20070930

How? .. Who? .. What? ... Hippo

Hi everyone,

It's been a little while since I've written, so I thought I'd post something about this last month which has just come as an amazing and wonderful surprise.
I am going to be a dad !
Yes, you have read the above sentence correctly ... but here it is again, just for clarification:

I am going to be a dad !
It came as a complete surprise ( well not completely ) to Erin & I. She found out on the 1st of September as we were on our way back to Montreal from Toronto.

In complete honesty, my very first reaction was that I was thrilled ... although Erin was under the impression that the world was going to end until I worked some more of my magic charm.

Actually, we're both incredibly excicted. Erin's mom was the first one in our respective families to hear, and then I told my dad, and then I told Jacob who is probably my closest friend that has already undergone the transition from 20-somthing-er to fatherhood.

Erin & I both put off telling one of our parents for some time - Erin her dad, and me, my mother - probably out of fear for being scolded. At least I don't have that fear as badly as a certain Jeff Murdock, and in case anyone didn't catch it, yes, I did steal the title of this post from Coupling.

In any event, my mom was completely ecstatic! I was so worried that she would make that wierd Marge Simpson noise when she disapproves of something politely, especially because Erin & I are not even engaged to be married. It's something we both want to put off for a while still, although we've been a pretty healthy couple for ... well... almost 5 years? It does not seem that long to tell you the truth, but I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with to anyone else.

Erin's dad was also really happy. We spoke only briefly over the thanksgiving weekend, but everything was well nevertheless.

In any event, I thought I'd change the tone of this blog for the better!! Not so much ranting about work ;-)

I still haven't told many of my friends, simply because I like the ability to pass on wicked news like this in person. Sometimes the surprise is ruined, especially if you have a Quinlan for a mother because they like to tell everyone on your behalf ( ahem, ahem ). So hopefully none of you guys in Toronto actually read my blog, LOL !!

Now I'm back in Kiel, and the next semester is starting for me. Again, it will be another first since I've made the transition from Informatik into Digital Communications, but I'm really looking forward to be studying engineering again. Some things just feel natural ;-)

This slightly changes the plan I have to take for finishing my master's degree. Ideally, I would like to be in Canada before the baby ( who we affectionately refer to as 'the chick pea') is born and for aproximately a year onward.

Ciao 4 Now