Sit-up sitter.

All Madame wants to do these days is sit up. Once I could hold her horizontal and walk around or play with her on the floor, but now if she’s awake and not sitting up she’s generally unhappy. This is good I guess, developmentally speaking, but it does require a lot of effort. Usually by the end of the day nothing will console her unless she’s right in the middle of whatever we are doing, so we keep her in her Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier and walk around the house with her. What I’d really like is a bouncy-seat that will keep her a little more upright (without letting her tip over of course). I was looking at the Baby Bjorn website today and I came across the Baby Sitter 1-2-3. It’s a bouncy seat that will adjust to 3 different positions, depending on how old your child is. It looks like it might do the job, and I’m very happy with the carrier they make, so I might try it. Anyone have one?

Modern mobiles.

A mobile is usually on everyone’s checklist of things to get for the baby’s room. We have a Baby Einstein mobile over our baby’s crib, but I can’t say I really recommend it. It works OK (the batteries seem to die too soon) but it does have a remote which is nice. I hadn’t given much thought to a mobile for the room itself, until friends of ours gave us one of these beautiful mobiles from Julie Frith. Simple and colorful it looks great above the changing table. She has some designs specifically for children, and many more for any other room in your house. Obviously it’s not for the baby to touch or play with, but not everything has to be right?

Oh, and by the way, happy Nevada Day.

World Champions.

Congratulations to the 2004 Boston Red Sox. I was unbelievably happy when they beat the Yankees, but this tops it. I’m still dumbstruck.

Here’s a photo gallery from Boston.com of people’s babies in Red Sox gear. (I guess I’m not the only one who thought “Hey, all I had to do was have a baby to get them to win.”) My favorites are the painted face kids, and these twins who are totally into it.

Oh, and my new favorite Red Sox bootleg t-shirt (more than the Johnny Is My Homeboy shirt) is the “Ortiz Has A Posse” shirt I saw for 2 seconds in one of the celebrations on FOX (an homage to the classic Shepard Fairey Andre the Giant stickers). From what I can tell it used to be available at Sully’s Tees.com, but apparently they don't sell it any more. As I no longer live in Boston, I guess I’ll have to make an iron-on myself.

iPod dads rejoice.

I mentioned in another post that I was going to NYC soon for a visit, and in anticipation of that my wife gave me a small photo album (“brag book” she called it) to put photos of Madame in to show our friends. A good idea I thought, as I don’t keep photos in my wallet. Now it seems there’s a digital solution that I can get behind. I’m sure you’ve heard by now, Steve Jobs of Apple has announced the latest version of the iPod – the iPod Photo. It’s an iPod with a color screen that holds not only your music, but all of your photos - allowing you to display them right on the color screen. The device also has video out so you can show the photos on a TV and even make slideshows with music right in your iPod.

Before I had a kid I never would have cared about this, but now it seems like a great idea. I already carry my iPod around with me most places I go; now I can have pictures of my daughter with me as well. The only drawback I can see is the screen still seems like the standard iPod screen size, which is a little too small for photos for my taste. Hey, it’s not like I’m going to eBay my current iPod so I can upgrade any time soon, but I’m sure the next one I get will have this functionality.

Newest iPod From Apple Holds Photos and Music NY Times
New iPod Plays Photos PC Magazine

House of Ingri. Not cutesy, but cute.

My baby has two Ugly Dolls. Both were given as gifts, and I love them both. Madame is of course too young to love them herself, but I’m sure she will when the time is right. A few months ago I found similar stuffed creatures from the House of Ingri. All of the House of Ingri creatures are hand made from vinyl and are "not intended for small children" (though I’m not sure Ugly Dolls are intended for small children either). Oversized heads and strange expressions must be fashionable – which is cool with me because I’m down with them. Plus one of them is a devil named “Marty,” which kind of rules me.

$60 exclusively at the House of Ingri website.

Voices in your head? Thank your dad.

