Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I did not have this on my fuck 2025 bingo card.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.

Let me file that under fuck it.

Dumb motherfuckers cannot understand a consequence that most 4 year olds have fully sorted out.

I really should read my own blog.

Washington Post Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.

Republicans cannot even be trusted with their own money.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

People are weird.

Stay strong, because they are weak.

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

If America since Jan 2025 hasn’t broken your heart, you haven’t loved her enough.

We can show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

You are here: Home / Balloon Juice / Celebrating Jackals / Two Budding Balloon Juice Commenters (in about 18 Years)

Two Budding Balloon Juice Commenters (in about 18 Years)

by | 107 Comments

This post is in: ,

Balloon Juice commenter, hitchhiker, has some wonderful news to share with us.

I post/lurk as hitchhiker, and I thought if you want you could share some happiness from a longtime juicer. On Wednesday morning, just an hour or so before the riot got underway, our younger daughter delivered a pair of brother/sister twins.

Brand new citizens, brand new humans, and none of us can take our eyes off them.

It’s been a great counterpoint to the madness.

To which I say, welcome little ones!

Two Budding Balloon Juice Commenters? Two Budding Balloon Juice Commenters? 1

Reader Interactions

107Comments

  4. 4.

    A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)

    Awww, indeed. Hopefully, we can make a better world for them.  Congratulations hitchhiker!

  5. 5.

    JPL

    My goodness, they are so cute.   We’ll do our best to make the world a better place for them.   Are they your first grandchildren?

  13. 13.

    Elizabelle

    Oh, those are some darling babies.

    Congratulations hitchhiker and family.  What fun and joy awaits.

  20. 20.

    stinger

    Oh oh oh oh ohhhhhhhhhhh

    Oh, thank you for sharing these photos! My father and aunt were twins. Your brand new grandchildren are adorable, hitchhiker. I’ll do everything in my power to help make this a better world for them.

  21. 21.

    mali muso

    awwww, look at those precious faces! Those little newborn caps make me nostalgic for my baby (now 4 years old).

  23. 23.

    Rusty

    Nothing more hopeful in this world than a baby.  They are beautiful, thank you for sharing!

  25. 25.

    JeanneT

    They are so beautiful, they made me catch my breath.  Congratulations to everyone in the family!

  28. 28.

    MJS

    Congratulations to hitchhiker! My twins will be turning 25 in 2 weeks. The parents of those beautiful babies are in for an absolutely wonderful time.

  40. 40.

    hitchhiker

    Thanks for putting this up, Watergirl, and thanks for the kind thoughts, everybody.

    These babies are the result of the epic pandemic pregnancy, and yes, our first grandchildren. I can’t take my eyes off them for long. The night before they were born I was in a state of double anxiety, first because of the GA races and second because I know that anything can happen during childbirth. I went to sleep knowing the races were won (THANK YOU, GA!) but not knowing that within hours they’d be doing an emergency C-section delivery.

    They come into a world that feels balanced on a knife’s edge. I imagine a future day in which they’re assigned a middle school project covering that time some people thought that crashing the counting of electoral votes with guns and bombs was a good idea. Kind of sorry they’ll have to learn that it happened on their birthday.

  41. 41.

    Tazj

    Congratulations! ? Such beautiful babies! How nice of you to share the good news and pictures with us.

  44. 44.

    Emperor Lew

    As a long-time lurker, and very, very occasional commenter, let me add my well-wishes.  Congratulations!  Welcome to the world, we’re doing our best to make it better for you.

  49. 49.

    opiejeanne

    @hitchhiker: I thought they might have been a Caesarian delivery because of how they look in the photos. Caesarian babies are usually very pretty.

     

    It took about a week before mine stopped looking like their faces were a bit mashed.

  50. 50.

    Eunicecycle

    Congratulations! They look healthy and (at least one of them) alert! My daughter had twins almost 4 years ago, also boy- girl and they are so much fun! Although it takes Grandpa and Grandma to watch them when we babysit, because of course they are going in opposite directions. You have so much joy ahead of you, times two!

  51. 51.

    debbie

    I’m guessing that’s the girl on the left in the second photo. Careful, she’s already on to all of you.

  52. 52.

    Immanentize

    That last picture!! Your daughter’s future; one wide awake while the other snoozes.  Oy!  Good health to all.

  55. 55.

    TomatoQueen

    Ohhhh welcome in to our newest jackal pups and congratulations to hitchhiker and younger hitchhiker daughter (emergency C-section? hope she’s recovering well and cared for). They have such lovely sleepybaby smiles.

  56. 56.

    Alison Rose

    Oh mah gah they are SO FLIPPING CUTE. Mazel tov to all of you! And welcome to the world, little ones…we’re doing our best to make it a better one for you.

  59. 59.

    divF

    Thank you for sharing these pictures!

    Looking at newborn pix lowers my blood pressure by 10 pts.

  60. 60.

    LuciaMia

    Wonderful, Congratulations!

    Love how newborns immediately get their own little hats.

    “You cant stay warm if you dont insulate the ol’ attic!”

  61. 61.

    Lyrebird

    WOW hitchhiker, that’s a lot of adorable in two small packages!

    Congrats to you and daughter and everyone.

    @Alison Rose: Sending wishes of comfort re: your family’s loss, & was too late on the thread where I learned of it.  and HEAR, HEAR! to building a better world for these little folks, and for their awesome grands too!

  62. 62.

    MomSense

    Congratulations!!! Welcome,  precious little ones.  They are so beautiful and sweet.  With this wonderful announcement and Immp’s good news, this is a great day for the jackaltariat.

