Emma's Progress

It's cute the way Emma pushes herself up in a standing position with her chubby little legs (with me supporting her, of course!). She then does this cute bouncy dancing thing...I'm sure she's practicing for when she hits the nightclubs! She may even start walking earlier than the twins. We'll see...

Her hearing and eyesight are improving. Also, her hand coordination is getting better. She can grip a rattle and shake it just a little bit. Pretty soon, she'll be able to control her hands on her own and be able to do things like suck her fingers at will. And this they tell me is a milestone!!!



ODD SPOT: The male gypsy moth can "smell" the virgin female gypsy moth from 1.8 miles away.

P.S: I ain't touching that one with a 10 foot pole!!!

First Boyfriend

Apparently Emma has a boyfriend: Michael - Drew and Chris' one week old son (she likes them young!). Lill and Emma went and visited them today. And Lill told me that they slept together...but took her time in telling me not in the same cot! So I don't need the shotgun yet...On a brighter note we have discussed with Drew and Chris the possibility of having a combined baptism and they are quite agreeable with the idea. We share pretty much the same friends and we know each others families so a combined event would be very good indeed. Though sharing a baptism together, I hope this means they don't have to share "other" ceremonies together (com'on, I know everyone's thinking it....).

So Emma has visited the health nurse today, and although she's only put on 200 grams (average), she has grown in length and her head has grown. I guess that's a good thing, right!?

ODD SPOT: A pregnant goldfish is called a twit.

P.S: I know a few pregnant fishes...!

To Be Or Not To Be...

Emma is getting her own passport, and heading overseas well before the twins will. Lill is off to Jerusalem later this year to as part of the final step in her religious studies, and will take Emma with her, while the twins will stay with me. I'’m sure there's a sitcom in all this, but knowing my luck the twins will get all the fan mail, while I'll’ get so stereotyped that I'll never be able to do Shakespeare again!!! I know that last sentence was a metaphor for something, but it'’s just too early in the week to work it out!!! Anyway, it should prove for interesting times when it comes around…

The source of the odd spots has finally been exhausted, for now, so I'm pulling funny and odd facts from other sources. I thought I'’d start out with a doozy, which kind of reminds me of Drew'’s eating habits!

ODD SPOT: It was discovered on a space mission that a frog can throw up. The frog throws up it's stomach first, so the stomach is dangling out of it's mouth. Then the frog uses it's forearms to dig out all of the stomach's contents and then swallows the stomach back down again.

Baptism

We all went to a baptism today, and it was a full immersion, too! That means the bubs was dunked fully from head to toe, as in olden times. I was holding Emma, and Drew and Chris were there too, with little Michael in the capsule. I leaned over to Drew and whispered, "Hey, why don't we baptize the kids while we're here. We can hold a raffle to see who'll be godparents!" And Drew replied, "Yeah, and if the priest says no, we'll hold our babies up in front of the altar and shout Oh Lord, why have you forsaken us!" Lill and Chris gave us the usual scathing looks, of course, the ones reserved only for people they know who will go to a special hell!

One of the twins, Jessica, has been wearing a yellow basket over her head this weekend. I'm not sure why. Lill says she thinks it's a helmet. Again, I'm not sure why. Luckily, we have proof in the form of pictures. Click your mouse here to take you to a gallery I've set up which show the pictures of Jessica in her "helmet", with Sarah looking on in an expression I can only defined as "baffled", along with a quick recent pic of Emma. When you're there, click on the picture on the left hand side to get a bigger picture appearing on the main screen.

ODD SPOT: The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.

Rip Van Winkle

Emma slept seven hours straight last night! Mind you, she made up for it today by staying awake from 7:30am this morning until well after lunch!

Hired a three tonne truck today to help dad move my brother Rob's stuff from the unit upstairs from the shop in Carlton to their house in Coburg. They're a bit sad about Rob deciding to stay in London and get a job, but I'm slowly convincing Mum and Dad it's not because he doesn't love them, he just needs to find his own place in life and happiness, and unfortunately it just happens to be far away! I'm only really starting to see what it might be like to see your kids grow up and move away, and I must say I'm trying to make the most of my time with my girls while I can, because truly they grow up fast and will be leading their own lives when you least expect it!

ODD SPOT: There are three golf balls sitting on the moon.

P.S: Unless you're one of those conspiracy theory nuts, in which case the only balls you'll see are the ones you're touting here on earth!!!

