Today was our last day on our own, since Raptor-Mom is here for the weekend now. We had a good day today, especially without any shots to take! It was pretty quiet, and a good last day of Raptor-Dad/Son time.
It was pretty quiet other than a quick trip out for coffee with one of my former students, who said Raptor-Son was "basically perfect," which I agree with. He fussed a little on the way to and from the coffee place, but I think he was dreaming because he let out one of his dream wails on the way there. By the time we got to the coffee place and back home, he was asleep in his car seat both times.
The biggest event of the day was a poopsplosion that took his bouncing seat and wardrobe out of commission for the rest of the day. We had just gotten back from coffee, and he was still asleep, so I put him in his bouncing seat and proceeded to get some lunch ready for me. I had just gotten everything done and ready, when I went to get him out of the bouncer, I realized his whole right side was covered in poop, which had escaped his (disposable) diaper, traveled out of his onesie, and wound up basically everywhere on the right side of his body and the bouncer seat. So then we had to take a break, climb out of the bouncer, get all his clothes off, wash up with about 10 disposable wipes, and get back to some semblance of respectability. Not a huge deal, but definitely the highlight of the day.
The rest went smoothly, although we did have an afternoon bath in the sink after the poopsplosion. All in all it was a good week and a great confidence boost to learn I can look after a newborn. No major incidents occurred, no frantic phone calls took place, and no wacky misunderstandings resulted in hijinks or hilarity. I was happy to do my part for the fathers of America to show we aren't just lovable doofuses who can't figure out how to put a bottle of milk in warm water or change a diaper. While American males hardly have a representation problem, it is always nice to play against stereotype.
The Parenting Adventures of Raptor-Dad and Raptor-Son
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Friday, May 29, 2015
Flying Solo - Day Two
Another day for Raptor-Dad and Raptor-Son to be on our own, and again we did great. It's funny too, that people heap praise on me for being a dad that can handle an infant, yet for doing the exact same things, Raptor-Mom gets no credit. Our society seems to have fully internalized the sitcom dad who is riddled with incompetence and barely functions.
Our day started pretty normally, with an early feeding and a long nap. I loaded him up with an extra ounce of milk, because we had our two-month pediatrician appointment this morning, one that included four immunization shots. The Wee Man did a great job riding in the car and in his Moby, and basically slept from the time we left until the doctor came into our room.
The pediatrician was very impressed with how curious he is, and with his considerable size. He is in the 89th percentile for weight, and 95th for height at 25 inches long! He topped out over 14 lbs. also, although he still had his diaper on at the time. The pediatrician had him in his diaper lying down on the table for a while, and he started to fuss just before the nurse came in to give him his injections. He cried while she stuck him three times, and gave him one orally, but as soon as she was done and I picked him up, he instantly stopped crying and slept the whole way home. He wasn't bothered by his heel stick when we were at the hospital either, so I think he's just super hardcore like that.
The rest of the day he did okay, although he wasn't crazy about eating later that afternoon. He napped a lot, and didn't fuss too badly. The pediatrician said there might be a fever too, but if anything he was cool a few fractions of a degree. Overall, we had a pretty good day, considering the three vaccines. We were both kind of dreading it, but I was very proud with how reasonably cool he was. Hopefully all his medical things will be this easy to handle.
I have a work trip coming up next week, so we only have one more day to hang out together!
Our day started pretty normally, with an early feeding and a long nap. I loaded him up with an extra ounce of milk, because we had our two-month pediatrician appointment this morning, one that included four immunization shots. The Wee Man did a great job riding in the car and in his Moby, and basically slept from the time we left until the doctor came into our room.
The pediatrician was very impressed with how curious he is, and with his considerable size. He is in the 89th percentile for weight, and 95th for height at 25 inches long! He topped out over 14 lbs. also, although he still had his diaper on at the time. The pediatrician had him in his diaper lying down on the table for a while, and he started to fuss just before the nurse came in to give him his injections. He cried while she stuck him three times, and gave him one orally, but as soon as she was done and I picked him up, he instantly stopped crying and slept the whole way home. He wasn't bothered by his heel stick when we were at the hospital either, so I think he's just super hardcore like that.
The rest of the day he did okay, although he wasn't crazy about eating later that afternoon. He napped a lot, and didn't fuss too badly. The pediatrician said there might be a fever too, but if anything he was cool a few fractions of a degree. Overall, we had a pretty good day, considering the three vaccines. We were both kind of dreading it, but I was very proud with how reasonably cool he was. Hopefully all his medical things will be this easy to handle.
I have a work trip coming up next week, so we only have one more day to hang out together!
