Every hero has his weakness...

Even Superman, the Man of Steel, can be reduced to blubbering jelly by a hunk of the green rock, Kryptonite. That's just how it goes: No one, not the greatest superhero, can escape some fatal flaw or weakness.

No wonder, then, that Mum and Pa - conscientious parents though we are - have our bete noirs. Mum can sweetly withstand hours of Sonny's grumpiness and insistence on serial feedings. But she goes all wobble-kneed when he begins to regurgitate food. That's right: Her Kryptonite is vomit. Unfortunately, at 17 weeks, Sonny has become painfully susceptible to upchucking. Mum is exquisitely careful after feedings, trying not to jostle or jiggle, picking him up very gently and setting him down with feathery care so his stomach won't complain. Still - once or twice after a meal, usually - some milk will make like a geyser and squirt back up. Mum absolutely detests cleaning up after these episodes. Yet she has little choice, and wields her little cloth with clenched teeth.

Pa? He has no trouble with Sonny bawling for 20 minutes straight after being tied up in a knot to keep him from sticking thumb into mouth (see 'Our little terrorist understands threats'). But the elimination of bodily wastes sends Pa into paroxysms of terror. Not that he hasn't changed his share of dirty diapers. Urination doesn't faze him. But if it's the other sort, he'll suddenly try to palm off responsibility to Mum. The one time he was caught between nappies when Sonny decided to expunge excess weight, Pa made a big deal of the 'eviction emergency' (click here for that blog post).

Should Mum and Pa be feeling guilty at being unable to overcome their aversions? Well, it's not like it prevents them from doing their duty where necessary. Sonny gives them enough joy that it seems almost just that there are 'payback' episodes. On a more cosmic level, it is said that the people who weave Persian carpets make sure to deliberately introduce at least one flaw: They thereby affirm that they are not aspiring to perfection, since only God is without mistake.

Who are we to take things otherwise?