Jason | Cooper Camp

Four Months

by Jason | Feb 3, 2013 | All Things Coop, Milestones

Not a lot to post about lately, but Cooper had his four-month checkup this past week, and once again everything went swimmingly. His current notable numbers and percentiles:

Weight: 16lb 6.5oz (66%)
Head Circ: 16.73″ (72%)
Height: 26.75″ (97%)

Basically his weight and head size are normalizing, but he’s still very tall. I still envision a 6’9″ 15-year-old…

Everything else went well until the shots came–three needles and a vial of goo to drink–and although he didn’t enjoy them, I think they were a bit less traumatic than the two-month volley. He certainly seemed less irritated by the injection sites that evening and the next day.

In any case, we’re moving closer and closer to the really big milestone of daycare. Not exactly sure how I feel about that.

Huh boy

by Jason | Jan 21, 2013 | All Things Coop, Fatherhood

First of all, I’d like to mention that I’m not a particularly emotional moviegoer.

Sure, I get a little (inexplicably) misty at the end of underdog sports movies, when the rag-tag bunch of losers from the wrong side of the tracks beat those uptown snobs in (melo)dramatic fashion.

I’ll also freely admit to having a soft spot for Pixar films, getting a bit choked up at the end of Toy Story 3 when the kid gives away his toys, and of course the first 10 minutes or so of Up, because, well, I’m human. The rest of their oeuvre, however, while great entertainment, never struck me in a particularly meaningful way.

…and now I’m a dad. Things have changed.

Forever, I expect.

Came across Finding Nemo on cable the other day, and with nothing better to do, and Cooper snoozing away, started watching. I couldn’t even say which scene it was, but Marlin says something to the effect of “I have to find my son,” and I got a little lump in my throat.

Huh. That’s weird.

Five minutes later, another reference to rescuing and/or protecting his son, another lump and realize I feel profoundly sad.

What the heck? I’ve seen this movie before, it’s never made me want to cry. Suddenly it’s like I really want him to find Nemo, really want everything to turn out okay, even though I already know the story. I’m infinitely more emotionally invested.

Then Cooper shifts or sighs or does some other little baby thing and I look at him.

Oh.

Oh, right. I get it now.

Don’t swim out past the reef, Coop.

Not yet.

Flash!

by Jason | Dec 30, 2012 | All Things Coop

Cooper, like his father, is constantly surprised by camera flash.

Babbling Boy

by Jason | Dec 22, 2012 | All Things Coop

This is just some of Cooper’s conversational babbling. Lately he does this a lot.

Note: I edited out the part where he spit up all over me.

Names I Call My Son

by Jason | Dec 17, 2012 | All Things Coop, Fatherhood

I expect this list (and its mere existence) speaks volumes about my parenting style. The following are nicknames that I have called Cooper, some obvious and some not so much: