om mani padme hum

Funny the things we congratulate each other for. Some mates just told us they were pregnant ("they" are pregnant - not her, note). Congratulations! Do we normally congratulate each other on news of sexual acts? But pregnancy is different, isn't it? We are really saying congratulations for your decisions & the ideas & the hopes & the dreams & all that has gone through your heads up til now. So I guess it's not at all strange to offer congratulations.

Pregnancy is a tricky topic for the early/mid-30s. Who knows someone who is "having trouble"? I reckon most of us. In Year 10 Science this year we found that 1 couple in 6 would find it near-impossible for genetic reasons. So do you talk about it? Avoid the topic? Offer support? Tricky topic. Not for the first time, I feel lucky.

Here, I'm talking less as "me" and "I" and more as "we". It's logical & perhaps to be expected. Bit I'm finding myself fighting it. Would like to preserve my identity, maybe. It's Saturday night here & I've just downloaded paul kelly's latest (stolen apples) and that of radiohead (in rainbows) (and no, we didn't pay).

we had a family gathering here today for the occasion of Stephanie's 2nd birthday. She'll be 2 on the 26th. All is well. Little Kyla (Kyla-koala, Kyla the smiler, etc) is forging a reputation as potentially the next Dalai Lama, such is her apparent ocean-like reserve of calm & tranquility. I've started calling her my little Lama.

We’re trying to live local & live with minimum stress & maximum time for ourselves. It’s tricky. But I find it a comforting ideal. For example, I’m proud that we don’t own more than one car. e have each made choices that mean we work within a 10 minute bike-ride of home. I’m proud of the time that we have chosen to spend with Stephanie & Kyla. I hear a lot of regret from parents whose kids have grown about missing the early years. A Sunday morning with Cath at work & Steph standing amid every single item of Kyla’s clothing that she has just pulled from the cupboard & Kyla writhing in my arms & crying with tiredness, I happily have no such regret.

Catherine & I have noticed a huge majority of people struggling with Kyla’s name. Kayla, Kaylee, Kylie, and they’re just the closest three. I suspected that a non-standard name would cause a few people trouble, but I’ve been disappointed to find such an entrenched trend. I guess she will need to make a name for herself now.

<>Kyla is a beautiful baby. Heard that before from a dad? Well I’m not joking. She is a beautiful baby. As the 6-month date ticked over we were going through a difficult period of sleeplessness in this household. Stephanie was ill, I was ill, Catherine was ill, and Kyla was ill. Two little ones and no sleep – the situation was fraught for many days. It was hard going and there were some dark moments. We decided to teach Kyla how to sleep & it has worked well enough (for now). She has started eating solids & sings da-da-da-da & laughs a lot.

I hope we are still eating solids & singing da-da-da-da & laughing a lot in the days & weeks & years ahead. We're packing up house here - moving on Cup Eve. Our new house & new adventures await. Hope all is well for you & yours.