gaudeamus igitur juvenes dum sumus!

To quiet the demands of the natives, here are a few recent pics of the family.

My Boy!

Here is pic of me and my favorite son.

MINE

One day last week, Manuela and I realized that our worse nightmare had became a reality. We knew that this was coming, we could see the signs, but we had hoped that somehow it would miraculously not occur. We awoke one morn to find something new in Mila's crib. We put her to bed a sweet, adorable little baby and she awoke something...different. She had metamorphasized into something new - a creature who omits blood curdling screams and insistently refers to everything as "mine". The professionals call such a creature a 'toddler'. I have included a few pics illustrating the rather dramatic changes. Some may find the following images disturbing. Viewing discretion is advised.

Smooth Sailing

The demands of parenthood have prevented regular posts, but alas, I have a brief respite from tantrums and dirty diapers to report on recent events. In a nut shell everything is swell. Ezra is 2 months old today. He is hitting every developmental marker in stride and of late he has begun flashing his gums - see attached pic. Mila is great when she gets want she wants at the moment she wants it, but any delay or refusal in request causes an inevitable fit to erupt. Her favorite word is "noooo!" and her favorite activity is going to the pool - which she request every 5 minutes from the moment she gets up until the moment she is put to bed. Manuela is doing great. She has adapted well to caring for two lil' furbachioni (for all you non-Italians that means 'tricksters'). It is a mystery to me how she governs this household with what appears to me to be so little effort - it is a mark of a mastery to make things look effortless. As for me, I am still working on my last paper which I hope to finish soon and than I will begin work as a security guard at the new campus for the summer.

Happy Incorporation into the Mystical Body of Christ!

Here a few pics of Ezra's Baptism. Metaphysically speaking it was truly a joyous event - my boy was cleansed of the defects of his fallen flesh and given the power to become a true man, that is a man of virtue and holiness. Practically speaking, however, the baptism was a calamity -Mila, who was an angel throughout the Mass, erupted into a inconsolable hissy fit as soon as the life giving water began to flow, Ezra wailed throughout the ceremony, and I was unable to capture any of the action on account of my camera which failed to work. The day ended well, however, with a celebratory social in which all enjoyed the culinary delights prepared by Manuela.

Purple People Eater

In her energetic attempt to rid Ezra from his bout with thrush, Manuela decide to dip my poor son's head in a purple dye. Consequently, his tongue is no longer white but neon purple - and for some reason this makes Manuela happy. I don't mind all that much either...because now he kinda reminds me of David Banner - right before he turns into the hulk.

The Good of Two...

Ezra is now over the one month hump. During this short time he has experienced many of the penal fall outs from Adam's folly. For the past few weeks he has been labouring simultaneously with thrush (a yeast infection on his tongue), a cold, and my personal favorite conjunctivitis (aka pink-eye). He has a had rough few weeks, but I figure all this suffering is wonderful introduction into life.

Manuela and I am coping well. I have found that the addition of child number two is a larger adjustment than the first. Most likely because now i have to play a more active role. When we had just Mila, Manuela could handle the loin's share of the educating. But with Ezra now on the scene and monopolizing all of Manuela's time I'm needed to tend to lil'o Mila. I think Manuela has received the better hand in this deal. All Ezra does is sleep and eat, while Mila - who bytheby has entered that wonderful phase so befittingly called 'the terrible twos' - spends the entire day conceiving ways how to be defiant and erupting in fits of fury when she fails to get what she wills. Consequently, I spend my days disciplining and pacifying and the 20 minutes in between writing grand treatise on the grandeur of the beatific vision. This paradox my friends is the good of the Christian vocation!

One further note - Ezra is being Baptized on the 29th. My sister Veronica and her and humble and pious husband Andy have consented to by the godparents. Please keep all of us in your prayers on this date.