Baby Bear was sick today

My son James has been giving his mom and me a scare these past 2-3 days. He has had a fever and it has not seemed to go away like his others have in the past. So instead of waiting we called the on call nurse at Egleston Children's Hospital. She listened to my wife and then heard my son cough over the phone and said just to be sure we should bring him in to the emergency room. So we headed over there with James and his Baby Bear in tow. Baby Bear is a little stuffed bear that was giving to us when he was born. It is one of his many stuffed bears that sleeps with him in his crib. James seems to hold onto this one whenever he is not feeling well.

So off we went to the hospital. We got there and to my surprise were seen quite quickly for an emergency room. Usually with most emergency rooms we would have to spend many hours just getting someone to fill out our paperwork just to get him seen. We walked in and was given a small device that looked like a remote control but was actually a vibrating beeper. The young lady at the desk told us that when this beep went off it would then be our turn to have James seen. No more then about 15 minute rolled by and that beeper was going off. We were then lead into a small room where two nurses took James' vital signs. They had a little chair no bigger than him to sit in and get comfortable. They then placed some very small probes to his hand and fingers to get his blood pressure and heart rate. After all this was done we were then told to go back into the waiting room until the doctor could see us. Any time James felt a little out of place or scared there was Baby Bear to calm him down.

We then waited another 30-45 minutes to get to see the doctor. I was not too impressed with the doctor but I was impressed with the way our registration was taken. The person doing the registration came into our room to take our information using a tablet pc. After getting the information from us she had me sign off on what she took down right on the computer using a stylus pen. I signed my name electronically. This I thought was the most efficient way one could get this information without having use wait in line and have to speak to someone behind a glass wall like most hospitals I was used to being in.

We then got a frozen popsicle treat for James and a prescription for an antibiotic that should help him with his ear infection and his fever. They even validated our parking so we would not have to pay a parking fee. So as a result both James and Baby Bear and now at home sleeping soundly and getting his strength back to goto daycare on this Tuesday hopefully.

Lisa and I really didn't have anything to worry about but as new parents wanted to be safe than sorry. We are so blessed to have this wonderful time with James at this age. He is only two but we know within time he and Baby Bear with both grow up to not need each other as much as they do now.

Father's Day 2005

Here I am at 7:45pm in the evening at work on Father's day. I spend a wonderful day eairler today with my wife Lisa and my son James. Lisa let me sleep in till about 1pm. Sleep I truely needed after getting home the night before at about 3am. I got up in haste because my wife had just come into the room crying her eyes out. I asked her what was the matter and she mumbled something I could not hear. It turns out she was crying because she was finishing an assignment I had given her.

You see my wife was very close to her great grandmother. Besty, as she is affectionately known to her great grand and grand children. Lisa misses her dearly and always metioned to me that Besty would have loved me if she would have gotten the chance to meet me. My wife Lisa has a wonderful gift. One that she shares on occation when the mood hits her. She is a writer. I say this is a gift because I regard writing as not just a talent or skill that can be tought but a special reward that God has given you to touch people with the writen word. I have been trying to get Lisa to write more but for some strange reason she does not believe in her speacial gift of writing.

So when she asked me what I wanted for my second Father's day I told her I wanted something written by her about Besty. I wanted her to tell me in three short paragraphs something about Besty that would give me a better understanding of how she greatly touched not only her life but many others. Before I would have had to pull teeth to get her to write something for me. She would always find a reason to put it off or not do it at all. So this time I made it into a request of a gift I wanted for Father's day. She could not refuse me. Here is my Father's day gift from my wife.

To Jeffrey Alexander Brathwaite
on Father’s Day


I’ve met a few men
that Lisa has fancied,
And yes, they were all
well and good.
But when I met you,
I tell you I knew,
Marry her?
You’d be
one who would.

And she is so happy,
We all can just see.
That’s what I’d expect,
Or you’d answer to me!

But you’re a good man.
So no worries there.
And now, look, fast forward,
You’ve got you an heir.

James Edward, James Edward,
A beautiful boy.
A “First”
in so many ways,
He brings us such joy.

He is the reason I stand here,
I say,
With wishes for a Happy
2nd Father’s Day.

This time last year,
it was diapers and poop.
This year, my son,
You’re still in the loop.

But the day will soon come,
When your son’s all grown up.
And you’ll fondly reflect
on his first sippy cup.

You’ll wonder what happened,
How could the time fly?
Was not it just yesterday
You heard his first cry?

And then you’ll have Lisa,
Who’ll stand by your side,
and hold your hand tightly,
Too beaming with pride.

You see James is special,
He comes from a line
Of hard-working, loving men,
Faithful and fine.

He has no choice
But to grow like them too.
The one he’ll be
most influenced by?
Dear, it’s you.

And I’m happy about that,
And I have no fear,
‘Cause I love who you are,
And your value is clear.

So walk with the Lord,
He’ll guide you, I know.
Fatherhood is not easy,
But the way He will show.

So stand tall, Stand proud,
Say I—Great-Great-Grandmother,
You’ve done well with James,
Now I want me another!

Happy Father’s Day!


Happy Father’s Day, My Love.

Kisses, Your Wife

My son and my brother

James Edward Brathwaite

was born on January 29, 2004. James Norman Brathwaite was born December 17, 1970. James Edward is my son and James Norman was my brother. My son was named after my brother who died of Bacterial meningitis when I was 16 years old. He was 14 at the time of his death.