It's a new year, and Ryan's ready for his close-up, so I'm starting it off with the latest set of photos of our little boy. It covers the last couple of months, including our holiday to Phillip Island (home of the Penguin Parade and Faunapalooza).

At the playground: [link]
In his sleeping bag and smock: [link]
At soccer training: [link]
Fun with blocks: [link]
Spending time with Mummy and Daddy: [link]
His childcare centre's Christmas party: [link]

Christmas holiday! Time for pressies: [link]
On Phillip Island (the rainbow appeared on Christmas Day): [link]
Visit to Amaze'n'Things ( [link] ). I don't think I've ever seen as much joy in this little boy as when he was confronted with multiple Ryans in the mirror maze: [link]
Faunapalooza! Ryan meets one of the residents: [link]
Back home, and Ryan does his best Freddy Krueger: [link]

Faunapalooza generated more photos than that, of course. However, most of them are in my animal collection. They start here: [link]
Aaand the echidnas start here: [link] (Ryan loved them.)

Here endeth the photos. Please note that the number of Ryan photos still exceeds the number of echidna photos. (Though admittedly, the number of Ryan photos at Faunapalooza does not. Ahem.)

My grandmother passed away this morning, 14 months after my grandfather.

Two years ago today, I married my best friend. I met him because of this place and these people. He even proposed here! So I want to say thanks to all of you for your love and support and for being the kind of people Drew and I both wanted to hang out with. You rock.

I've been dark for a bit, due to duck nibbles...but in case you are planning your travel to South American countries with high crime rates that hate Americans, I'm moving to Venezuela this summer.

(with the DH and Mal and the cats).

Asking for some baby~ma for my twin sister. She's 30 weeks but the baby is measuring 3 weeks behind. They're hospitalizing her for observation. This has been a tough road and I just want everything to be ok for them.

ND and I are the proud new pet parents of two 4 month old gray kittens: Simon and Wilson. Pictures to follow!

Keep the ~ma coming. My sister is going in for a c-section tomorrow morning at 9am EST. At 30 weeks, odds are high for a safe delivery but the baby isn't quite 2lbs yet so we are just hoping that any complications or problems for him are kept to a minimum.

Thanks for the ~ma! Reece Charles is 1lb 14oz and 13 inches long. Mom and baby are doing well.

My old diabetic kitty Swifty is not doing well. He's had a couple of bad seizures today and is at the vet. It looks like there is some sort of general neurological something going on. We're seeing how he does for the next few hours. We are in making a hard decision territory I'm pretty sure. He's 16 1/2 and his health isn't great but he's still a bundle of personality. Good thoughts our way and his would really be appreciated.