Evan Matthew Beech was born today, December 8th, 2008 at 7:56pm. He weighed a healthy 8lbs 5.2oz and was 19.5 inches long. For you medical nerds, his Apgar was 9/9. All is well, and he and mama are healthy and beautiful. I have included some of my favorite pics from the first week - birth, hospital and coming home.

All of the tales of lost sleep when you get a little bundle of (pukey, poopy) joy are 100% true. Eric and Laura know this, so I know the ribbing about "update already" are done in jest...and amusement. Sorry so brief, but there is so much to do and so many kisses on sweet-smelling heads to give.

(Links because I am lazy)

http://img520.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc02877ef7.jpg

http://img514.imageshack.us/my.php?image=n11452602222368901067fm1.jpg

http://img88.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc02922wb6.jpg

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http://img120.imageshack.us/my.php?image=n11452602222369006646rp8.jpg

WE GO PLAY HOOP

Last night I sang lullabies and Beatles songs to my son. He got excited and kicked at the sound of my voice.

I called my dad.

I am now a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).

It's really awesome watching smart people argue for a change.

I came home after work, stripped down to just my work slacks, strapped on my guitar and just played for and hour and a half. Loud.

I finally wrote new music. I don't care how old I am or how tragic it is anymore - I need to record this stuff. I'll never make money doing it but I just want to have it forever.

Aaron,

Hope you are having a punch-dick birthday.

PS: I would call if I weren't such a shitty, self-absorbed friend.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2975386

A pretty good article, but the best parts are the three videos on the right side. The last one is from this morning where Matt was talking over the phone to ESPN Hotlist. He explains the whole thing very well, and uses some awfully big words. He's a Beech, after all.
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http://www.connpost.com//ci_6631730?IADID=Search-www.connpost.com-www.connpost.com

This one is amazing. Apparently a good photographer with a good camera got a lot of pictures and the Connecticut Post put them in a slideshow. If you click through at the right speed is honestly like watching a video. ALSO, if you read the content of that article it is surreal. Offerman is denying that he hit anyone.

Yeah.
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http://www.connpost.com/elsberry/ci_6634596
http://www.connpost.com/sports/ci_6634597

Another couple of decent articles about their press conference at the field today.
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Here it is in plain language for everyone who is postulating that Matt hit Offerman intentionally. In fact, let's use bullet points:

- If Matt (or any other pitcher) retaliated by throwing at every batter who hit a home run off of them in the previous at bat, there would be around 500 times more ejections. Bombs happen - don't get bitter, get better.

- The first pitch was an off-speed pitch thrown for a strike. If you are looking to retaliate, you wouldn't really waste time getting ahead in the count with a difficult pitch. You throw a fastball in.

- If you want to make sure you peg a batter, you don't do it with a breaking ball (a cutter, or cut fastball in this case) at a tiny little body part like a calf. You throw a fastball at his ribs. There are plenty of reasons, but the foremost being that the fastball is the easiest to place.

- He told me he didn't.