Grandpa Alan comments.......

From the first picture that appeared in my email, I strongly felt that my first grandchild might well hold the title of World's Cutest Baby, or WCB for short.
But images and first impressions can be deceiving.
For example, when Curtis was born, I did not hesitate to declare him the WCB, as in my relative youth I had not yet realized that cuteness is fleeting and can diminish with time.
Like the time he was five, and stood on my front porch in the company of the local constable who had observed Curt launching projectiles at passing vehicles from behind a tree. His cuteness diminished a bit before my very eyes. Or the time when he was 16, and I, faced with a the prospect of replacing the entire drive train from a fairly new vehicle, realized that the WCB was, in reality, more of an incarnation of Evil Knievel when in control of any motor vehicle. An Evil Knievel knockoff can be many things, but 'cute' seems like an inappropriate adjective.
So here I am in New Orleans, looking directly into the just-learned-to-focus dark eyes of my new granddaughter and can say with unchallenged certainty that she is indeed the World's Cutest Baby, or WCB, and in all likelihood the World's Most Perfect Child, or WMPC.
I am also certain that this title will be retained throughout life as I will never be the one to face the officer on the porch, or be handed the repair bill on the car, or deal with dozens of other potential instances that could reveal a flaw in her perfection.
Granted, Alice and Curt might be faced, from time to time, in the out years, with these unfortunate types of circumstances. But I will be able comfort myself in the knowledge that these instances were the creation of, and most certainly the fault of, Vivienne's parents.. for the the Worlds Most Perfect Child will never be able to do wrong, and if she should ever find herself in some kind of 'difficulty' she will likely be able to turn to her Grandfather for comfort and reward for having to put up with parents that would allow her to get into any kind of trouble.
After all, how could the WMPC ever be flawed without parental misdirection.


Grandpa Alan