  64. 64.

    hitchhiker

    @TomatoQueen:

    Yeah, our daughter had mild preeclampsia for a week or so, and on Wed morning suddenly her blood pressure was high and not going down … not something to fuck around with. She and her husband have been in their own room at the local birthing center ever since. I’m at their house tending to the cat and laughing at their six ridiculous fat ducks.

    I have cleaned this place within an inch of its life. I’m not allowed to visit the hospital because of covid, so these days are just staring at photos and waiting, which is fine. It’s extremely reassuring to know that everybody is where they ought to be, and getting all the help they need.

    I still can’t quite believe it’s all real.

  65. 65.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Look at them eyes. Glowin’ like he just hit pay dirt.

    ETA: and now comes  payback. You get to spoil them rotten.

  69. 69.

    Feathers

    So cute!  My parents were the first in their friend set to become grandparents and there was so much jealousy. Congrats!

  71. 71.

    WaterGirl

    @hitchhiker: All that, and you didn’t even mention Covid!  There’s way too much going on right now for comfort.

    Emergency C-section must have been scary, so glad for the happy ending!

  72. 72.

    Barbara

    The photos captured the look of pure concentration in a baby’s face when they are sleeping and pure astonishment when they are awake. Along with new baby smell, there is nothing so precious. What a great day for all of you.  Congratulations.

  74. 74.

    satby

    Congratulations hitchhiker, hitchspouse, and to the happy new parents! What a wonderful counterbalance to (all that other stuff).

    My mom and her twin brother were born on Christmas eve, my sister’s fraternal twin daughters born in October. Advice from my mom to my sister 26 years ago: get a chart. Otherwise you’ll lose track of who ate when ?.

  77. 77.

    Catherine D.

    Wonderful! So glad all went well during this crazy time.

    If I may share some good news of my own – I called my 87 year old mother Thursday night and she was incoherent. I live 4 hours away so called my sister who lives nearby and then called local 911 to connect me to her 911.

    Long story sort, they took her to a hospital specializing in strokes. She had two procedures to clear brain clots over 12 hours. Today she’s walking, sitting up, and talking. I just got off the phone with her, and while her speech is a little slurred, she knows what she’s saying.

    And the sun actually came out today in the people’s republic of Ithaca. Good omens all around, I hope.

  78. 78.

    Mandarama

    Such terrific news! Congratulations! Like MomSense said…this combined with the Immp’s great news is a balm to the cynical soul.

  79. 79.

    susanna

    Congratulations and thanks for sharing the photos of these adorables!  Babies make us feel joy, nothing can top those moments.

  81. 81.

    CaseyL

    Such cuties! Congratulations!… the one on the left in the second photo is gonna be trouble adventurous, I can see it already :)

  82. 82.

    Mandarama

    Oh, and it might not take them 18 years to become jackals. My 16-year-old has been reading here for quite a while! He’s a BaudBro.

  83. 83.

    O. Felix Culpa

    Adorable. Congratulations!

    I have a grand-puppy and three grand-kitties, but no grand-humans in the works. I keeps my mouth firmly shut and waits.

  85. 85.

    moonbat

    Congratulations to your daughter and to you, new grandparent! Better keep an eye on that cutie on the left. I think they’re already up to something. ;)

  93. 93.

    Mary G

    Seeing that is balm to my soul. Every once in a while the black dog whispers in my ear that the world is burning up, the Republicans are destroying America, nothing I try seems to work and I have no family so I should give up. Then I see somone’s grandkids and it grounds me with the purpose of not wanting to imagine them hurting. So thanks for topping up the tank with these especially splendid twins.

    If I had chosen to have children, there is a better than average chance there would’ve been some twins. My mother’s brothers are twins and one of my cousins on my dad’s side had three sets. Thank Dog for birth control. That’s another thing to keep fighting for. All babies should be like yours, hitchhiker, eagerly anticipated with love and excitement.

  96. 96.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    Congratulations to the proud parents and grandparents!!! They can say goodbye to their sleep and sanity for a while but it’s worth it. :) The best part about being a grandparent is that the kids live somewhere else. ;)

    What a nice way to start 2021!

  98. 98.

    Bodacious

    As one lurker to another, I LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!! Babies put things in perspective and dissipate some of my cynicism (puppies are nice too). With twins, your arms will always be appreciated. Thanks for the distraction!

  100. 100.

    SFBayAreaGal

    Congratulations to you and your family hitchhiker. Twins are special. My two sisters are twins.

  101. 101.

    Ruckus

    @Baud:

    They have entire lifetimes to develop their own.

    Hitchhiker – congrats on the grandkids. Hope they they bring you all the happiness in the world.

  105. 105.

    Grover Gardner

    Two!?! You don’t *really* need TWO, do you? You could send one to us. ;-) Seriously, they are just gorgeous. We’re too old for more and our daughter is only 17, so it may be a looooong wait for for more babies. I’m jealous! Congratulations to you and the parents.

  106. 106.

    J R in WV

    Hola ~!!~ What beauties! Thanks so much for sharing these babies with us!!!

    I’m sorry I’m so late to say congratulations, just missed the best thread of the year so far! Seriously, this buoys my mood so well. I was just beginning to unwind, calm down, relax… we had won the Senate in Georgia (YAY!!! Go Ga!) and that seemed like it would be the successful end to a tragic 4.2 years.

    Then the news erupted with bad. And you, your daughter (and son in law) and those perfect little babies have soothed my spirit. Thanks so much. They are perfect, and almost make me jealous….

    Best wishes for your kids and grand kids.

    Congratulations again !!

Comments are closed.