here they're also hotter, drier, and smoggier. It'll top 100 degrees tomorrow across much of the southland, just like yesterday, just like today. September in soCal sucks. That's the weather -- back to you, Marv.

Thanks, Jeff. Tonight's top story: FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! You can see the flames leaping into the sky -- it's visible from all over the LA Basin, even from downtown LA! (cut to endless video of hills in flames and random person-on-the-street interviews and more endless video of FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!) Five thousand acres burning and no end in sight! (more video - fire makes for great news footage)

In other news, California governor Gray Davis today signed a bill mandating paid leave for employees after the birth or adoption of a child, or to care for sick relatives. This makes California the first U.S. state to enact such a measure. The six paid weeks of leave are scant compared to the months- or even year-long family leave options in places like Sweden or Denmark, but it's a (really, really small) step.

Some people aren't happy about this bill, but not because it's not enough... from the "did you really say that out loud" department, as reported in today's LA Times: "Paid family leave is one of the worst bills for employers in the 2001-02 legislative session," said [Julianne Broyles, a lobbyist for the California Chamber of Commerce]. "This bill fails miserably to address the real cost concerns of employers -- the costs of replacement workers and additional overtime to cover for absent workers, training costs and loss of productivity." Yeah, drag that new mama back to work right away -- give her one week, that's plenty. She'll give you lots of happy productivity on thirty-seven minutes of sleep, with raging post-partum hormones (I can say this; I've been there), and having to leave her brand new baby in someone else's arms. Six weeks -- bah! Buncha wussy liberal wimps.

Others have a different perspective on the issues and priorities involved -- also from the LA Times article: "We as a nation love to talk about ourselves as a family-friendly nation, but when it comes to having the policies in place to live up to that we often fall short," said Judith Lichtman, president of the National Partnership for Women and Children, a Washington-based advocacy group involved in the nationwide battle over paid family leave.

Yup. You got that right, mama.

Thanks for that incisive commentary, Anne. Now for today's travel report, brought to you by No-Doz: Antonio just called from "somewhere about two hours west of Grand Junction," Colorado. "We stopped for a Moosehead and a shot of whiskey, and we're about to go get some sleep." Okay, hon, glad you added that last part. Lessee, looking at the map, assuming they're on I-70, I'm gonna guess they're in Green River, Utah. Which is, yes, on the Green River (which really is green in some spots), and is also just west of beautiful Arches National Park. The next town out -- 102 miles out -- is Salina, and the map has a notation, "No gasoline available between Salina and Green River." Ah, the remote, heavenly West... So I'm guessing he and his dad will show up here sometime tomorrow night. Two months to the day after Antonio left. Half a lifetime for little Lazarus. (No, no pictures today -- the heat and smog have made me CRANKY.)

That's it for today -- thanks for watching. (cue more video of FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!)

You who are on the road
must have a code
that you can live by

Not much to write about today... just tired out and looking at another long night of editing because I couldn't get much done today with Laz awake just about the whole day. He gave me a half-hour nap this afternoon, and I had to choose: shower or lunch? Cleanliness may be next to Godliness, but a growling stomach will drown out calls from the divine sector every time. For me, at least.

Antonio's current ETA in Los Angeles: Sept. 20, 21, or 22, depending on whether he finishes his dad's house tomorrow or Wednesday, takes a day out to see Stu and Edith, and stops in Grand Junction on the way home to see Aunt Barb. And he has to get his truck worked on before hitting the road. Whatever, babe, just get your ass home before winter. Or before I tear all my hair out trying to take care of the house, cat, fish, plants, garden, work, bills, and, of course, baby. Every day has become a sort of marathon: tend to Lazarus (feed, change, play, cuddle), park Laz and rush to take care of something (meal, dishes, laundry, email, bottle washing, fish, plants...), pick up baby when he's had enough of being parked, feed/change/play/cuddle as needed, park baby again and work for the 27 minutes he's either asleep or content to stare at the fish (why I am still taking care of them after all these months), pick up baby and feed/change/play/cuddle as needed, and on it goes. Laz doesn't nap for an hour or two at a time anymore, and lately has needed more attention, so everything else gets squeezed in where possible, if possible, and stuff like showers and nail clipping and dusting just doesn't happen because it's not high enough up on the list. And when Laz falls asleep around 9 or 10 p.m., I take a deep breath and get back on the computer and work till I run out of steam. Last night, I made it to 2:00 a.m. -- good thing I'm a night person because it's the only time I have free to concentrate on anything.

