The Partridge Family Silvestro

**Monica had her 4-month appointment this week. Not much happened, so here are some other baby thoughts below***

Mons and I went home last weekend to the Great State of New Jersey (yes, I hear you scoffing over there...) to see the fam. It was the first time we've seen my side of the crew since we told everyone the news, so we were showered with belly-kisses and comments about whether Monica looks like she has or hasn't gained weight (the correct answer, by the way, is something like "Oh, you're starting to show and you look amazing!").

While we were there, my dad took me down to the basement where he has his drum kit set up. As he hammered away at perfect renditions of various U2 songs (very impressive!), it got me thinking: How cool would it be if the little dude or dudette, and future sibling(s), grew up playing instruments--and then we could have a family band?? I could sing, Mons could...play tambourine...and at least one of the kids would have to play bass, because a good bass player can be hard to find. We'd tour the world, release multi-platinum albums, and show that not every family band needs to be as dysfunctional as the Jacksons, nor as weird as the Hansons. We'd live in musical harmony.

That is, until the kids start asking for more money, arguments erupt over writing credits, everyone stops doing their chores, and we split up over "creative differences." We'd perform one final, farewell concert on the roof of our condo building and then everyone would go off to start solo careers, even the goofy one who can't sing.

Yeah. Maybe we should think this through a little more...

I guess there are other things to do as a family. You know that Monica will have the kids in the kitchen learning to cook. Maybe we could be one of those families that cooks on TV--like butter-filled Paula Deen and sons, or like that Italian family that's always on the Today Show. A baseball team is out of the question--I have a feeling Monica could do without having first trimester nausea every other year for two decades, plus there's no way we're putting 9 kids through college unless they all get jobs in pre-school (which would be nice even if we only have two or three!).

I suppose that the best thing to do would be to just take things as they come and enjoy each step of the way, wherever we end up. And if we don't turn into some famous family unit, I guess that'd be alright.

In the meantime, I've got my headphones propped up against Monica's belly, playing "Where the Streets Have No Name" for some little ears--just in case...