Saturday, June 27, 2009

The Nursery

Yeah yeah yeah, I know lately this blog has become less about the Kenniverse being Pinoy and more about our future son’s approaching birth but I promise you this blog is forever dedicated to the wacky world of the Philippines.   Just think of the baby blogs as a pleasing commercial break between the regular scheduled Pinoy programming.  This blog today is no different:  a pleasing commercial break about our baby’s nursery.  The nursery is 100% up and running!  All we need now – something that’s pretty darn important for a nursery – is a baby!  Aimee is officially full term so the baby can come at any second.  Maybe … even … NOW!  Nope, not then, false alarm … but soon I promise you.  While you’re waiting for the birth of our first child ever, please enjoy the world premier broadcast of his nursery:

 

Our son’s toybox!  If you look closely you will see Quatchi, one of the mascots of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.  I’m trying to bombard my son with as many Canadian influences as possible.  You won’t see this from these photos but there are two small Canadian flags in his room as well as a moose wearing a Canadian hockey jersey.  Whether I’m bombarding him with Canadian stereotypes or not is unimportant, all that matters is that he’s fully aware of Canada’s existence.  I’m still debating if Canada’s Nation Anthem, ‘O Canada’ will be repeated constantly in the room.  It would probably drive me nuts after a while so probably not.

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My son’s brave and gallant steed: the Bugaboo Cameleon!  A beast of a stroller that could put most Ford 4x4 trucks to shame.  What you see here in the bassinette attachment.  It also comes with a seat attachment for when the kid gets older.  This stroller is becoming a family tradition since my niece also uses one.  Maybe when my son is old enough him and his cousin can race them!

A kid-friendly bean bag cube.  I’m sure it has thousands of uses but sitting on, kicking around, throwing, and pooping on are the only things that come to mind.  My son officially owns it now so he can do whatever he wishes with it.  If he’s anything like Daddy he will probably just end up secretly selling it off on eBay.

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The lamp is from Italy.  The weird lizard on the left and the hot air ballooned animals on the right are from Ikea.  It must be the German blood in me that’s subconsciously brainwashing him with European products.  Since he’s also part Chinese, Aimee and I really need to throw more Chinese-related products into the nursery… Oh, wait a minute… I bet most or all of this stuff was made in China anyhow … okay, moving on…

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Hat rack.  It came with the set.  An odd thing to add to a nursery.  Do babies wear enough hats to justify owning a hat rack?  Currently we’re using it for hanging the odd piece of clothing.  Since I took the pictures I also took the liberty of displaying the ‘Daddy Loves Me’ shirt in the front.  Because, well, it’s true:  I love my little poop machine.  I can’t wait for him to come out!

Buck & Co. was a comic strip I was developing about 15 years ago about a group of British Columbian forest creatures who run a dam building business in the forest.  Although I stopped drawing these guys when I got into the film and video industry they’re still close to my heart.  I thought it would be a nice touch to add them to the nursery.  From the left to right let me introduce Ricardo, Babberwally, Jacque (yes, he’s a French Canadian squirrel) and Buckley, the beaver who owns and operates the dam building business.  You can’t get anymore Canadian than a beaver living in British Columbia can you? 

    

 

Cute dog on the left, laundry hamper for diaper stink fun on the right.

     

Various shots of his crib and Quatchi making another appearance(Damn Quatchi always stealing the limelight). 

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Bowling pin animals.  I … er, ugh, I mean our son can’t wait to play with these.

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So there you have it:  our son’s room!  Hip, happening, awesome and fun!  Aimee and I can’t wait for him to arrive and share our world.  The countdown continues…

Monday, June 22, 2009

Happy Father’s Day

There are many Fathers in the world!

There’s my dad, then there’s Aimee’s dad.  The dads don’t stop there though, there’s several other dads in our collective families as well as many of our friends are dads.  Those dads are all fine and dandy but there’s one important addition to the world of dads: Mainly, ME!

I’ve never been on the receiving end of the Father’s Day celebrations.  I’ve always given the love but never gotten the love.  I couldn’t complain back then because, quite simply, I wasn’t a dad.  Only dads get treated like kings on Father’s Day.  But as of today, and every other day in the upcoming future I too, am worthy of the Daddy Day party!  I have a son.  Sure, he’s not born yet but in his tiny little womb condo he’s currently designing me an awesome little Father’s Day card.  I can see he’s a optimistic thinker because he always paints the sky blue and draws happy faces on the clouds.  I’m not quite sure how he managed to get crayons into the womb but I think it’s better if we don’t ask.  Thank you for the card son (he requested I don’t post it here.  He’s still embarrassed by his artistic abilities.  He’s overly modest, just like his Daddy).  Your daddy loves you and is looking forward to meeting you for the first time.

Here’s the latest ultrasound.  Our son at 37 weeks!

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Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Messy Birthday

I sit here on June 1st, 2009 celebrating my 38th year on this wild and crazy planet Earth. Yes, today is my birthday. Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me...and how does this great land of the Philippines help me celebrate this wonderful day? By giving me food poisoning no less. Why, of all days, do I have to get food poisoning on my birthday?  I don't really ask for much on birthdays. I don't expect gifts but when gifts do happen I prefer them to be pleasurable and not something that keeps me sitting on a toilet all night.  A nice happy gift, is that too much to ask?

Dear sweet and compassionate Philippines, why do you treat me so badly?  We used to be such great friends but what happened in our friendship?   Is it something I said?   Is it something I did?   Is it something I ate... well, yeah, it's definitely something I ate; perhaps sashimi is the most likely villain here but who knows, I ate in three different places that day.

Thankfully, I'm feeling a little bit better now but we shall see what evils the Philippines has in store for me next birthday ... dropping a coconut on my head is a likely possibility.  Or maybe a salamander will bite me.  Those little creatures are constantly hanging off walls secretly spying on me.  I don't trust them, nor the coconuts!  I'm watching you coconuts, YOU HEAR ME!!  BEWARE!

(hmmm, I appear to be getting a touch insane in my old age...)