Foolish Heart

Emma's smiling more, and when I call her name and speak to her, she stares at me wide-eyed and then bobs her head up and down and purses her lips, as if attempting to talk with me too! She also loves it when I sing to her. Her two favourite songs at the moment are New Kid In Town (The Eagles) and Foolish Heart (Steve Perry). Why, I don't know, but I'm glad her taste in music is not Elvis. I will try and keep her pure as long as possible...

Speaking of Elvis, I've banned myself from brushing Emma's hair because no matter how hard I try, her hair seems to take on The King's hairstyle! Obviously there are evil forces at work here but I'm hoping good will triumph over evil and one day I'll return from exile and...what am I saying! I need sleep! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...!

ODD SPOT: If the world was tilted one degree more either way, the planet would not be habitable because the area around the equator would be too hot and the poles would be too hot.

The Mim Code

Last night was a busy one! Dishes, bathing the twins, fixing Lill’s PC, entertaining visitors (Drew and Ren), then fixing Drew’s PC…so much for making a start on Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code!

Actually, I’m finding that I’m reading for pleasure again much faster than I anticipated. I must admit I thought with having a new baby and the twins becoming so active that the only reading I would be doing is journal articles and trade periodicals at work. Or that I’d be too tired to read at home anyway!

But truthfully, I miss immersing myself in the world of books, sometimes because I have a vivid and active imagination, and sometimes in my head I can be living in two or three worlds at a time generated from reading novels. And it’s got nothing to do with escapism, or feeling trapped by kids, or routine, or anything stupid like that. These are not worlds I’d rather be living in instead of the one I’m living in now. Let’s face it, it may be fun conversing with dragons or visiting strange worlds in your head, but REAL LIFE is an adventure all on its own, and it is as exciting or as good as you make it to be.

Why am I blogging lyrical here? Before I went to bed last night, I went to the room I call the Library, and was browsing through a section of books, and I got to thinking, wondering if the girls would read any of my books when they were older? If so, what would they think of me? Of my tastes? I know that sometime down the track they’ll read this blog, and if so I would like them to see a part of me, even if it’s just a glimpse, of what I’m like as a person, and not just as daddy.

Sarah, Jessica and Emma: your grandfather, my daddy, was so busy trying to be a good, hard working, stern, patriachial father that he really never made time just to be a daddy or the kind of man he really wanted to be. He waited until we were grown up and had kids of our own before we got to see the gentle, loving and fun man he can be today. I don’t want you to wait that long to find out who I am when I’m not being daddy. So hopefully by blogging about things not about Emma or the twins will give you an insight about me, your mother, our friends, and the times we live in.

Well, enough said.

ODD SPOT: Babies are born without knee caps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2-6 years of age.

Filling Out

Last night was probably the last time I could comfortably bathe Emma in the bathroom basin. We do have a proper baby bathtub, but it’s such an effort to fill and empty out, and sometimes filling a clean basin with warm water and baby bubbles is just as good. Emma is no longer a tiny bubs, and she’s starting to kick and stretch out. Six weeks makes a big difference, especially when we placed Emma side by side with Drew and Chris'’ newborn, Michael.

And speaking of which, we went to see Drew and Chris' baby last night, and it was agreed by all that unfortunately bubs looks like Drew: Sorry dude, but he has these big, flappy ears, and it's a wonder how bubs made it out of the birth canal! Oh well, he should grow into them...!

ODD SPOT: Because of the rotation of the earth, an object can be thrown further if it is thrown West.

Puss N' Boots

Emma’s a real cuddle floozy! Pick her up and she does this cuddle thing with her chubby little hands on your chest and puts on this expression of far-away contentment that puts Puss N’ Boots in Shrek 2 to shame! And here I was worried if she would be able to hold her own with the twins when it comes to getting their own way!!!

Speaking of the twins, we’re dropping them off at Lill’s parents overnight, which gives us a chance to have dinner and visit Drew and Chris tonight at the hospital to see their new baby. Of course we’ve got Emma with us, and she'll be wearing one of a thousand outfits she has, including booties, although much to my father's disgust, won't be leather and imported from Italy. Don't worry Em, you'll be getting a pair of those soon enough!!!

ODD SPOT: Grapes explode when you put them in a microwave.

P.S: About the latest Odd Spot, someone pointed out that given enough time in a microwave, pretty much everything explodes!!!