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Flying Solo - Day One
So in defiance of social and cultural expectations, Raptor-Son and I spent a whole day by ourselves, from six in the morning until three in the afternoon. Raptor-Mom's maternity leave ended yesterday, so she had to go back to work. For my thoughts on (the lack of) maternity leave in the United States, I will refer you to John Oliver's segment:
At any rate, we spend a full nine hours on our own and did fine. With judicious use of our Moby Wrap, Raptor-Son spent a good chunk of the day asleep. He alternated between sleeping and getting woken up to eat, and right before his mom got home, he got a bath for that just-washed baby shine.
He ate a respectable 5 ounces of pumped breast milk throughout the day, 2 ounces for breakfast, 2 for lunch, and another in the early afternoon because he was a little grumbley. I had a crock-pot set up in the kitchen full of water, and whenever he was hungry I threw a bottle in to warm it up a bit. We were both concerned about eating, since now that he's on a bottle it's possible to overfeed him. Give him too much milk, and he'll get used to a higher amount than his mom can produce regularly. Of course, giving him too little is also problematic. Considering that his mom produced more than 10 ounces yesterday, adequate supply seems to be low on our priority list.
He slept roughly the night before, feeding basically from 2 A.M. until 5, so he was very sleepy all day. With a few breaks to play during the day, he spent most of it curled up on my chest asleep while I watched Netflix. Not such a bad day really.
At any rate, we spend a full nine hours on our own and did fine. With judicious use of our Moby Wrap, Raptor-Son spent a good chunk of the day asleep. He alternated between sleeping and getting woken up to eat, and right before his mom got home, he got a bath for that just-washed baby shine.
He ate a respectable 5 ounces of pumped breast milk throughout the day, 2 ounces for breakfast, 2 for lunch, and another in the early afternoon because he was a little grumbley. I had a crock-pot set up in the kitchen full of water, and whenever he was hungry I threw a bottle in to warm it up a bit. We were both concerned about eating, since now that he's on a bottle it's possible to overfeed him. Give him too much milk, and he'll get used to a higher amount than his mom can produce regularly. Of course, giving him too little is also problematic. Considering that his mom produced more than 10 ounces yesterday, adequate supply seems to be low on our priority list.
He slept roughly the night before, feeding basically from 2 A.M. until 5, so he was very sleepy all day. With a few breaks to play during the day, he spent most of it curled up on my chest asleep while I watched Netflix. Not such a bad day really.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
On the Grumpiness of Man
It's been a rough couple of weeks, at least during the day. Not bad, per se, but many new adjustments to make. At night, Raptor-Son is sleeping pretty regularly in two four-hour stretches, usually from 9pm-1am, and 2am-6am. Anything beyond 6:30 or so (sunrise,) will usually result in him throwing his legs up in the air, and grunting softly to himself until someone comes to change or feed him. He's a weirdo.
During the day though, for the last two weeks, he's just been struggling really bad. He's still great at eating, and probably over 13 lbs. now. At his month checkup, he was in the 92% for height, and 90% for weight. So he's giant.
That great size means he loves to eat, or loving to eat has given him great size. At any rate, he's super happy when he's eating and not much beyond that. He just gets cranky really quickly, unless he's in exactly one position: he likes to sit up high on your shoulder, so your collarbone is jammed into his stomach and his head is unsupported. Once he's there, he quiets down almost immediately. Unfortunately, this position is awkward and uncomfortable for the person holding him, but he doesn't seem to mind much.
On the plus side, he is learning to smile regularly, and when he is distracted from his woes, is a very happy baby.
During the day though, for the last two weeks, he's just been struggling really bad. He's still great at eating, and probably over 13 lbs. now. At his month checkup, he was in the 92% for height, and 90% for weight. So he's giant.
That great size means he loves to eat, or loving to eat has given him great size. At any rate, he's super happy when he's eating and not much beyond that. He just gets cranky really quickly, unless he's in exactly one position: he likes to sit up high on your shoulder, so your collarbone is jammed into his stomach and his head is unsupported. Once he's there, he quiets down almost immediately. Unfortunately, this position is awkward and uncomfortable for the person holding him, but he doesn't seem to mind much.
On the plus side, he is learning to smile regularly, and when he is distracted from his woes, is a very happy baby.
Monday, May 4, 2015
10K's and Free Comic Book Day
This past weekend was a busy one, on Saturday at least. That morning was the Cincinnati Flying Pig 10K race, a precursor to the much-larger Flying Pig Marathon the next morning. For the last three years, I've run a Half Marathon, but with a five-week-old this year, it didn't seem prudent. The race started at 8:00am, and Raptor-Son came out with Raptor-Mom to cheer me on, which was great. The elusive Raptor-Grandparents were there as well, watching their first race ever.
