Parenting Classes

I am preparing to take some math classes online through LSU - Independent Study. Sweet. So how about taking some parenting classes online? I got my first lesson from my friend Russ. Here is what I learned in my first lesson:

Here's an update on the development of Round 2.

• Hearing is starting to develop, so he/she can might be able to hear us!
  
• The baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — his/her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker.
• The baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip).
• she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom.
• She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

As for Alison and I, we are still in Texas, with my parents. We have done a few things, such as help paint my parents house, watch my brothers record in a professional recording studio, played LOTS of settlers, eaten superb home cooking, visited guitar stores, and generally hanging out. And on Saturday - the grand finale - we will go play some paintball. Fantastic times.

In the Washington Post: The Crown Prince of Bahrain

Shaikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, the Crown Prince in Bahrain (and therefore the current king's son), wrote an article that was published in the Washington Post on Thursday. The article is about the Palestinian-Israel conflict. I really like the Crown Prince. Though, to be honest, I'm not really sure why. But he seems to have his country's best interest at heart. I think that he wants to do the best to help his country grow economically as well as strengthen social cohesion among Bahraini's. All in all, when he becomes king someday, I think he will do good things.

Arabs Need to Talk to the Israelis

By Shaikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa

We need fresh thinking if the Arab Peace Initiative is to have the impact it deserves on the crisis that needlessly impoverishes Palestinians and endangers Israel's security.

This crisis is not a zero-sum game. For one side to win, the other does not have to lose.

The peace dividend for the entire Middle East is potentially immense. So why have we not gotten anywhere?

Our biggest mistake has been to assume that you can simply switch peace on like a light bulb. The reality is that peace is a process, contingent on a good idea but also requiring a great deal of campaigning -- patiently and repeatedly targeting all relevant parties. This is where we as Arabs have not done enough to communicate directly with the people of Israel.

An Israeli might be forgiven for thinking that every Muslim voice is raised in hatred, because that is usually the only one he hears. Just as an Arab might be forgiven for thinking every Israeli wants the destruction of every Palestinian.

Essentially, we have not done a good enough job demonstrating to Israelis how our initiative can form part of a peace between equals in a troubled land holy to three great faiths. Others have been less reticent, recognizing that our success would threaten their vested interest in keeping Palestinians and Israelis at each other's throats. They want victims to stay victims so they can be manipulated as proxies in a wider game for power. The rest of us -- the overwhelming majority -- have the opposite interest.

It is in our interest to speak up now for two reasons. First, we will all be safer once we drain the pool of antipathy in which hatemongers from both sides swim.

Second, peace will bring prosperity. Already, the six oil and gas nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council have grown into a powerful trillion-dollar market. Removing the ongoing threat of death and destruction would open the road to an era of enterprise, partnership and development on an even greater scale for the region at large.

That is the glittering prize for resolving the dilemma of justice for Palestine without injustice to Israel. Effectively, this is the meta-issue that defines and distorts the self-image of Arabs and diverts too much of our energies away from the political and economic development the region needs.

The wasted years of deadlock have conditioned Israelis to take on a fortress mentality that automatically casts all Palestinians as the enemy -- and not as the ordinary, decent human beings they are.

Speaking out matters, but it is not enough. Our governments and all stakeholders also must be ready to carry out practical measures to help ease the day-to-day hardship of Palestinian lives.

The two communities in the Holy Land are not fated to be enemies. What can unite them tomorrow is potentially bigger than what divides them today.

Both sides need help from their friends, in the form of constructive engagement, to reach a just settlement.

What we don't need is the continued reflexive rejection of any initiative that seeks to melt the ice. Consider the response so far to the Arab peace plan, pioneered by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. This initiative is a genuine effort to normalize relations between the entire Arab region and Israel, in return for Israel's withdrawal from occupied territory and a fair resolution of the plight of the Palestinians, far too many of whom live in refugee camps in deplorable conditions.

We must stop the small-minded waiting game in which each side refuses to budge until the other side makes the first move. We've got to be bigger than that. All sides need to take simultaneous, good-faith action if peace is to have a chance. A real, lasting peace requires comprehensive engagement and reconciliation at the human level. This will happen only if we address and settle the core issues dividing the Arab and the Israeli peoples, the first being the question of Palestine and occupied Arab lands. The fact that this has not yet happened helps to explain why the Jordanian and Egyptian peace accords with Israel are cold. They have not been comprehensive.

We should move toward real peace now by consulting and educating our people and by reaching out to the Israeli public to highlight the benefits of a genuine peace.

To be effective, we must acknowledge that, like people everywhere, the average Israeli's primary window on the world is his or her local and national media. Our job, therefore, is to tell our story more directly to the Israeli people by getting the message out to their media, a message reflecting the hopes of the Arab mainstream that confirms peace as a strategic option and advocates the Arab Peace Initiative as a means to this end. Some conciliatory voices in reply from Israel would help speed the process.

Some Arabs, simplistically equating communication with normalization, may think we are moving too fast toward normalization. But we all know that dialogue must be enhanced for genuine progress. We all, together, need to take the first crucial step to lay the groundwork to effectively achieve peace. So we must all invest more in communication.

Once we achieve peace, trade will follow. We can then create a "virtuous circle," because trade will create its own momentum. By putting real money into people's hands and giving them real power over their lives, trade will help ensure the durability of peace. The day-to-day experience would move minds and gradually build a relationship of trust and mutual interest, without which long-term peacemaking is impossible.

