For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 20, 2021

NOW, April says her first word!

just you wait, John, until April calls for you in the middle of the night

This could be a 12-month sleep regression, which is pretty common, but it may be too obscure a parenting detail for this comic strip. Nevertheless, it is good to see that Elly and John are waiting to see which parent the baby is calling for before getting up. Since the baby is in Elizabeth’s room, the longer April cries the more likely she is going to wake up Elizabeth and maybe she will deal with April herself.

Ellie: “No John, it was for me last time around. This one’s for you!” ;D

One has to wait until the right moment to say that.

My Pepere was living with us when I was a baby (he died 1 week before my 1st birthday). He was my mom’s father, and really wanted me to say “Mama” before he died. One day my mom had taken the 5 older kids swimming at my Memere’s house, and he was babysitting me. He phoned over there, telling my mom to come home…quick! I was not a healthy baby, so she & the kids all got in the car & rushed home. When she got there, he was standing there with a big smile on his face: “She said ‘Mama’!” And there I was, sitting on the floor, pointing at HIM, saying, “Mama! Mama!”

April is entirely fictional. It’s because Lynn wanted another baby.

With our two it was always daddy in the middle of the night. I think she trained them.

Hey John, it’s your kid too!

I don’t remember my first word, or any of my first things for that matter, I wonder why we forget all that?

That’s the worst phone ringtone I ever heard! Could you even change your ringtone in 1991?

What’s John gonna do when April learns “Da-Da”? He won’t be able to avoid it then, I suppose.

I remember those days: my wife wouldn’t let me get up with our kids even if I wanted to.

I was never reluctant to go and see what was wrong. I was up like a shot!

How do we not know that there will be this for a future strip:

John departs Patterson residence wearing a coat, tie, and carrying a leather briefcase. Elly is holding April.

Elly: There goes da-da, say good bye to da-da!

Elly takes April shopping. April looks at a man also out shopping. He is wearing camoflague trousers and a T-shirt emblazoned with the flag of the Army of Northern Virginia and the words “DIXIE DEFENDER” on it.

April: DA-DA!

Elly makes her signature “bug eyed look”, as she always does in the final panel

We were very lucky with our 4 kids, they all slept thru the night