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Baby’s First Halloween
I knew I wanted P.B. to be something spooky for his first Halloween. No cutesy animal or pumpkin costumes for him. My friend sent me a Dracula costume and I just knew it would be perfect with P.B.'s alabaster skin. First Trevor had to teach him how to be scary. P.B. seemed to vaguely grasp the concept and we were ready to go. Soon P.B. was feeling very creepy crawly. Not only did he insist on sucking his own foot, he started rolling around and trying to eat the spider web. It was time to pick him up. He agreed to a few standing shots, but quickly let us know…
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Freaky Friday: P.B. in a Pumpkin
There are some baby photos that are so cliché ... you must recreate them. We've all seen photos of babies in pumpkins and P.B. wasn't going to escape this overdone photo shoot. P.B. tried his best to get out of it. He refused to let go of Trevor to get in the pumpkin. Once we were able to get him in the pumpkin, he hated it. Like, he really, really hated it. Trevor stepped in and saved the day. He carried P.B. around in the pumpkin and showed him the backyard. Eventually he calmed down and stayed calm by sucking on his fingers. We were ready to give this another…
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Introducing Freaky Fridays
My mother-in-law has asked us a few times what we're looking forward to sharing with Pip the most. Trevor has so many answers to this question: sports, watching sports, playing sports, etc. For whatever reason, my mind has gone blank each time she asks. "I don't know," I've said. But now that October has rolled around, I have an answer. I want to share my love of Halloween with him. It's not a normal year. We can't dress him up, parade him around, and knock on strangers' doors demanding candy that is obviously for us, not the baby. He's too young to watch spooky movies or read Scary Stories to…
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Don’t Fear the Newborn
The hardest part of the third trimester is trying to get a decent night’s sleep. Between the sore hips, heartburn, night sweats, and an ever growing baby pressing down on your bladder, you’re lucky if you get more than two hours of uninterrupted sleep. Whenever I complained about this, everyone had the same response: You think you’re tired now? Just wait until the baby’s here. In fact, throughout my pregnancy everyone was more than happy to point out just how miserable we would be immediately after P.B.’s arrival. Experienced moms would warn me that the newborn stage is just awful. “You just have to get through it,” they’d say. Childless…
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Great Fathers of History: J.R.R. Tolkien
This post is part of a series on Great Fathers of History. Biographies and histories about great men often focus on political, intellectual, or cultural achievements but say little about their domestic relationships. Yet some of these men were exemplary fathers, whose lives carry valuable lessons for any current or prospective parent. This series seeks to unearth those lessons by exploring how these men raised their children and what they said, wrote or believed about what a father should be. * * * The professor had a problem. The toy dog was missing. The figurine was his five-year old son, Michael’s, favorite plaything. Now it was gone, washed to sea…
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The New Dad Mindset: How to Keep Sanity and Perspective
Becoming a dad is great, but there are also challenges. Newborns enter our lives like wrecking balls, destroying all that is familiar, and it takes time to rebuild. While the work is ongoing, life can feel chaotic and uncertain. Having the right outlook is key. With a positive mindset and a bit of perspective, we can not only survive this difficult period, but thrive. While I’m no expert—I’ve been at this fatherhood thing for just a couple of months—I am blessed with a great dad who taught me a ton through his example. I’ve also done way more reading about parenting than I care to admit. Below are a few…
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Tummy Time: An Odyssey
P.B.'s pediatrician recommended that he get lots of tummy time to strengthen his neck and back. The newborn's head is heavy, and it takes time to build the muscles needed to hold it aloft. We started the little guy with supervised sessions several times each day. But he was slow to embrace the program. At first, he didn't do much other than lay on his belly and gaze at his surroundings. He was like the wannabe gym rat who spends his entire workout scrolling his phone. We tried surrounding P.B. with patterned prints. But he'd either stare impassively if the objects were in his field of vision or ignore them…
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A Very Sticky Situation
This is embarrassing. The other day, I went Keystone Cops with P.B. In the space of a few minutes, our quiet morning exploded into absolute anarchy. Funny what happens when sleep deprivation meets fast-acting adhesives. It started like any other day. As anyone with a newborn can attest, night is the hardest. Regan and I tackle the nighttime hours in shifts. In the evening, I turn in while Regan feeds and coaxes P.B. towards sleep. Then Regan sleeps, and I’m on point when the baby rises. I pride myself on owning the morning shift. My goals? Enjoy as much bonding time as possible with baby, and give Regan long stretches…
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P.B. Turns Two Months Old
Last week, P.B. had his two-month birthday. I can't believe how quickly the time has flown. To celebrate the occasion, I decided to dress P.B. up for a baby-daddy photo shoot. First, we cleaned up with a warm bath. Nothing ruins a photo like hair matted with spit-up. P.B. loves bath time and everything that goes with it. That very much includes his soft elephant towel. Once P.B. was clean, I rifled through his wardrobe to find the perfect outfit. We started with blue-and-white striped shortalls. I added his summer hat because why not? I liked the look, but P.B. wasn't sold. He's already questioning dad's sense of fashion. Fortunately,…
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Has It Really Been One Month?
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Great Fathers of History: Barack Obama
This is the first in a series of posts on Great Fathers of History. Biographies and histories about great men often focus on political, intellectual, or cultural achievements but say little about their domestic relationships. Yet some of these men were exemplary fathers, whose lives carry valuable lessons for any current or prospective parent. This series seeks to unearth those lessons by exploring how these men raised their children and what they said, wrote or believed about what a father should be. * * * Whatever you think of his politics, former president Barack Obama’s dad skills are undeniable. Obama’s parenting reminds all dads of the importance of being present…
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