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Fatherhood and Family Life
I'm Mike Reed, family man:
Husband and (relatively) new dad. This is the story of Max.

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  • May 23, 2013 7:26 pm
    Max and the neighborhood crew. View high resolution

    Max and the neighborhood crew.

    6 notes Filed under:  fatherhood, parenting, toddler, neighborhood, friends,.
  • May 22, 2013 8:02 pm
    So … Max really likes 2004’s “Fat Albert” with Kenan Thompson. View high resolution

    So … Max really likes 2004’s “Fat Albert” with Kenan Thompson.

    7 notes Filed under:  fatherhood, parenting, toddler, Fat Albert, the more you know,.
  • May 19, 2013 7:14 pm
    Picking strawberries. It went a lot smoother than last time. View high resolution

    Picking strawberries. It went a lot smoother than last time.

    15 notes Filed under:  fatherhood, parenting, toddler, strawberry picking,.
  • May 18, 2013 2:05 pm

    Bouncing around at Monkey Joe’s. The blurrier the photo, the more fun he’s having.

    3 notes Filed under:  fatherhood, parenting, toddler, Monkey Joe's,.
  • May 16, 2013 9:42 pm
    We flipped the door handle to Max’s bedroom so we could lock it and secure him in a safe spot at night. He retaliated by shoving his hand down his throat again and spraying his room with vomit. It was everywhere: the walls, his TV, books, toys and himself. He did it because he knew we’d open the door. 1) It is very difficult to clean partially digested whole milk, pancakes and bananas (his dinner) out of carpet. 2) I don’t know who is winning this battle. View high resolution

    We flipped the door handle to Max’s bedroom so we could lock it and secure him in a safe spot at night.

    He retaliated by shoving his hand down his throat again and spraying his room with vomit. It was everywhere: the walls, his TV, books, toys and himself. He did it because he knew we’d open the door.

    1) It is very difficult to clean partially digested whole milk, pancakes and bananas (his dinner) out of carpet.

    2) I don’t know who is winning this battle.

    5 notes Filed under:  fatherhood, parenting, toddler, bedtime, vomit,.
  • May 14, 2013 10:22 pm
    Baby door-handle locks no longer work with Max. He broke those apart weeks ago. For a while, at bedtime, we were able to lock the handle of his bedroom door from the inside. It’s quick and easy to pick it open with a penny when we need to get back in. When we put him to bed, we new he was safe. And contained. But not anymore. Tonight, he broke out and snuck downstairs. He pooped in his diaper and wanted to let us know, which was cool of him (he’s a morning pooper, so this was an important announcement). Then he made a game of getting his diaper changed, which wasn’t cool because he was uncooperative and really interfered with our 1.5 hours of nightly TV-watching time. He broke out a second time because he couldn’t find a toy. We have a video monitor. He escaped twice without us knowing until he made it to the living room. We’ve entered a scary new stage. I haven’t felt this way since he first flopped out of his crib. SIDENOTE: I was going to write about the fact that he destroyed our entire first floor this evening by shoving his fingers down his throat and forcing himself to throw up in 15-20 different little rancid puddles (I was outside; Clarissa was on the phone, trying to schedule a time for someone to clean our house). But this new development is worse. View high resolution

    Baby door-handle locks no longer work with Max. He broke those apart weeks ago.

    For a while, at bedtime, we were able to lock the handle of his bedroom door from the inside. It’s quick and easy to pick it open with a penny when we need to get back in.

    When we put him to bed, we new he was safe. And contained.

    But not anymore.

    Tonight, he broke out and snuck downstairs. He pooped in his diaper and wanted to let us know, which was cool of him (he’s a morning pooper, so this was an important announcement).

    Then he made a game of getting his diaper changed, which wasn’t cool because he was uncooperative and really interfered with our 1.5 hours of nightly TV-watching time.

    He broke out a second time because he couldn’t find a toy.

    We have a video monitor. He escaped twice without us knowing until he made it to the living room.

    We’ve entered a scary new stage. I haven’t felt this way since he first flopped out of his crib.

    SIDENOTE: I was going to write about the fact that he destroyed our entire first floor this evening by shoving his fingers down his throat and forcing himself to throw up in 15-20 different little rancid puddles (I was outside; Clarissa was on the phone, trying to schedule a time for someone to clean our house). But this new development is worse.

