My midwife ( not doula, which is the Greek word for maid or slave), who as a Greek was opposed to the procedure, said her son had to have it done for some reason when he was 2, and it was horribly painful and traumatic, especially wrt urination, which he tried to not do. So that helped convince me.

Mal started repeating my sounds tonight! It may be a fluke of course, but still - spooky!

I have no real thoughts to contribute on circumcision.

However, as part of my Photo Album For Bro's Wedding project, I have yet another picture to share (Arrested Development fans, take note): Steve Holt!

That is good to hear. The moyel (thanks for the spelling!) gave the 'rents some medicated jelly to use, which I'm guessing will help.

I just kept imagining acid on a wound and it made me wince.

My husband, lo those many years ago, was uncircumcised but he's the only man I've ever known, in the biblical sense, who wasn't.

The father's dad is a Pakistani physician. I asked if the dad had screamed when he was circumcised and the grand dad looked shocked. "No! I gave him Demorol!" Huh. I guess that would do it.

Timelies all. It's sunny and clear and getting hotter by the minute here, but not, thank goodness, humid. Yesterday after the rain the whole house -- furniture, linens -- felt vaguely damp.

{{{those in Dennis's path}}}

You all do this, don't you? The circumcision thing?

It seems almost like one of those self-perpetuating things. I know Stephen thought the boys should probably have it done because he had, simply because he didn't want them to feel different from Daddy. But also because it's such common practice here, that he didn't want them to feel self-conscious around other boys.

I don't think I've ever seen an uncircumcised penis.

At all the circumcisions I've seen, either a numbing cream is applied to the penis an hour or so beforehand or a local nerve block is performed. Right before the procedure, the baby gets a few milliliters of sugar water, which acts like a painkiller in neonatal brains for reasons no one really understands.

Every baby I've seen circumcised has cried quite a bit, but I get the sense that the tears are more because the baby's naked and strapped (literally) to a table surrounded by strangers in masks. Babies really, really don't like to be cold and they really, REALLY don't like having their limbs restrained. Every time I take a baby's temperature in their armpit, holding down that arm to keep the probe in place results in howls.

But also because it's such common practice here, that he didn't want them to feel self-conscious around other boys.

nods

I caught 5 minutes of Nip/Tuck the other day, and some pretty boy with pronounced eyebrows, who looked sufficiently familiar that I suspect he's been in, er, something or other I've watched before, possibly Dawson's Creek, possibly Buffy (only surely I'd have remembered...?) was trying to get laid, and his girlfriend looked at his bits, and then was all "Hmm. Are you part Arab, or something?" To which he said "No, no - is it a problem, that I'm not circumcised?" and she said "No, no problem. Er. But I think maybe we should just make out, 'kay?"

Poor lad. He looked gutted. When next we saw him, he had a sharp knife and was trying to do his own circumcision. (I rather enjoyed watching this, actually...I mean, the whole angstypoutyprettyboy-getting-his-kit-off, and a moment later fainting. Um.)

Oh! Which reminds me - my mother told me, a couple of years ago, that apparently my Dad (and this is SO my Dad) randomly did his own circumcision too, at some point. Not sure why, because it wasn't like he wasn't getting laid. But, yeah - got a stanley knife and some germoline, or something along those lines, and chopped off a bit of his old fella. That's Yorkshiremen for you - stoic and independent and more than a wee bit insane.

My husband, lo those many years ago, was uncircumcised but he's the only man I've ever known, in the biblical sense, who wasn't

Most of the men I've known well enough to know haven't been. Just an interesting demographic point.

I remember reading once, and I have no idea if it's correct or not, or even where I read it, but that Vitamin K absorption (or something to do with it), kicks in when a baby is 8 days old. If I'm remember correctly, this plays some part in clotting. So I always thought it was kind of neat that the religious circumcision practice for Jews included it being done on the child's 8th day.

It seems to me I heard that in the past (maybe WWII), some guys were required to be circumcised while in the armed forces. If true, I can understand how the practice grew to be so common, today.

Fay, you're totally squicking me. Eeeeew!

Poor lad. He looked gutted. When next we saw him, he had a sharp knife and was trying to do his own circumcision. (I rather enjoyed watching this, actually...I mean, the whole angstypoutyprettyboy-getting-his-kit-off, and a moment later fainting. Um.)

Oh! Which reminds me - my mother told me, a couple of years ago, that apparently my Dad (and this is SO my Dad) randomly did his own circumcision too, at some point. Not sure why, because it wasn't like he wasn't getting laid. But, yeah - got a stanley knife and some germoline, or something along those lines, and chopped off a bit of his old fella. That's Yorkshiremen for you - stoic and independent and more than a wee bit insane.

Ooof. Crossing my legs in sympathy or out of fright.