Baby Names

It seems that according to the Australian government web site for Birth, Deaths, and Marriages, the names we chose for the girls appear in the Top 10 of the 100 Most Popular Girls Names since 2000. If we go back as far as 1929 onwards, then the names we chose appeared in the Top 20. Mind you, we had 2 criteria when we chose baby names: 1) That they were not any of our parents or grandparents names, otherwise we’d be committing familial suicide. And 2) That they were saint names. Other than that, and how we liked the sound of them, is how we came about choosing the names. In the Top 100 (from 2000-), Jessica came 2nd, Sarah came 4th and Emma came 8th. In the Top 100 (1929-), Sarah came 3rd, Jessica came 6th and Emma came 20th.

Drew and Chris had their baby yesterday (Sunday 21st June). Born Michael Andrew Wilson (17th from 2000- and 4th from 1929- losing popularity?) 7 and a half pounds, mum and baby are doing fine. Congratulations guys! By the way, Drew. Let me start early. If your son is anything like you, then I would like to know his intentions towards my daughters…

ODD SPOT: A polar bear's skin is actually black.

Miss Marples

Spontaneous Sunday! Today we took the kids up to Sassafras for lunch at Miss Marples. We love going there, I honestly recommend it for something to do on a Sunday, whether you're with a partner, friends, or family! Let me give you an idea.

The drive up to Sassafras is nice, especially when you enter The Basin (from Preston to The Basin is about 45 minutes). The journey begins by entering a forest with lush tall trees, ferns and flowers all around you for the next few kilometers. Then it comes out to a T intersection, turn right, and there's Miss Marples! Beautiful building, in fact many of the shops there are worth looking at and browsing, especially if you come up for the weekend. We got there and had to wait for 20 minutes, but when we got seated, the fun really began! Lill ordered the fresh chicken, cheese and asparagus fingers, while I ordered the cottage beef pie. The description: This Country England specialty is a delicious potato topped pie accompanied by Miss Marple's Own sauce. The girls had the kids meal (fish & chips). This was then followed by dessert! The girls had vanilla ice-cream topped with cream and strawberry sauce, and Lill and I shared a Vicar's Folly - I broke my diet! For the first time in months I had sweets! And what is a Vicar's Folly: A delicious congregation of butterscotch ice-cream, honeycomb pieces, chocolate, whipped cream and caramel fudge. We asked for it without the chocolate!

This was Emma's first time in Sassafras. Unfortunately, she slept through it all! And that's why I've described it all here. To let her know that while she did sleep through it all, at least she can read about what she missed. Don't worry, Emma. We'll take you back there again. And we'll make sure you will be awake for at least one time you're there!

Busy!

No, I didn't forget to blog yesterday (Saturday), I just had NO TIME to blog yesterday. Big difference! We've just experienced what 3 kids can do for 24 hours when they're all vying for your attention! While it was hard and tiring, Lill and I both agreed it's what we both signed on for and of course there'd be days like that. But in the grand scheme of things and believe me when I say, kids can be as much a joy as they are a pain. And just to think, they're not even in school yet...

ODD SPOT: The most common non-contagious disease in the world is tooth decay.

Twilight Zone

When I said Emma had her Mum's guile and cunning, I thought I was being funny....little did I realise how prophetic I was really being!

Last night when I was changing her nappy, I did all the right things: left the nappy underneath her bum, waited until she had done any wees or poos, and even waited some time after I wiped her bum with a wet one in case the wet and coolness made her want to do more. And then, for the 2 seconds between removing the old nappy and placing a clean one underneath....BOOM! She let me have it! With both barrels!! And the determined look on her face, I swear she planned the whole thing! The execution was too perfect to be "coincedence"!! You may think I'm being paranoid , now surrounded by 4 girls, feeling outnumbered. But I tell you, there's a conspiracy! They're out to rule me but I will not be silenced! I will now reveal all! They......

This blog has been temporarily inturrupted. Please do not adjust your computers. Mim will be re-programmed shortly. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Regards, The Iannello Girls.

ODD SPOT: Reindeer like to eat bananas.

And Baby Makes...

I've noticed that Emma's crying comes in different dialects and flavours. Apart form her normal crying, she has these different types of "crying out", almost like little yells, for different instances. For example, her yell for "pick me up" is different from the "check my nappy" yell. She has one for "I've just woken up" and even one for "I'm hungry". All of them though will quickly deteriorate to all and out crying if her calls are not answered within, say, 30 seconds!

