Yay! And Hi! We have ADSL back on again. Its a wonderful thing.

On the weekend DW and I dragged Princess and Little Man to the big smoke for a friend's birthday. It was a strange and wonderful trip because both Princess and Little Man fell asleep reasonably quickly and stayed asleep for most of the way. I feel this should be documented so that one day, future generations can look back and see some evidence that Princess and Little Man hadn't completely lost the ability to fall asleep in the car. Actually, I suspect Little Man would fall asleep quite easily but his big sister makes it difficult for him.

Anyway, the party successfully surprised the birthday boy who spent the next hour explaining how close he had come to not being completely surprised because of all the tell-tale signs that he almost put together but had completely failed to. His heavily pregnant wife was the mastermind behind the whole operation and given her state, much kudos. This is his last birthday before fatherhood descends gracefully onto his shoulders like a lead yoke dropped from sufficient height to achieve terminal velocity. This year he turned 35. Next year he will be 45. The year after that he will be 85. The year after that they will probably have another kid. That's when it gets REALLY hard.

Did I mention that Little Man is STILL not sleeping through. It could be teething. He still has teeth coming through. It could be that he just likes being a pain in the butt at 2:30am. Obviously the latter option is clearly not true. He likes being a pain in the butt when ever a butt presents itself, the time be damned. Its funny how much his true character is shining through these days. Actually, I should point out that his ups more than match his downs. His determination to be heard over Princess shows how strong his character is. He is a very happy child and loves to play and cuddle and is genuinely lovable. But then again, so is Princess. They are both wonderful and different and have found ways to not only wrap DW and I around their little fingers, but also drive us to Distraction. Distraction is a slightly cooler, less angry version of Hell.

Another couple attending the party are also having a baby and this one is due a week before the aforementioned. They are also in the throes of baby-preparation that will last until the child goes to school. Lets face it, you are never really ready. Everyone tells you you won't be ready so I decided to just wait and see. And they were right. Of course, they were also to blame because if I hadn't been waiting to see, I might have been preparing. Still, it came as quite a surprise to me to see a real live birth of a human being for the first time. I had seen animals give birth and videos of human births and so on, and the real thing is pretty much the same except for the discovery that your wife actually has more than enough strength to open a jar. Presumably it is dependent on how desperately she wants to get out whatever is inside.

So the next couple of weeks will be interesting as the time(s) draws near. No matter how challenging the birth is, the real challenge lies beyond. And no matter how wonderful meeting your child for the first time is, it pales compared to the joy of watching them grow. And sleep shall be the new commodity.

Ciao!

Thought for the day: I don't want a tin-foil hat. I want one made from glass. That way, when the government satellites read my mind, the information they get will be wrong. Or they might unwittingly cook my brain. Ok, maybe a tin-foil hat is better.