The race itself went fine, I'm to the point where I can run a comfortable 10:30 mile at least 3 times in a row without problem. An extra 3 times one day doesn't go too badly, and there was the promise of a carb-heavy breakfast to follow. It was also awesome to have Raptor-Son out there in his Babiator sunglasses. He wasn't exactly cheering, but he at least wasn't fussing too much.
He's almost through the 4-6 week stretch that seems rough for a lot of babies. Lately, if he isn't actively eating or sleeping, he's usually fussing. He throws his arms out to punch the air in tiny fury, and grunts and complains a lot. I think he's realizing that he can't go back to the womb, which is a hard transition for anybody really. He'll be six weeks old tomorrow, so hopefully that will pass soon.
After the race (and a shower,) I hit up Comic Book World for Free Comic Book Day. It's a great holiday to celebrate a medium, and the store was packed. Out front, they had a dude who was swallowing swords, which was pretty cool.
I grabbed the All New All Different Avengers, since I'm still on an Ultron high. The other three I haven't looked at yet, but all three had dinosaurs of some sort on the cover. I actually purchased a trade paperback of the Infinity Gauntlet, a favorite story that I've only read digitally. Although their prices are higher than Amazon, I do like that they exist and have forever. I remember as a kid going to CBW to buy pogs, of all things. I can't wait until I can take Raptor-Son there; hopefully he's a Marvel guy, although if he likes DC more, that will be okay too.
The race itself went fine, I'm to the point where I can run a comfortable 10:30 mile at least 3 times in a row without problem. An extra 3 times one day doesn't go too badly, and there was the promise of a carb-heavy breakfast to follow. It was also awesome to have Raptor-Son out there in his Babiator sunglasses. He wasn't exactly cheering, but he at least wasn't fussing too much.
 |
| The starting line for the 10k |
He's almost through the 4-6 week stretch that seems rough for a lot of babies. Lately, if he isn't actively eating or sleeping, he's usually fussing. He throws his arms out to punch the air in tiny fury, and grunts and complains a lot. I think he's realizing that he can't go back to the womb, which is a hard transition for anybody really. He'll be six weeks old tomorrow, so hopefully that will pass soon.
After the race (and a shower,) I hit up Comic Book World for Free Comic Book Day. It's a great holiday to celebrate a medium, and the store was packed. Out front, they had a dude who was swallowing swords, which was pretty cool.
 |
| I neglected to take a picture, but this is the store. |
I grabbed the All New All Different Avengers, since I'm still on an Ultron high. The other three I haven't looked at yet, but all three had dinosaurs of some sort on the cover. I actually purchased a trade paperback of the Infinity Gauntlet, a favorite story that I've only read digitally. Although their prices are higher than Amazon, I do like that they exist and have forever. I remember as a kid going to CBW to buy pogs, of all things. I can't wait until I can take Raptor-Son there; hopefully he's a Marvel guy, although if he likes DC more, that will be okay too.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Raptor-Dad Thoughts: Age of Ultron
Along with seemingly everyone else everywhere ever, I got to watch The Avengers: Age of Ultron. I'm a big Marvel Cinematic Universe fan (to the point I can say "Marvel Cinematic Universe" out loud and not feel ridiculous) so this was a bit of an event for me. Spoilers below, so if you haven't seen it, come back later.
As far as movie reviews go, other reviewers have adequately covered things like the directing (good,) the writing (excellent,) the pacing (uh, brisk,) and the overall quality: pretty good, if maybe not as high quality as the first Avengers movie. It suffers from the fact that we've seen these characters before, so the surprise and wonder is a little gone. It moves quickly, and shines the most when the characters are sitting around talking.
It is, I think, the more Joss Whedon-y of the two movies, with a dysfunctional group of characters that need to come together to overcome a great adversity, crack wise, and tell black humor jokes right before heroically winning against all odds. That's not a knock, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is in my Top 5 TV Shows Ever, and Raptor-Son's real name may or may not be shared with a crew-member of Serenity.
The movie kept referencing World War Two, which was interesting. Tony Stark references "peace in our time" when arguing that Ultron was necessary to protect the Earth. Chamberlain's words were intended to calm a British public concerned with Hitler's land grab in Czechoslovakia, and Stark's are intended to convince Banner to assist him. Ultron also quotes this line right before he attacks Avenger's Tower for the first time. Later, the ship that Ulysses Klaue works from is named the Churchill, who was the Prime Minister after Chamberlain stepped down. Both suggest a war that wasn't sought by the British, but that the British people were willing to fight and win. Similarly, the Avengers fight Ultron even though they aren't looking for a war. I'm not sure if there is something deeper going on than that, but it was an interesting parallel.