Drew visited last night, a "final fling" you may say, because his wife is due today. Still no word, though. It's nice to have friends with babies the same age as yours. Drew asked me what's it like having another baby in the house, and I think he's a little anxious about another life change and the dynamics of having more than one child in the family. May have to chat to him about the joys of having kids, rather than have him focus on the restrictions of having kids!

Jealousy

For those of you who’ve seen the photos, you’ll notice that everytime I hold Emma, I’m surrounded by the twins. And in fact, this is almost everytime I hold Emma. It’s a combination of wanting to be closer to Emma and being jealous that I’m holding her and not them. But mind you, up until now, it’s really been the one of two indications so far that they see Emma as a rival. The other indicator was that for a while, Jessica had regressed in her toilet training, but that seems to be getting back on track. As it is, when Emma develops and starts becoming more specific about needs and wants, the dynamics of the whole jealousy thing will again change and expand. Rivalry between the twins I’ve learnt to handle, but rivalry between the three of them…damn, this ol’ dog better learn some new tricks!

ODD SPOT: The oldest piece of chewing gum is over 9000 years old.

Elvis Is In The Building!

Lill has come to my work with all 3 girls today! And of course, they were the toast of the town! One of my workmates commented that Emma looks like Elvis, because her hair seemed brushed just like the King's. For those who know me, that means WAR! I've decided to destroy all things Elvis, nuke it all from orbit, that's the only way to be sure!!! Ooops, Lill's looking at me funny, and she's just noticed I'm blogging, so when she reads this insult against Elvis my life will be forfeit! Oh well, the Honeymoon is over....again....!!!!

ODD SPOT: An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

To Sleep, Perchance...

Emma is regularly doing 6 hour stints at night. Things are looking good. However, true to form, one of the twins, Jessica, decided to celebrate the Queens Birthday by getting up at 6am this morning. You watch, tomorrow, which is a work day, she'll get up at 9am!

Picked Emma up this morning when she woke and I'll be damned if her features are really starting to fill out...especially her nose!!!

ODD SPOT: Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.

Clothes

Emma received more clothes as gifts today. I think she has broken the 1000 items barrier with regards to outfits. You know, I think the fates are cruel on girls. I think this is the only time in their lives that they have the right sized wardrobe of clothes they will come to dream about, and they're not old enough to appreciate it or developed enough to accessorize it!

ODD SPOT: The word "lethologica" describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want.

Klingons Off The Starboard Bow!

So there we were, Saturday night at church, and it was Emma's first time too. The church was nice and warm, and Emma was quite comfortable in my arms, when she let rip a fart that lasted 20 seconds and echoed around the church during a moment of prayer! Everyone turned and looked at me! I'm pointing at the guilty bum but do you think anyone believes me, oh no, of course I like doing those sorts of things in church, especially picking the quietest time to reach the maximum audience! And then, a few minutes later, Sarah, another daughter, rips out a long one herself, but at least she says excuse me, but I still get the dirty looks! Oh man, I'm sure the priest has already talked to God about sending me to a Special Hell, one reserved for those who fart in Church. Whether it's farting in church or repeating certain words in front of crowds not fit for public consumption, children have a special knack of embarrassing parents and my kids seem well trained in it. Oh well, at least I can get revenge when their 21st birthday rocks around and I can repeat these anecdotes in a more amusing light in the fullness of time. There is a Klingon proverb, "Revenge is a dish best served cold!"

ODD SPOT: The first man-made item to exceed the speed of sound is the bull's hip or leather whip.

Hello My Baby....

Emma has recovered from her cold well enough. Sarah is also recovering, but Jessica is well and truly in the middle of it. She came to our bed at 6am this morning coughing and sniffling...But it hasn't affected her ability to talk, though! Man, there's no off button on this girl! From her waking moment to her bedtime, her little high pitched voice is like a Duracell Battery...it goes on...and on..and on!!! The only other time she's quiet is when we have visitors. Then she's quieter than a monk in a monestary just after a vow of silence! No one believes she's a chatterbox. It's like the Bugs Bunny cartoon in which the poor guy finds the frog that sings, "Hello my baby, hello my honey..." when they're alone, but in front of everyone else...zip, nothing, just, "Barooooooup!"

Anyway, looking forward to a nice four-day-long weekend, despite the karaoke equipment finding its way back home again. Damn diligent grandparents!!!

ODD SPOT: In medieval England, beer was often served with breakfast.

First Cold....

