Aoife is doing wonderfully, the surgery was wildly successful, and the process of recuperation has begun.

A few photos, in somewhat chronological order, and omitting the most horrific, are below.

We are blessed by the care and support of our friends, our family, our colleagues…Thanks to all of you.

In my recent post Family Photos: Courtesy of Joseph Jestes Photography, I mentioned that I have been somewhat emotive as of late. This explains the “why”…

It is, in fact, the result of this little one

Gabriella Lirit Hannan, our 4 year old…the big sister, was diagnosed with a heart defect at 9 months old. This defect, called Patent Ductus Arteriosus, was a blood vessel between the aorta and pulmonary artery that should have closed sometime after birth. In her case, and in the case of 2 of every 1,000 full-term births in the United States, the duct doesn’t close.

The procedure for “plugging” (do you like my precise medical terms?) the hole was via a catheter. Relatively simple, outpatient, and it broke my heart to hand my 9 month old to a nurse in sterile garb and watch as they carried her through a door for the procedure.

Gabriella Lirit Hannan has no complications.
She is considered “healed” of her congential heart defect.

When my wife and I found out we were pregnant with Aoife, we asked the doctor about the potential for a similar heart condition. We were assured — not that it would have made much of a difference in anything other than preparation — that additional tests were not necessary. With congenital heart defects occurring so infrequently, the chances of Aoife would have a PDA were miniscule.

Read the rest of this entry »

Permit me, if you will*, to demonstrate a bit of pride…

Recently, we had the opportunity to meet with a close friend, and phenomenal artist, Joseph Jestes. We, as a family, have had the distinct pleasure of having Joseph create our family portraits since the birth of Gabriella, now age 4.

I freely acknowledge, due to circumstances I will enumerate later, that I’m a bit more emotive than usual…but these photos simply make me smile, laugh a bit, perhaps weep slightly, and then smile again.

My co-workers, who have known of my neurosis now for some time, are beginning to wear thin at my showing them the photos repeatedly. So, instead of wearing their patience even more, I share them with a wider audience.

Thank you Joseph! Your work is greatly appreciated.

*or even if you won’t, for that matter

• FlowingData – Computer assisted design and the 9/11 Memorial
  June 20, 2011 – Date is important…Data is meaningful…Data is beautiful…and, data can be used to create something that unites all 3 elements.
• TechCrunch – Thinking Outside The Browser Box: Why Should Apple Play By Current Internet Rules?
  June 20, 2011 – This is a lengthy post…but it speaks to my own personal belief that native applications, supplemented by cloud services, are of extreme value. I say this while recognizing clearly the “perspective” issue discussed in another shared item.
• Seth's Blog – The professional's platform
  June 20, 2011 – This…”we remember what you did when you didn’t need us so urgently.”
• SaaS Blogs – Which Part of the Public vs. Private Cloud Elephant Are You Touching?
  June 20, 2011 – The concept of “perspective blindness”, as it relates to the public v. private cloud discussion, is compelling to me. The doctrinal, dogmatic debates about deployment methodologiest are, perhaps, simply a case of a fixed perspective colouring view.

• TechCrunch – How Google Almost Unintentionally Wrecked Our Apple Keynote Coverage
  June 10, 2011 – This makes me smile…
  “Now, for those who don’t spend their days caring about boring stuff like how WiFi works, just know this: the more WiFi spots you have in the same area, the harder it is to actually use any of those WiFi spots. Think of a router like a crazy shouting person. If there’s just one crazy shouting person, you might be able to figure out what they’re saying. Throw in another crazy shouting person, and it gets more difficult. Throw in 10 more, all speaking in different pitches and different languages, and it’s nigh impossible to pluck out a single intelligible word.”
• TechCrunch – No Chirp This Year, So Twitter Developers Holding Their Own Summit
  June 10, 2011 – If you aren’t spending time with the community that develops on your platform…they will address their needs alone.
  A lesson that every Platform provider learns at some point.
• Smallbiztechnology.com – Making the Sale on Point of Sale Software: A Short Guide
  June 10, 2011 – I find this article compelling…
  Not for the content but for the subtext. Each of the PoS systems highlighted is more than a simple cash register. The integration of inventory, eCommerce, with back office applications, etc…at a low price point…is what is motivating the purchase…
  it is, in fact, about more than just accepting payments.
• API Meetup – June 1 API Meetup: APIs and the Enterprise
  June 10, 2011 – I will blog aobut this event, in more detail, on Monday…but for now this is a great summary!
• The Financial Services Club’s Blog – Two out of five businesses switch banks due to fraud
  June 10, 2011 – This statistics is brain breaking: “43% of businesses said they have moved their banking activities elsewhere after a fraud incident”
• TechCrunch – Why Daily Deals Are Becoming A Raw Deal
  June 10, 2011 – Many, perhaps most, of you are familiar with the double-edged sword of daily deals…this article, however, sums up the situation nicely.
• Apigee Blog – Social Commerce as part of ‘Distributed Commerce’ through APIs
  June 10, 2011 – This is a compelling discussion of the modern worlds of commerce…I have been referring to these a customer “touchpoints”…but the point is well taken that the siloed approach to commerce is no longer sufficient.