zygote daddy

two months later...

I haven't quite figured out what to do with this here weblog, now that I spend way more time interacting with Red than I used to (having been limited by his littlitude to gazing upon him and blogging about it like the proud papa I am).

So I've decided just to write about various other things I'm thinking about, readership be damned. That's not to say I won't wax interminably about Red -- I am a dad, after all. I just won't limit myself so much.

That said, allow me to wax somewhat terminably about Red.

He turned two the other day. This was obviously kind of a big thing around chez zygote, although I've been saying he's "2 in November"for about six months when asked his age. "Twenty months" just sounds weird, like saying it's 4:47 when you could just say "quarter 'til".

Anyway, a big thing because he's figured out what a birthday means: presents. He was a little confused (though obviously delighted) by the first couple of presents, but then all of a sudden the lightbulb went off. Red's eyes drew slowly upward to the magnificent pile of colored paper on top of the tv cabinet and a vigorous pointing ensued.

It's all downhill for us from here, I'm afraid. And to think Christmas is just around the corner.

Red's finally met his match

So Red was feeling a little under the weather a couple of weeks back, and to distract him for a while we decided to make a trip to the local animal shelter. You know, to pet the dogs and cats for a bit.

Anyhow, the moral of the story? Don't go to the shelter as a recreational activity. You might end up with an adorable little lab mutt.

Artist. Scholar. Scientist.

One minute, he's creating a masterpiece. The next, he's deconstructing the aural and visual subtleties of Richard Scarry. And then he's studying the behavior of (rubber) cockroaches. Aren't toddlers just awesome?

lazy summer days

 Red was taking a quick break from filling up the kiddie pool...

It's official...awesomest baby ever.

To me, anyway. Nothing against your kids, really. But check out these photos my father-in-law sent me, of a little stream ecologist in training. That's Red with a millipede in the last one -- I'm such a proud papa!

in which I learn a little lesson

In case you're curious, this is what happens when you give an 18-month-old cake before bedtime. Whoops.

Still alive!

Ok, so that wasn't so bad after all. Five days and 30 pages later, I'm still standing. At least until the oral exam, when my committee gets to tear into all my perceived weaknesses. Should be fun. Then I only have two years of research, a dissertation to write, and a final oral defense before I finish. I'm almost halfway there!

Wow, that's totally exciting and totally depressing all at the same time.

they just might make a doctor out of me yet

Posts have been scarce recently because my preliminary written exams are coming up this week. 5 days. 5 exams, one from each member of my dissertation committee. 40 mind-abusing hours racing the clock to answer questions meant to stump and humiliate test my knowledge of ecology.

And this is only the written component. The oral exam comes in two short weeks: an afternoon of me, a chalkboard, and my committee asking me whatever the feel like asking. There is no time limit. I have to stand there being peppered by questions until a) they get bored of me or b) I collapse into a twitching mass at the front of the classroom.

It's one part comprehensive academic assessment, one part rite of passage, and one part petty hazing ritual.

I get my first exam at 6am tomorrow. I won't know which committee member wrote it until I receive it. It could be on just about anything.

But at least it's only my entire professional future hanging in the balance.

[Cue complete mental breakdown]

Chub-a-lub no more

These two photos were taken exactly one year apart:

Red is wasting away! Well, apart from the fantastic thunder thighs, that is. But what happened? One day he's cute and larval, with what appear to be triple-jointed elbows, and the next you can see his ribcage. Oh, and he's giving you some serious attitude because you took him down off the table where he was happily walking around.

This kid is growing way too fast. The madness!

"chins" just ain't gonna cut it anymore.

Not sure if you noticed, but Chins has undergone an awful lot of vertical growth during the past several months (oh wait, I was AWOL, so nevermind) and has only been shrinking in girth. He even fits some of the pants and diapers he had grown out of in the fall.

What this means is that he does, in fact, have only one chin now. Besides, just in case he's a chunky kid like his old man was (is?), I figure I should nip this particular nickname in the bud before it causes lasting harm. I won't be able to afford his years of therapy as it is.

So innernets, meet Red. Fairly appropriate, no?

Now I just need to decide if my blog needs a new name. No zygotes have been around here for a loooooong time...