    7 notes Filed under:  fatherhood, parenting, toddler, bedtime, poop, potty training,.
  • May 12, 2013 10:28 pm
    Max says happy Mother’s Day. He made his mom a birdhouse. And an art project at day care. View high resolution

    Max says happy Mother’s Day.

    He made his mom a birdhouse. And an art project at day care.

    8 notes Filed under:  fatherhood, parenting, toddler, Mother's Day,.
  • May 9, 2013 6:55 pm
    Max (pictured, eating a rock) hit his head really hard last night. He was jumping on our bed after his bath, as is his custom, and he fell backward on our nightstand. It looked bad. It sounded bad. He cried, but it passed, and he went to sleep without a fuss. Still, I checked on him a few times to make sure he was OK, and he was. Looking back, I think he may have been concussed. I think he still may be concussed. This morning, he was sweet and cooperative. This afternoon, when I picked him up from day care, he was in the same good mood. And he received a “GREAT” instead of an “Uh-Oh” on his daily report card for the first time in weeks. View high resolution

    Max (pictured, eating a rock) hit his head really hard last night. He was jumping on our bed after his bath, as is his custom, and he fell backward on our nightstand.

    It looked bad. It sounded bad.

    He cried, but it passed, and he went to sleep without a fuss. Still, I checked on him a few times to make sure he was OK, and he was.

    Looking back, I think he may have been concussed. I think he still may be concussed.

    This morning, he was sweet and cooperative. This afternoon, when I picked him up from day care, he was in the same good mood. And he received a “GREAT” instead of an “Uh-Oh” on his daily report card for the first time in weeks.

    11 notes Filed under:  fatherhood, parenting, toddler, concussion,.
  • May 8, 2013 6:42 pm
    I played catch with Max for 30 minutes today. That’s a long time for him to focus on one activity. It was awesome. View high resolution

    I played catch with Max for 30 minutes today. That’s a long time for him to focus on one activity.

    It was awesome.

    7 notes Filed under:  fatherhood, parenting, toddler, catch,.
  • May 2, 2013 9:10 pm
    We’re back home in Charlotte. We had fun in Tennessee. The last 24 hours have been challenging, though. Two-year-olds aren’t built for travel. At one point today, after we stopped for drive-through lunch and after he played with the Happy Meal toy, Max asked for fries. I gave him his fries. Then he asked for apple slices, which I also gave him. He ate everything. We were on the road, making good time, and all was well. Max’s car seat in back is on the opposite side of the driver’s seat, so I can see him and hand him things. I glanced over my shoulder, and he was content. And then he asked for the chicken nuggets. He was quiet, and all of a sudden, as I was passing a truck on the outside of a sharp turn in the mountains near the North Carolina border, a half-eaten nugget hit the steering wheel. Before I could figure out what it was, a full nugget hit the back of my head. Then two more flew at me, right on top of each other, like rapid fire. One hit the dash and landed in my lap. Another hit the windshield. The rest of the ride, which really wasn’t the greatest up to that point anyway, went downhill from there. View high resolution

    We’re back home in Charlotte. We had fun in Tennessee.

    The last 24 hours have been challenging, though. Two-year-olds aren’t built for travel.

    At one point today, after we stopped for drive-through lunch and after he played with the Happy Meal toy, Max asked for fries. I gave him his fries. Then he asked for apple slices, which I also gave him.

    He ate everything. We were on the road, making good time, and all was well. Max’s car seat in back is on the opposite side of the driver’s seat, so I can see him and hand him things. I glanced over my shoulder, and he was content.

    And then he asked for the chicken nuggets.

    He was quiet, and all of a sudden, as I was passing a truck on the outside of a sharp turn in the mountains near the North Carolina border, a half-eaten nugget hit the steering wheel. Before I could figure out what it was, a full nugget hit the back of my head.

    Then two more flew at me, right on top of each other, like rapid fire. One hit the dash and landed in my lap. Another hit the windshield.

    The rest of the ride, which really wasn’t the greatest up to that point anyway, went downhill from there.

    10 notes Filed under:  fatherhood, parenting, toddler, drive, travelling, eat, chicken nuggets,.
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