Last year, we watched Twitter feeds with the RT of the first guy proposing on Twitter, and then the second guy, and then the third. (Then there apparently was somebody who proposed using Nintendo DS. I dunno-- ask this guy). But never before have we seen something like this: an unborn child on Twitter.'Its' name is KermitKeliher and 'it' is the evolving fetus of the proud parents of Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Keliher, and Mr. Keliher is quick to point out, “We can’t call it ‘It’ for nine months, can we?” So alas, a famous Frog moniker was brought to life again.
Though it's not terribly interactive, I e-mailed Mr. Keliher (let’s keep it formal for the sake of the occasion:) to ask him a couple questions about Kermit and stepping into fatherhood. Here’s what he had to say:
DA: When is the baby due?
MK: Due August 7, 2009
DA: What made you decide to put a fetus on Twitter?
MK: Why? Why not?! I thought it'd be a fun way to break the news to a certain group of my friends, and I did it the day before an SMBMSP event, so my timing was right on.
DA: (I definitely agree with that point. Timing is everything in the world of buzz building).
If it's a boy, will you name the baby Kermit-- to offer real-life personification for the micro buzz?
MK: If it's a boy, family tradition dictates he be named Thomas, after my father. If it's a girl, we have yet to decide, but I promise it will not be Kermit.
DA: Do you think Twitter is the next best thing for Baby Books? Perhaps Baby Book 3.0?
MK: Twitter is only "the new baby book" if you have zero respect for your child. At least go with Flickr, for god's sake!
DA: (You prove a good point. It kind of reminds me of that funeral procession tweeted last year; an example of 'zero respect' for the dead). Are you going to TwitPic the ultrasound updates? (I'm hoping so :)
MK: I've never really been into the whole TwitPic thing, but I do have the first ultrasound photo on Flickr. I used it in Kermit's introductory blog post and it's Kermit's Twitter profile pic. We have another ultrasound coming up soon, and I'm sure I'll share that, too.
When Mr. Keliher isn't at home prepping to be a daddy, he works at this company and maintains a strong following through his PR blog and Twitter account. Mr. Keliher's got quite the sense of humor and you can find him among the #SMBMSP crowd.
Let's all congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Keliher in welcoming this new arrival into their lives and on Twitter! And that brings up my next thought... what other "blessings" have you seen unfold on Twitter?