Emma has a cold! The twins have had one for a couple of days now, but I was hoping Emma's immune system would handle it because she's being breast fed. But it's never a guarantee, though. She's just sneezing these tiny little sneezes, and is quite alarm when they happen. Last night she was so blocked up that I took a syringe and injected warm breast milk up both nostrils (saline solution is just as good). Well, after she went wide-eyed and all scrunchy-faced, she then proceeded to blow those tiny snots all over the place! I guess it's been over a month since she was inhaling liquid in the womb, and after having tasted air did not want to go back to the thick stuff. With her nose cleared, I gave her some Baby Panadol (cherry flavour, which seemed to agree with her), then Lill fed her and she went back to bed. So hopefully her cold will not go beyond the little sneezes and a few little snots!

The twins will be coming back from their grandparents place today, after an overnight stay. I had quite a chuckle to myself when I found out that, apart from their usual toys, dolls and paraphanalia that they take with them wherever they go (these 3 year olds need roadies!), they also took the karaoke stuff with them too! It should be interesting to hear how the grandparents fared with the dynamic duo's budding singing career! I'm hoping that the karaoke stuff will be "accidentally" forgotten at their place....

ODD SPOT: Leonardo da Vinci invented scissors.

Another Record Broken!

Emma's Health Nurse visit was yesterday. She put on 390 grams in 2 weeks, averaging around 150 grams a week. She sure loves her food! However, for the second time running, she has done a wee on the examination table! The Health Nurse is starting to take it personally! Me, I think that if you prod and poke Emma, she's gonna respond!

Last night, Emma went 6 hours between feeds! Lill is one happy mummy. Let's hope this is a sign of things to come. But she still does that resist sleep thingie. It's tempting to lace her milk with vodka or scotch, but then, how do you explain to a doctor cirrhosis of the liver at six months of age!

P.S: New photo this week.

ODD SPOT: It is physically impossible for a pig to look up to the sky.

Strange Adventures In Infinite Space

Emma is now trying to stay awake more and more. Or, at least, this is how I label her behaviour at the moment. Normally, when we put her down, she falls straight to sleep, only to wake for her next feed. But these last few days, she cries everytime we put her down and walk away. We go in, settle her, she closes her eyes, starts to slumber, we walk off, a minute or two later...she cries. This activity can take from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on her mood. Lill thinks Emma's more alert now, and knows when it's bed time. Whenever we try and do the Houdini wrap, she knows exactly what comes next (sleepy-bye) and out come the waterworks, Maltese style (I'm gonna pay big time for that comment!).

The twins are still raving about their birthday party, and the presents they've received. Me, I'm still plotting revenge and working out how to sabotage those damn karaoke machines! I may have to nuke them from orbit....it's the only way to be sure!!!

Well, I'm off to play some more Strange Adventures In Infinite Space on my Palm. I'm thoroughly addicted to it! Second only to Monopoly on the Palm. Damn those simple but evil little games!! [insert eye twitching motions here]. It's all Lill's fault, of course! I can't play Monopoly with her. She's a Real Estate Agent. They take the game too seriously!!!

ODD SPOT: The average person presses the snooze button on their alarm clock three times each morning.

Happy Birthday!

As a side note, I'm reminded that today is Sarah & Jessica's birthday:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BEAUTIFUL GIRLS!!!

The Day After Tomorrow

The party went very well, but the mess.....oh well, good thing I went to work this morning, I may miss the cleanup! Though, I'm sure to pay for it later when I get home....

Lady Emma was up last night having a party of her own! Again she decided to stay awake during the wee hours of the morning. I guess she's practicing her nightclubbing skills early! Good thing I'm home tomorrow, perhaps we can spend some of the day constructively...like catching up on sleep!

More and more people are telling me Troy is the big epic movie to avoid. The acting is more wooden than the Trojan Horse, it has little resemblence to the historical version, and there are no gods in it!!!

The Day After Tomorrow looks interesting, though I have heard the Surgeon General has determined that this film is enormously likely to cause severely strained suspension of disbelief in anyone who has a greater-than-room-temperature intelligence or a non-zero amount of general knowledge of reality. For those who are actually educated in the laws of physics, and more specifically, geology, meteorology and/or climatology, said strain may cause headaches, and in the worst case, cranial detonations may occur. This movie is most likely to be enjoyed by apolitical fans of horror and disaster, who might possibly take pleasure in seeing "severe weather as movie monster", as CGI tornados take apart downtown Los Angeles, and CGI water and cold destroy Manhattan, and indeed, most of the planet.

