S They Called Her

She's gonna hate us using that spelling when she moves to America..... Not a whole lot I can add to these pictures except to say we're all delighted beyond belief with the new shape of our family. I've been listening constantly, starry eyed, to that song linked in the last post. It doesn't get much better than this :)

It's been seven hours and fifteen days.......

D feels the immediate need to up her game....

I WISH AYEE WAAAAS, IN CARRICKFERGUS!

She asked me this morning did I know what a melodica was and mentioned that she'd seen a notice in Eurospar about tap lessons in Nurney. She needn't worry though. The new baby has a lot to live up to in her big sister.

I'm thoroughly enjoying hanging out with D while mammy's away for a few days. As are my parents and family aswell as Áine (thanks to all for your massive assistance over the past 48 hours). Expect more baby photos. With 2... I mean 3 stunners around the place, those gig posters are going to have to wait. Over.

Edit : The translation for that Sigur Ros song from Icelandic to English is apparently :
Hopping Into Puddles
Smiling - Spinning 'round and 'round
Holding hands - The whole world a blur -
But you are standing - Soaked - Completely drenched - No rubber boots -
Running in us - Want to erupt from a shell - Wind in - And outdoor smell of your hair
I hit as fast as I could
With my nose
Hopping into puddles
Completely drenched
Soaked
With no boots on
And I get nosebleed
But I always get up

Bring on them puddles :)

Addendum:

It's A Girl Too

3:35pm today we had another beautiful baby girl.

mother and baby doing absolutely fine. daddy and D are frazzled :)

the weight is still a mystery (long story) but the baba is perfect and
M has proven yet again what a powerful bit of stuff she is.

Edit: 7lbs 13oz was the official weight after a steward's enquiry. Linda - i have no idea about the length - I didn't ask :)

no name as yet (what do we think of hoppípolla??). Gigunnagap is also on the shortlist. we'll keep you all posted.


thanks to all for your kind wishes over the past 24 hours.

I Heart Jolie Holland

More here

Now Thats What I Call Planxty Snow Leopard

More busy eleven o clock overtime. Below is a pictorial communication of my eye movements over the past few weeks. It's a messed up world when the culmination of weeks of effort. painful cross cultural collaboration, endless multinational telecons and lots of shit take out food is .......two blue men with swords knocking spots off each other in an MMO game. Whatever pays the bills.

Lovely book

Interesting to read about Prosperous in a flattering way

Beautiful hardback edition of an unedited version of an old favourite

And I've been given a spotify account with which I spent the weekend making playlists based on this. It will change your life.

Now That's What I Call Music (Burn To Shine)

Hits 5 (Q and Not U)

Thurston Jazzmaster

Oh Dear. When's my next 30th birthday?





Oh Fuckit. Nevermind......

Shake It Like A Polaroid Picture

We've been having fun with an application which turns high res digital photos into oversaturated, randomly cropped, grainy old polaroids. For anyone whose family photos consist of half torn or folded polaroids covered in crayon or marker or lipstick from being stored in your mother's handbag for decades - you'll enjoy these.

Photo by M. D is going through a hat phase. M is half way through a painting the fence phase.

Lough Ennell - the retro rigout on D makes this even more authentic looking.

Dot Doc

So enough lazy posting of lovely gig posters (although I reserve the right to post in a lazy and uninspired way at any time in the future). It's time to pull up my socks as a daddy and document dammit.

D Painting #1 (finger and paint on A3 paper)

For a long time there we had to feed D with two spoons. Even though she didn't quite have the dexterity (or a big enough mouth) to feed herself, she insisted on holding her own spoon in her clenched fist as one of us would feed her with the other spoon. One spoon only, driven by Mammy or Daddy, and no food would pass her lips. She is now feeding herself, out of the side of her mouth, from above, sometimes even facing away from the spoon, so even though her mouth hasn't gotten much bigger, her aim has improved and she's up to about 25% of the food arriving safely in her mouth. Those are organic Rice Krispies by the way.

Mammy and the kids at Rosses Point

Miss Post & Telegraphs, Sligo 1973

Those are her second pair of shoes. She cashed in while she was on holidays. That dress is new aswell come to think of it. We also said we'd get her a nice "do" to go with her new dress and shoes. So we sauntered into a Sligo barber and got some mixed results.

Before

After

Noooooh little Snowbear....

All together now! "Hey Mr Tambourine Man......"

There's a toy shop on Quay Street in Galway where D buys herself one of these wooden birds every time we're down there. It's run by a German woman and her daughter and for such an amazing little toy shop jam packed with beautiful, hand picked, hand crafted kiddies toys, there's minimal emotion on display at the cash register. They do all kinds of animals but we particularly like the ones with beaks. All the better if we don't know what the name of the bird is. We also have a bear somewhere and a giraffe who has also gone missing. Get D to do her giraffe impression next time you see her. It's quality. So these birds live on top of the mirror in the bathroom where D gets changed. She salutes them on entering now with a Hiyiz! and on leaving with a wave and a b'bye!

In the spirit of documented randomness here's a montage of some photos from our honeymoon in Italia which I tastefully placed on a bedspread and photographed when I got the prints.


And finally this is her favourite piece of televisual entertainment at the moment.

You Wouldn't Throw It On Nettles

Just back from a lovely Sligo babymoon. This one featured a pot head in the bed beside us every night singing songs and even dancing in the dark into the wee hours, blackouts on the massage table, sunsets over Rosses Point with the Snow Leopard's stools, D's first swim (and her second pair of shoes), visiting Queen Maebh's grave, borrowed t-cloths for bibs, multiple bumps on an auto phobic Yaris beaten repeatedly by the same stationary obstacle, the tireless search for pencil lead, D unlearning physics with the wonky ball, Elfie's estate, blue murder over spilt Cidona, Sunbear as daddys, Sideways O's, magic cream samples, spuds and croissants for breakfast and introducing Leopard Cohen. The highlight was definitely bumping into Mary Mcaleese and her entourage at a motorway coffee place outside Carrick on Shannon. I don't think she was canvassing - I think she was just thirsty. The place was full of bajillions of dislocated taigs from all over northern Ireland escaping the 12th of July Orange marches. I'll post some pictures later. In the meantime..... dropped D.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Fridge

Insomnia, stubbed toes, tri-not-to-breathe-pod, bright until 11 o'clock, cheap curtains, 30 second exposure, straight to bed.

We think it's a boy based on salt and size and old wive's tails and the color of our eyes. Hard to believe that next month we'll be four. All is well except for the planning of the post launch marketing campaign. We've yet to decide on a brand name be it boy or girl. Gulliver has been nixed (Gully means manhole in German). Rolo is the name of a relative's dog. Buzby is so last year. Someone else said we'll have to choose an Irish name as we already have a D. I don't get that reasoning but maybe the two names do need to compliment each other. Darren it is then.

Sokol Underground

Some lovely Arcade Fire gig posters. Superchunk and Arcade Fire under the one roof.