When stability pays, conflict becomes too costly. We must do more, now, to achieve peace.

Stomping in the Old Stomping Grounds - Philly Edition

Some of you know that I lived in Philadelphia for a year, through a program called Mission Year. It was a really formative year for me spiritually as well as theologically (sort of formative... maybe that would take a while to explain...)

Anyway, so Alison and I are in Philadelphia this week visiting some friends. Though we are actually staying in the suburbs of Philly, we have been able to go into the city a few times this week. On Sunday, we walked around some historic and trendy areas of Philadelphia. I didn't spend a whole lot of time in these areas when I lived here, but its kind of fun to go to, none the less.

Yesterday, Alison and I headed into the city again, but this time to Southwest Philly. We took the trains into the city, and then took Philly's iconic trolleys into Southwest. We had intended to meet a friend, and so we stopped off a park near where we though he lived. Not there, though. After that, we took a chance further into the city, hoping to meet a family I knew/know well. We just kind of showed up, and fortunately they were home! We sat and talked with them for about 3 hours, catching up, telling them how Alison and I met. It was a lot of fun to see their girls, too, who had grown up so much. One is 23 with a son of her own - not really a girl anymore!

I wish I had pictures to post while I was with my friends. Unfortunately, Alison and I didn't think it important to bring a camera back with us. Oh well. Next time.

An Update on Round 2

A blog post just isn't complete without an update on the little guy/girl (no, we don't know which yet). 66% of physicians surveyed agree that Alison is a little over 15 weeks along, which means that he/she is about the size of an apple.

According to the Baby Center, the following things are happening to "The Hunter", as my own father has taken to calling him/her.

• The air sacs in the lungs are developing
• He/she can move all the limbs now
• The eyelids are fused shut, but he/she can sense light and will respond to a flashlight shined on the womb
• Taste buds are forming, and cravings for Chipotle, Dark Chocolate, Dr. Pepper and Caribou Coffee are beginning to develop
  
• It's POSSIBLE to know the gender of the baby, but we won't have a checkup for a few weeks, probably. When we know, you will know.
  

Remember to vote for your favorite name. Its amazing how many people have voted on my poll so far!

An Update on Round 2

Many of you, I'm sure, are waiting in suspense for more information about Round 2. Is he/she a boy or a girl? What will his/her name be? How big is he/she? Well, Alison is starting to show, and I'm sure it won't be long till she is waddling like a pro.

On the right, I have added a poll where YOU can decide what you think the name of the baby should be. I've added a few new names and have included some original ideas and suggestions offered by others.

In our small group, before we left Bahrain, we had a brainstorming session for baby names. I think Alison was less than enthused, but we came up with some good ideas. Someone mentioned names like "Grace", "Faith", "Hope" or "Christian" - all very good, Biblically grounded names. So I thought, why not keep with the themes of theological concepts. Why not "Sanctification" or "Propitiation"? Maybe even "Justification"?

In related news, I thought I'd share some updated info about the baby itself. Of course, you can see the current size of the baby (the size of a nutter butter cookie). But here is some more detailed info from parentsconnect.com:

• Your baby can make a fist and even suck his or her thumb this week—both skills that are über-cute during infancy ... and not so much at the age of 9. If you're really lucky, you might catch a glimpse of baby's thumb sucking on an ultrasound photo. That's a framer!
• Your baby's eyelids are fused shut to protect his eyes as they develop. His bones and skull are solidifying and soon itsy-bitsy ribs may appear. (Baby ribs! How cute is that?!)
• Baby's intestines are finally right where you want them—in his or her belly instead of poking out into the umbilical cord.
• Baby's tooth sockets are all loaded and ready to pop out baby teeth six or seven months after baby is born (causing baby a lot of pain and you a lot of lost sleep).
• Who's that singing? dc talk? Could be your baby: His vocal cords and larynx are completed now.

We'll keep you posted on Round 2's development, as well as my continued work to get Alison to at least consider some of my options.

A New Direction

Many people already know this, but some do not. I will be experiencing a little bit of a job change this next year. I have resigned from my position at Al Raja (where I was teaching history and economics). On the one hand, this is very sad, as I have really enjoyed teaching the students at this school as well as working with the staff. I will miss them a lot.

I will now be working at our church I attend as the Community Relations Coordinator. This will be a part time job, and my responsibilities will revolve around helping coordinate different events that the church puts on. I'm really looking forward to it. However, as it is part time, I will also be teaching English at one of the local English institutes. There are a lot of great things that will come about with all of this - including a little bit of flexibility for when the baby comes.

In other news, we have been in the US for about a week now. Today is independence day, and if you wish, you can read about my thoughts on celebrating this day here. Had a great breakfast made by my brother-in-law and his wife, played some tennis and then we'll head to church tonight where Alison will be able to see some friends. Its going to be an action packed summer, and you can track all of our travels here.

Unfortunately, Alison still doesn't have clothes. British Air lost a whole truckload of luggage, including mine and Alison's bags. A few days ago, they found mine and delivered it to the house we are staying at. However, they still have not found Alison's bag. Hopefully this will translate into an upgrade of seats for us on the way back to Bahrain. We'll play the you-lost-the-bag-of-a-pregnant-woman-and-made-her-suffer card.