As if I don’t already have enough to worry/feel guilty about – now I might really be to blame if my kid turns out crazy. Apparently Swedish researchers have found that dads over 30 pass on a greater risk of schizophrenia to their children due to mutations in their sperm. But wait, it gets better. The research also found that the link was stronger if there was no family history of schizophrenia. So if you and your family are basically sane, but you decided to wait until you were a little more “stable” to have kids, then all you were really doing is giving more time for your sperm to mutate. Oh, and the risk increases by 50% every extra 10 years you wait, so if you’re thinking about kids, get to work.

Older Dads May Increase Schizophrenia Risk WebMD
Older father schizophrenia link BBC.
(I don't feel like an "older father.")

Going to NYC soon.

In a couple of weeks I’ll be taking a trip (without the baby) to NYC to visit some friends. I try to go a few times a year, but this time will be the first that I’ll be leaving my progeny at home (“progeny” – big word huh? I almost used “fruit of my loins”). Going to New York is always an opportunity to see/do things that I can’t do back home, especially shopping, so I’ve been trying to compile a list of kid-related places to check out while I’m there. I’m already going to visit Yoyamart and I might check out Just for Tykes and Urban Monster in Brooklyn. I know lots of the dads out there live in NYC. Any suggestions for places I shouldn’t miss?

Get your kid ready for the World Series.

During baseball season I spend the majority of my early evenings watching the Red Sox regular season games, and thanks to their resounding win over the Yankees last night I’m an incredibly happy man. Next is the World Series, and if you haven’t already you’ll want to make sure your kid is outfitted for the occasion. For the best stuff, skip the kids section at shop.mlb.com and go straight to The Souvenir Store on Yawkey Way. I’ve ordered stuff from them online in the past and have been happy with the transactions. Some of my favorites include the pink adjustable cap (or in straight-up navy), the Red Sox diaper set, and the Wally bib. (By the way, it's not for kids and not available at The Souvenir Store, but I think that Johnny is My Homeboy t-shirt is going to happen for me). What they are woefully lacking though is a simple pair of red socks for the baby. Any ideas on where to get some?

Also, I’ve noticed this isn’t the only dad blog to mention this amazing series, so here’s a shout-out to Laid-Off Dad, Greg from Daddy Types, and Rebel Dad.

We've discovered television.

My mom came for a visit last week and it was both fun and a big help (allowing me to do things during the day that I just can’t do with a kid in tow). Anyway, the other morning I came downstairs after taking a shower and Madame was in her bouncy seat, smack dab right in front of the television watching Jo Jo’s Circus on the Disney Channel. And she was riveted. My mom looks at me and says (joking), “This taking-care-of-the-kid stuff is easy.”

It made me laugh because my wife and I had never thought to put something on the TV specifically for Madame before, because it seemed like something you weren’t supposed to do, but mostly because she was so into it. Later that night while we were eating dinner we tried one of the Baby Einstein DVDs we had (but had yet to try) and again it worked like a charm. We kind of felt guilty, but it was seriously the first meal we’ve eaten together beginning to end since the baby arrived, and it was nice.

So I guess I’m still up in the air about this. On one hand the Baby Einstein videos are really sweet and it’s hard to imagine they are harmful. Not to mention the fact that sometimes the benefit of a non-screaming baby to the family can’t be too overlooked. But on the other hand I kind of feel like I’m starting off on this slippery slope that’s going to end with endless loops of Mary Kate and Ashley videos. I guess as long as I use it judiciously and not as a replacement for real interaction I’ll be OK (which I imagine is the attitude of every other rookie parent). Hell, when I was a kid I used to watch two Sesame Streets, Mr. Rogers and Villa Alegre every day and I didn’t turn out so bad.

Thanks mom.

WeeRide bicycle seat.

A little more than a year ago my wife and I got bikes; not really for exercise but more for fun (something to ride to the library or around the trails near where we live – that kind of thing). But now that the baby has arrived we haven’t been out riding our bikes once. There are lots of walks to the park, but no bike rides. We’re psyched to go for rides when the baby gets old enough, and I think I found just the thing to make it happen – the WeeRide.

It’s a pretty simple concept really. Instead of towing your baby around in a trailer, or in a carrier on the back of the bike (like my mom used to do with my sister back in the day), the WeeRide is a little seat you put in front of yours just behind the handlebars. This way, the kid is up front with you where you can keep an eye on him or her (and they can keep an eye on what’s going on). I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds like a lot more fun than the other options.

