One Month IPR

Two Week In-Progress Review: What have I learned so far?

1. When you're changing a diaper and your first thought is, "well, that's not so bad," it only means he's not done yet.
2. Toys and books are okay, but what are really interesting are electrical sockets, cat tails, the box that the toy came in, and anything that makes Dad say "No, don't touch that."
3. There's a real shortage of good kids' books these days. Where's the next Maurice Sendak, Dr Suess, or A. A. Milne? Most of the books these days were phoned in.
4. Any baby food that comes in a jar is disgusting, but there are some good oatmeals out there. I'd eat Familia's 100% Natural Swiss Müesli if it came in a bigger box.
5. Socks with no-skid rubberized dots on the bottom: good concept, poor execution. They need to put the dots both on the inside and the outside, because Z. leaves his behind every time he does a peel-out or changes directions.
6. Baby drool is a thousand times less toxic and pernicious than Great Dane drool. But they're a tie in the poop department.
   
7. I don't adjust to sleep deprivation.
   
8. Alpha status in our household is dictated by one simple test: are you afraid of the vacuum cleaner? Yes, move to the top of the list; no, you're stuck in the middle of the pack.
9. A baby's diaper bag and an Army Ranger assault pack weight about the same.
10. Every time I see Z. in the sea of babies when I pick him up from day care, I think the same thing: There's an Animal Farm Rule of Babies. All babies are equally cute, but some are more equal than others.