The biggest theme that the movie draws from (and that Stark dismisses outright) is the Man vs. Nature theme of Frankenstein or Jurassic Park. In those movies, and most Romantic works, Man creates something unnatural that then destroys him. Frankenstein's Monster kills because of its isolation, and John Hammond's theme park doesn't work out. Frankenstein is an obvious parallel here for Stark (and a more reluctant Banner,) but with a new wrinkle. Where I think the movie departs from the traditional narrative in a story like this is in the solution to the man-made problem.
In this case, the solution to Ultron as a problem is in Ultron's "offspring" Vision. An android with purple skin, the ability to fly and change densities, Vision immediately becomes a heavyweight on the team. He's ("it's"?) also able to wield Mjolnir, a great sign of worthiness. Vision is thus what Ultron is meant to be, and here Whedon seems to be saying that if your Creation becomes a Monster, the solution is more Creations. More tyrannosaurs will solve the problem that one tyrannosaur represents. This is an interesting twist, and oddly hopeful. Usually the message of Romanticism is that Man needs to return to Nature, and stop building giant robots, but here, Vision represents a sort of technocratic victory over nature. Indeed, Vision gets to destroy the final copy of Ultron with the Mind Gem, again suggesting that when Man's scientific overreach overreaches, it's possible to power through and win through Even More Science. Fascinating.
Would I Take Raptor-Son to See It:
In this section, I'll think about whether or not it's appropriate for my son. Since he's not quite six weeks old, I'll be passing on this one. In a few years though, I hope he loses his mind while appreciating the fact that spectacles like this exist for him.
In conclusion, the Hulkbuster Armor is super dope.
As far as movie reviews go, other reviewers have adequately covered things like the directing (good,) the writing (excellent,) the pacing (uh, brisk,) and the overall quality: pretty good, if maybe not as high quality as the first Avengers movie. It suffers from the fact that we've seen these characters before, so the surprise and wonder is a little gone. It moves quickly, and shines the most when the characters are sitting around talking.
It is, I think, the more Joss Whedon-y of the two movies, with a dysfunctional group of characters that need to come together to overcome a great adversity, crack wise, and tell black humor jokes right before heroically winning against all odds. That's not a knock, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is in my Top 5 TV Shows Ever, and Raptor-Son's real name may or may not be shared with a crew-member of Serenity.
The movie kept referencing World War Two, which was interesting. Tony Stark references "peace in our time" when arguing that Ultron was necessary to protect the Earth. Chamberlain's words were intended to calm a British public concerned with Hitler's land grab in Czechoslovakia, and Stark's are intended to convince Banner to assist him. Ultron also quotes this line right before he attacks Avenger's Tower for the first time. Later, the ship that Ulysses Klaue works from is named the Churchill, who was the Prime Minister after Chamberlain stepped down. Both suggest a war that wasn't sought by the British, but that the British people were willing to fight and win. Similarly, the Avengers fight Ultron even though they aren't looking for a war. I'm not sure if there is something deeper going on than that, but it was an interesting parallel.
The biggest theme that the movie draws from (and that Stark dismisses outright) is the Man vs. Nature theme of Frankenstein or Jurassic Park. In those movies, and most Romantic works, Man creates something unnatural that then destroys him. Frankenstein's Monster kills because of its isolation, and John Hammond's theme park doesn't work out. Frankenstein is an obvious parallel here for Stark (and a more reluctant Banner,) but with a new wrinkle. Where I think the movie departs from the traditional narrative in a story like this is in the solution to the man-made problem.
In this case, the solution to Ultron as a problem is in Ultron's "offspring" Vision. An android with purple skin, the ability to fly and change densities, Vision immediately becomes a heavyweight on the team. He's ("it's"?) also able to wield Mjolnir, a great sign of worthiness. Vision is thus what Ultron is meant to be, and here Whedon seems to be saying that if your Creation becomes a Monster, the solution is more Creations. More tyrannosaurs will solve the problem that one tyrannosaur represents. This is an interesting twist, and oddly hopeful. Usually the message of Romanticism is that Man needs to return to Nature, and stop building giant robots, but here, Vision represents a sort of technocratic victory over nature. Indeed, Vision gets to destroy the final copy of Ultron with the Mind Gem, again suggesting that when Man's scientific overreach overreaches, it's possible to power through and win through Even More Science. Fascinating.
Would I Take Raptor-Son to See It:
In this section, I'll think about whether or not it's appropriate for my son. Since he's not quite six weeks old, I'll be passing on this one. In a few years though, I hope he loses his mind while appreciating the fact that spectacles like this exist for him.
In conclusion, the Hulkbuster Armor is super dope.
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