Congratulations ! Time to get in training for the sleepless nights.

Congratulations! Plenty of time to spoil him!

Congratulations .... Grandad

Congratulations !

Congrats Cap'n and Mrs. starkers. 

Should liven things up on the Pirate ship! A new mate to train!!!! 

Congratulations Grandpa. A newbie first mate to train up. 

Yes, coffeegrinder, sleepless nights...  not that much 'll change for me as I suffer with insomnia anyhow.  I suppose, though, if I'm up anyway, I can lend a hand to mum if she needs it.  A spare pair of hands could come in handy and I still know how to change a wet/dirty bum and make up bottles as needed.

Yup, the little fella will get spoiled rotten, Frankief, what with mrs starkers still clucky after her grandkids were here a couple of months back.  Me as well, though.  As it is I've picked out a couple of nice little outfits I thought would look good on him... and I know it won't stop there.  It seems in my old age I've become more....um, ugh..... well I'm taking a greater interest in those things I used to leave to the women of the family.

Thanks, Taz, I'm feeling rather chuffed at the moment... even though I haven't seen him as yet, I know that he's healthy and hairy.  Yeah, that was the one thing my son Robert did manage to pass on in his excitement... "He's a hairy little bugger.... got a real head full of it, he has."

yeah and you too old man, hehehehe, I can't wait till they get home we do know his middle name is Albert, although there was talk about calling him Holden Albert, but we don't know if this is going to be his name. bubby was born 5 weeks early  and as starkers said he is a healthy baby boy with dark hair. as soon as we get some piccys we will post them here  for our family at WC

Congrats to you and the Mrs., and of course to your son and his lady! Oh, I am so envious, a new baby!

@ lecajef. I didn't understand a word he was saying, but I thought it quite funny just the same. 

Thanks Doc... not that I/we had anything to do with it.   But yeah, things will be a bit livelier around here with a new bub to love and cherish.  Thing is, Sherry has her 3 y/o daughter from a prior relationship with them and she is breath of fresh air around the place, what with her constant chit-chat and provision of information about all sorts of stuff... a real bright spark, she is.  Hmmm, you just gotta love 'em when they're like that... all full of innocence and interesting tidbits, and regardless of how old you are, they're still willing to talk to you. 

I can remember being 11, 12, 13 and thinking 25 was old... and that you didn't talk to old people cos they were from a different planet.  Yeah, well kids are thinking that stuff at a much earlier age these days, around 9 or 10 or so, perhaps even earlier in some cases, so I reckon we need to cherish every moment shared with a child, in conversation and laughter, etc, because they're not children for long anymore.

Thanks Uvah, I'm feeling on top of the world right now, with this new grandson to brighten my world.  I don't know that I'll be training him as much as he'll be training me... us.  Babies have a habit of doing that, don't they... one squawk and you jump to attention to see what's up.

Yeah, Rob and Sherry were hoping to be in a place of their own by now, to provide the kids with their own rooms and etc, but with the recent floods houses are harder to come by and I imagine they will be with us for a while longer yet, not that I mind... and not just because of the new bub, either.  I like having Rob, Sherry and Nataley around as well... they're good people.

How very true.

congratulations

Congrats, Mark, I am sure you will soon get into the swing of looking after junior, my daughter took only three days off work when she gave birth to her daughter, she could not afford to do any other, being self employed, so Granny & I had to gear up real quick, but it all came back really quickly.

Don't forget, when he has finished his pirate training, he needs to be introduced to skinning & Wincustomize.

yay Gramps!!..... congratulations....  gonna be terrific having the little fella in the house starting off his life... what a great opportunity for a cool bonding....  

Congrats, old Man 

congrats to both of you

Yes, and it's such a shame that some of us don't realise this until we're past our prime and in old age..  Admittedly, I am enjoying time with the grandkids a lot more than I would have as a younger man.  It was like I was always busy back then, and kids were often a chore after a hard day's work, so yeah, I'm so glad that I've mellowed out and wiser... that I'm not too busy to be grateful for the little ones.  I mean, Nataley isn't of my flesh and blood, but nonetheless she is part of the family and just as precious.... as are Decon and Zabia and our other grandkids... Shiloh, Dominic, Markus, Jake and Ruby.  Each is special in his/her ow way, yet still very much equal in our eyes.

Thanks Robo, it sure has been a fantastic day, and all these congrats are icing on an already fantastic cake. I'm going to sleep well tonight.  For the first time in a while I actually feel I'm going to get a good night's rest for a change.  It doesn't often happen these days so I'll be dozing off with a smile on my face, rather than the usual grimace due to arthritic pain 

Yeah, it's like riding a bike... you might get a little rusty over the years but you never forget how to attend to all those baby needs..  I pretty much raised my kids on my own as their mother left when my daughter was just a wee baby, so all that stuff came naturally came back to me when Decon and Zabia were here a couple of months back... changing nappies, bathing and preparing bottles/suitable food just came flooding back to me like I'd never been away from it.  And what's more, it was fun... and will be again this time.

As for his training, well there's nothing wrong with introducing him to WC and skinning at an early age... and by the time he's ready to start school he'll be doing a proper job, right?

Yeah, it will be like the bonding I had with my grandfather on my mother's side.  He was always a part of my life as a child, right from the get go, and I had a terrific relationship with he and my grandmother.  Yes, at 11, 12, 13 I thought old people were strange and from another planet, but not my grandparents.  They were always cool, great, just so darned special, and hopefully thing young bloke will feel the same way, that we are the ones he turns to whenever... just as I did when I was troubled, in trouble, had a falling out with mum and dad.

many thanks jack

Congratulations, Cap'n-grandpa-san!

Became a grandparent myself, it will be two years a month from now. Sure changes your whole outlook. I'm much more...er...laid back, now and able to appreciate it all. What a gift, eh?

Best wishes to all of you from (still @#!**! snowing!) Idaho

Why thanks, young pup. 

I appreciate your stopping by to say that.

Thank you, Jack.

As you can tell, I'm over the moon and in a very happy place right now.  My son and his lady have ensured the family name will continue on beyond me, and that makes me feel so proud, as well as joyous and elated to have a brand new addition to the family.

I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter so much whether or not we are successful in business, wealthy or famous, because our children are our true legacy, and our true success is measured by that legacy.  If our children and their children grow up to be decent, respectful human beings, it doesn't matter a hill of beans if we never invented anything or amassed a fortune that we couldn't take with us anyway. 

Well I never made it in business, big or small, and I'm certainly not famous or wealthy.  Often times I'm lucky if I have 2 cents to rub together, but if the sum of my life happens to be measured by my children, and I am proud because they have become decent members of the human race, then my life has been a success after all, and I can die a happy man when the time comes because I will have left this world a better place than I found it.