$115.00 from Yoya Mart in Manhattan.

Get your kid in an "advertorial."

Think your baby takes a great picture? I saw this press release today about the “Nikon Coolpix Pride and Joy Baby Photo Contest.” The winner of the contest gets a $25K US Savings bond and will be featured in an “advertorial” in an issue of Parenting Magazine. Finalists receive a digital camera package from Nikon. It’s not free though - it will cost you $9.95 to enter, though $5 of that goes to the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation. It’s nice they’re giving some of the money to a good cause, but $9.95 still sounds steep.

If you’re interested, check out http://www.prideandjoybaby.com/

Flu shot drama.

I’m sure wherever you are, people are freaking out about the flu shot. Thanks to Daddy Types I realized the other day that this is the first time I’ve ever been recommended for a flu shot (Madame is just under 3 months old now). I’ve never gotten one before and I was kind of interested to get one, but now I don’t think it’s going to happen. I called around my area today looking for info and I got a whole mix of responses. Some pharmacies said they have no plans to give them out, some said they would be giving them out but they didn’t know who would qualify or how many they would have, and one pharmacy said they would have a nurse decide what the 300 most serious cases were and give them to those people. Everywhere though said to come early. As one guy put it, “It will be a mob scene.”

Is this worth it? Sure, the CDC suggests it and it is for the sake of my child, but there really aren’t a lot of doses out there and aren’t there a lot more fragile people who could use it? Not to mention if I show up at a drug store with over 500 elderly people looking for one of 300 shots, I think they might just gang up and beat me down – no matter what the CDC says. So for what it’s worth I’ve decided to talk it over with Madame’s pediatrician, which is probably the best course of action. He’ll know what to do (and hopefully know how to avoid that beating).

Also, good NY Times article about what a mess all this is.

Root for the dads (Red Sox).

As a very committed and (probably too) emotionally invested Boston Red Sox fan, this Yankees / Red Sox American League Championship Series is consuming me. Apparently I’m unable to think about much else, so I decided to blog about it. But unable to find some legitimate dad connection, I settled on a completely convoluted one.

After some very slack internet research, I’ve found that there are more dads on the Red Sox twenty-five man active roster than the Yankees. The breakdown is:
Red Sox - 7 pitchers and 10 batters (17 total dads)
Yankees - 5 pitchers and 6 batters (11 total dads)

Big deal you say? Yeah, you’re right. But if you’re not already a Yankees fan, you might as well give your support to the dads.

Drive-thru luxury.

I’ve never been much of a drive-thru kind of guy. Sure, occasionally at In-N-Out Burger I’ll hit the drive-thru line (by the way, “thru” seems to be the universal spelling for all drive-thru lines), but usually I’ll just park and go in. In my youth I probably would have said that drive-thru convenience was just another example of a lazy America, but all of that’s changed now since I have a child in the back seat. It’s almost like being able to stay in your car is this brand new luxury I’ve discovered.

The other day I was out with Madame running some errands, and she decides to fuss in the back. But by now I'm on the other side of town, I’m thirsty as hell, and I’ve forgotten a bottle of water from home (I should lay off the Fritos at lunch, but that’s besides the point). Normally I would have ducked inside the closest 7-11 and grabbed some Gatorade or something, but taking a crying baby out of the car and bringing her into a random 7-11 isn’t something I’m prepared to do. Then I realize I can roll through the drive-thru at McDonald’s and just get a drink. Eureka!

Now I’m looking for opportunities to stay in the car everywhere I go. ATM? Drive it thru. Pharmacy? Drive it thru. Post office? Stay in the car and drop it in the box. The young-me can call me lazy all he wants, but the new-me is not listening. I’m lovin’ it.

Board game for dads.

Sometimes my gut reaction is just wrong. I found a press release the other day for a board game called “Hey Dad - Let’s Talk,” designed to encourage dads and their children to communicate. At first I wanted to mock it. I know I’m new to being a dad, but how hard is it to be interested in what your kids are up to and talk to them about it? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that things aren’t so simple for everyone. Every situation and relationship is different, and if this game helps fathers connect with their children, then that’s a good thing. And I certainly shouldn’t judge.