But I'd still rather be doing this than anything else I could possibly think of. Why? Here's why. And around... we... go...

Hey, ma, know what Ian told me? He said he needs more elbow room. And I told him, there's only one way he's gonna get that...

Keri will be 40 weeks pregnant tomorrow. You rock, woman. We so totally can't wait to meet your baby -- Antonio wants him to wait till next weekend to come, but I know Steve's nerves are already a bit frayed from waiting... What, you mean THIS guy is Ian's dad???

When the power of love
overcomes the love of power
then, and only then
shall we have peace.

-Anonymous, taken from a bulletin board
in the DaNang Red Cross Center,
Freedom Hill, 1971

Betcha by golly wow, you're the one that I've been waiting for, forever...

Yeah, I'm smitten with Lazarus... motherhood seems to be the one thing I'm doing right these days, and I'll take that while it lasts.

We went to Three Bears Park yesterday and today -- I walked through that park countless times when I lived in Philly and always gazed longingly at the kids playing on the swings and slides and clamboring over the bears... Laz really seemed to enjoy himself, both on the walk over and back (where he gazed up at the trees, fascinated by the intricate patterns of leaves and branches and sunlight) and at the park, where he intently watched the kids at play. Mom came with me today, and we posed Laz on the bears, in the swing (which he was unsure of at first, but got the hang of with me holding him), and on the bench with Grandma. All too soon he'll be a big guy toddling along with the other kids... but I love watching him learn how to focus his gaze, reach for things, blow spit bubbles -- the important things in life.

We saw more family on Sunday, and aunt Nancy gave Laz a fuzzy rabbit that Laz just loves... Look what the bunny does when I pull his ear, ma -- aaahhh, attack of the killer rabbit!!! -- heh heh, just kidding!

Hey pretty baby don't you know it ain't my fault, I love to hear the steel belts hummin' on the asphalt...

Laz and I are back from our big road trip, and once again the little guy gets big points for being an awesome traveler. He's a road-tripper just like his mama! We drove from Philly to western Massachusetts on Tuesday and came back today, taking the scenic route up through New York state (we Angelenos are tough drivers, but I won't take on the New York City area...). Maria and her family just loved da baby, and I got this nice photo of him with mama in front of Maria's meadow. Maria's kids are awesome... I have so much to look forward to!

I told Maria that I realized the other day that we've known each other for half our lives -- her reply: "Man we're old." Nah, just wiser. Heh.

Laz is still a ways from sitting up on his own, but when I prop him up, he doesn't just smush over anymore, either. What, another photo?!?

I was thinking last night about how overwhelming it is to contemplate a whole life in the making. Lazarus is just over three months old now, and he gets more amazing and precious to me every day... but even as I revel in each new sound, smile, and movement he makes, part of me wishes this babyhood would never end.

Maybe that's just because I don't know what's ahead, and people keep telling me, oh, enjoy him now, because when he's a toddler/eight-year-old/teenager/whatever, you'll have your hands full. Why do people have to wag their fingers and tell us there's bad stuff up ahead? I'm trying to tune those people out and listen to those who say things like, I loved my boys as teenagers because...

The biggest thing on my mind is figuring out how to keep Lazarus sweet and innocent enough to be happy and kind, but savvy enough to be able to defend himself and not get taken advantage of. He is so, so sweet and good-natured, and I want desperately to spare him the pain that I and my brother went through trying to fit in and, over time, learning to feel okay about ourselves even though we so completely didn't fit in... Is it enough for Lazarus that I love him with all my heart???? I hope so, because I feel a bit out of my league on everything else.