when I started this blog five years ago, I was a pet sitter and the name animal-crackers made sense. now I'm a stay-at-home-dad and freelance writer, but rather than confuse everyone by getting a different blog, it's just easier to keep posting things here.

Tonight Dylan will be three weeks old.

We just got off the phone with Dr. Cho and Dylan will undergo surgery Wednesday. Dyes were flushed up and down his digestive tract. And they both stopped at the same area -- where the small and large intestines meet.

So on Wednesday, a surgeon will take a look inside to find what's wrong, why the roadblock. The surgery itself sucks. But not knowing for sure what the problem might be sucks more.

Dr. Cho threw out the possibility that Dylan may have to have the lower end of his small intestine connected to a tube that would exit the body through an incision and into a bag. Later when he's old enough, the intestines would be re-attached.

Maybe we'll get to keep the shit-bag as a souvenir.

The surgery will set back Dylan's recovery. But it's necessary. It's just a matter of timing -- balancing his prematurity with the urgency of his condition.

Happy birthday, Dyl.