$29.95 from Dr. Toy

Airplane safety vest.

So it looks like Madame and I might be taking a plane to the east coast soon, and I’m not too proud to say it’s making me nervous. The first issue it looks like I’m going to have to deal with is whether I’m going to buy the baby a seat or not buy the baby a seat (and try to score one at the gate). The idea of having Madame exclusively in my lap for 5+ hours sounds daunting, not to mention kind of dangerous. Consequently I did some looking around online to see if there was something I was missing, and I found this – the Baby B’Air. It's a vest you put around your child with a tether that connects to your seat belt. Supposedly it will help keep your child restrained in case of unexpected turbulence. It seems to make sense, but I can't decide if this is one of those products that's worth it, or is just out there to make a quick buck off of nervous parents like me. Has anyone tried this thing?

$29.95 at One Step Ahead

It should warn about the rash.

My wife and I recently noticed that our daughter was developing a very strange rash on the outside of her right arm, around the elbow. Her other arm was fine, as was the rest of her body. It didn’t look very bad, it wasn’t spreading, and she wasn’t otherwise sick (no fever or sluggishness) so we decided to keep an eye on it.

I was trying to figure out what could be causing it, when then the other day I brought her back into the house from the car and I noticed something. Her right arm was tucked into the car seat, right where the geniuses at Peg Perego decided to stitch in a warning label (see picture above). The label is made of some kind of synthetic, non-breathable material (not the same material as the rest of the seat). We live in the desert and she can get sweaty in her car seat, and I’m now convinced that this warning label was causing it. I took it off and her arm is already looking much better. Hey, I’m all for warning people that they should be facing their child to the rear, but put it someplace else. And if you’ve got the Primo Viaggio, be warned.

The opposite of getting your car fixed.

I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t know a lot about cars. I know when to change the oil, get the tires rotated, and fill it with gas but that’s about it. Whenever there’s a real problem with the car, I usually feel awkward about bringing it in to the service guys because I always feel like I should know more about the car than I do, just because I’m a guy. Lots of times I’ll have my wife bring the car in, as the service guys are usually much nicer to her (and she has no such hang-up). These past few days I’ve started to get the feeling that the opposite is happening in my new dad-life. The other day I’m at Babies R Us, wheeling the baby around looking for a few things, and while shopping I had no less than 3 store clerks ask if they could help me. And even yesterday at Costco, I had another customer offer to help me put my items on the conveyor belt because it looked like I had “my hands full.”

Now I’m sure lots of other dads might be offended, because we are just as able to deal with our children alone as any mom would be, and this is true. But maybe this is a perk that I didn’t count on. I may be way more capable of taking care of my kid than you assume I am, but if you’re going to help me find the hooded bath towels quicker, then thank you very much.

Barbecue bible.

For a lot of us, figuring out what to do about dinner is something we have to deal with every day. Now that I’m cooking most every night, grilling has become my latest obsession. It has mostly been spurred on by grill-master Steven Raichlen and his book The Barbecue Bible. The recipes are from all around the world, and it’s written in a way that’s both interesting to read and really easy to get the concepts. He’s also got a TV Show on PBS called Barbecue University where he cooks recipes from the book. It’s inspired me to use a rotisserie, woodchips and smoke, even make beer can chicken. If you’ve got a grill and some outdoor space, I would definitely suggest picking up his book.

It's Kradle with a "K."

I thought I had a pretty good handle on baby stuff. I’ve done the research, I take care of the kid, but sometimes an obvious product sneaks up on me. That’s the way it was with the Koala Bear Kare® Infant Seat Kradle. (“Koala Bear Kare® are the people who make so many of the restroom changing tables we’ve all come to appreciate.) Last weekend we went out to lunch with Madame, and the waitress offered us a “sling” for the baby. My wife immediately said that yes, we would love one, and the waitress came back with this simple contraption. It’s basically a luggage rack that's deep enough to put the baby’s car seat in. It keeps the kid at table height without having to put her on the table. It’s an obvious idea that works great. It’s not so great that I want one for my house, but it sure came in handy at the restaurant.

$84.00 (ouch) at Amazon