But what the heck, sounds like fun....!

ODD SPOT: By law, every child in Belgium must take harmonica lessons at primary school.

Pics

I've uploaded pictures of the birthday party here.

There are also pictures of Emma and company as well. Enjoy!

Birthday Party

Twins' birthday party went well. Two things of note: One; incredibly, Emma slept through it all, even though it sounded like a war scene out of Braveheart! And two; why do people thing karaoke machines make wonderful gifts!!?? I will have to plot a long and painful revenge for that one!!!! Photos will be up on the web soon!

ODD SPOT: Mozart wrote "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" when he was 5 years old.

Sleepy Days and Saturday...

Emma's having a good long sleep today. At least someone is. Lill has finally made it to a doctor's to get a letter so that she can drive again. Let me explain. After a caesar, you need to get an O.K. from your doctor to drive again for insurance purposes. Lill is now mobile again, and the streets are unsafe again! We're slowly preparing for the twin's little birthday party tomorrow. Only immediate family are invited this time.

ODD SPOT: The youngest pope was eleven years old.

Look who's baby-talking now

Bad night last night. Emma was unsettled and woke a few times, but Sarah woke up from a nightmare and it took quite a while before she settled too. I slept with her for a bit, and then went back to bed, but she started to cry after a few minutes so I picked her up and brought her to bed with us. By the time Lill was ready for the next round of feeding Emma in the wee hours of the morning, Sarah had fallen asleep so I carried her back to her own bed. Lill and I probably managed an hour or two of sleep last night. Ah the joys of parenting. It's all part of the part and parcel!

Emma is one month old. At this age, she is cooing, grunting, and huming to express her feelings. And it's also quite normal for babies at this age to also begin squealing and laughing, though Emma is yet to do this. To ensure good interaction, we make sure to coo and gurgle back, and talk to her face-to-face. And she enjoys holding our gaze now. And even if we have things to do, she enjoys hearing our voices from across the room.

ODD SPOT: The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

Houdini

When we put Emma to bed, we wrap her up in a bunny rug using a technique called the “Houdini Wrap”. It’s a complicated wrap, in which you wrap your baby snugly in their bunny rug with their arms and legs inside the rug. The result is a baby bundled so tightly that they feel secure and comfortable and therefore sleep better. It also has strait-jacket qualities that only Houdini can get out of! Well, meet Emma, the the smallest Houdini in the world! I don’t know how she does it, but she manages to get out of the wrap each and every time. Whenever she cries and we go in there, she has her chubby little fists sticking out of the wrap with a face that clearly says, “Ha! You call that a wrap! I laugh at your feeble attempts!!!” I think I’ve been watching too much T.V…

ODD SPOT: More people are killed annually by donkeys than die in air crashes.

Revenge Is Sweet...

Ah, Emma strikes again! The war on terror is escalating! Last night Lill put a fresh Huggie on Emma after a deluge of wee and poo and then whoosh, she filled that clean nappy again before you can say here’s tonight’s weather forecast! And then, when Lill put another Huggie on her, she did it again!!! Man, where does this kid store it all! She’s going through nappies faster than Scooby Doo goes through Scooby snacks!

Emma is also becoming more aware. She looks at us more directly, and is trying to make more sounds other than crying for food. She’ll even watch T.V! Already her favourite shows are 24 and Alias! Now, if I can just get her hooked on Bugs Bunny…

ODD SPOT: People say "bless you" when you sneeze, because when you sneeze your heart stops for a millisecond.

The Unamable

I spoke too soon with regards to Emma not outsmarting me with her ballistic bowels. Last night just as I placed a fresh Huggies underneath her little bottom she let loose with both barrels. Wees and poos were flying at me with determined precision and I was powerless to stop such an onslaught! Lill, my loving and faithful wife, did the only thing she could do – laugh at me! My only recourse for revenge, though is to recount many of these tales at Emma's 21st. And why not, it’s a dad’s perrogative!

On a more sombre note, I have finally learned the dark secret of where the ODD SPOTS are coming from. I've always had my doubts as to the validity of the contents of the ODD SPOTS, but...Oh the irony! Oh, to seek the forbidden knowledge, and once found, cannot be undone! Oh to be living in ignorant bliss again! And to be forced to take the secret to my grave! Oh the humanity! Now I know how H.P. Lovecraft feels!!!

ODD SPOT: You are more likely to get attacked by a cow than a shark.