21.07.26 - Rei morto, rei posto

Halloooo,

Hope all well. We're in the midst of Peak Colic Season, shepherding Amelie through a series of complicated bowel movements as the flat slowly falls apart around us. But light, it seems, is at the end of the tunnel - yesterday we had a mostly shriek-free day! And it's all worth it for the periods where she's at peace.

Otherwise work is going full steam ahead, and we are nearly at the point where Amelie can get her jabs and we can start venturing out of the house more. I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day translates as "dead king, instated king" - meaning "the king is dead, long live the king", basically, or more generally, "out with the old, in with the new".

And that's about it for now - speak soon!

Minor Fred

14.07.26 - Força na peruca

Halloooo,

Hope all well. We had a pretty rough weekend with Amelie wracked by a seemingly never-ending bout of tummy aches, so we spent so much time driving round the block that our neighbours must think we're burglars casing the joint. 

Eventually we decamped to the in-laws on Sunday, so they could take over for a bit while we caught up on sleep. Luckily it all seems to have sorted itself out before business hours on Monday. 

In other news, I've made a compilation, and my phrase of the day is "força na peruca", a "keep your chin up"-type saying which literally means "force in the wig"! 

And that's about it for now - speak soon!

The Fred on the Door

07.07.26 - Puxar a capivara

Hallooo,

Hope all well. In the past week I've gone back to work, which has been OK so far, and so has Gabi, as she couldn't face another month in our living room. The in-laws are looking after Amelie in the afternoons, and so far it's been working out pretty well!

I also had an unpleasant run-in on the way back from fixing Amelie's birth certificate in town - a car pulled out and clipped mine, I referred the driver to my insurance guy, but it seems he would rather I pay him in cash for his new wing mirror, because he turned up the next day outside our old flat harassing the doormen. We have since pulled up his entire life story online ("puxar a capivara", as it's inexplicably known here), lawyered up, and hopefully he'll give up now. 

And that's about it for now - speak soon!

Fred by Donkeys

30.06.26 - O que não mata, engorda

Halloooo,

Hope all well. Here, the days and nights blur into one, with lots of nappies and crying and World Cup games on in the background. Tomorrow I go back to work, god knows what that'll be like since we're firing on all cylinders and going without much sleep as it is. But it's all worth it for the gift of a child's laughter (or just the absence of a child's crying).

In other news, I've made another compilation, got some free pens in the mail, and my phrase of the day is "what doesn't kill you, makes you fatter", which is a local favourite and a humorous spin on the well-known phrase. 

And that's about it for now - wish us luck, and speak soon!

Powerade Fred-ration Break

PS: @Vicky Mander we got your book and card in the post, thanks very much! Amelie is a big fan of the floppy ears.

23.06.26 - Dor de cotovelo

Halloooo,

Hope all well. We are slowly but surely getting the hang of this whole being parents thing, and have got our dead-of-night routine down to a fine art, so we can all get some intermittent sleep. 

We've been trying to get out and about where we can, including a trip to the grandparents, and the occasional bout of tummy-aches and screaming aside, it's been smooth sailing so far, with the World Cup group stages making for perfect background content. The next challenge will be going back to work next week, but one step at a time and all that.

No compilation this week, but my phrase of the week translates to "elbow pain", and is a metaphor for "romantic disillusionment" or "sour grapes", apparently. Make of that what you will. 

Speak soon!

Monday, you can hold your Fred / Tuesday, Wednesday, stay in bed / Or Thursday, watch the walls instead / It's Friday, I'm in love

18.06.26 - Cair na malha fina

Halloooo,

Hope all well. 

We're slowly getting the hang of being parents, keeping Amelie not only alive but fed and warm, watching lots of World Cup football in the background. Plus we've been incorporating a number of sidequests into our daily routine - going for check-ups, hitting up the local market, strolling around outside in the sun, to name but a few. 

Notably I was also summoned by UOL, the news outlet I've been doing videos for lately, to act as a talking head on their in-house football chat show after the England game yesterday, where I believe I acquitted myself reasonably well despite massive sleep deprivation and only the barest grasp on the facts. So hopefully more of that sort of thing to come!

I've made another compilation (haven't had time to listen, mind you!), and my phrase of the day is "to fall into the fine mesh", or get selected for a tax audit. 

And that's about it - speak soon!

Fredside manner

10.06.26 - Já combinou com os russos?

Hallooo,

A day late with this email, since we only got back from the hospital yesterday afternoon, plus a brand new baby. Gabi and the C-section crew worked wonders to deliver Amelie on Sunday morning, and we spent the next few days recovering in an extremely swish and well-attended room, occasionally going on sidequests to weigh the baby, register the baby with the government, find coffee etc. 

We thought we'd got the hang of this parenting thing and were feeling extremely cocky until we got home last night and Amelie's digestive system kicked in, resulting in a sore tummy and a screaming fit so loud and prolonged that we had to hide out in the car until it passed, to spare the neighbours. So we're a bit more clear-eyed about that now. But otherwise no issues to report, she seems very happy and healthy and beautiful. 

And since this week marks the start of the World Cup, my phrase of the day comes from an apocryphal tale involving the Brazilian squad in a past tournament. The coach was telling them in training about a specific set-piece routine to bypass the Russian defence at a corner kick, to which one of the defenders replied "OK coach... but have you got the Russians to sign off on this?" ("já combinou com os russos?")

And that's it for now, speak soon!

Fred Nerves