Brain Power - Like Father, Like Son

As was alluded to in a pre-delivery post, I have the luxury, or maybe the curse, of a big noggin. Yeah, yeah...drop the ego jokes and think about the sheer circumference of my cranium. I like to tell people that there needs to be that much room to carry around brains like mine, but that has been met with much skepticism. In reality, hats, baseball helmets, you name it, and it likely doesn't fit my head. This "quality" has been the subject of many jokes and even a few inebriated college measurement contests. In fact, the very individual that once challenged me to a late-night "my noggin is surely bigger than yours" contest, Saif, is the very individual that graciously sent me the following chart within hours of Owen's birth. (Note: Saif lost the bet!)

The chart shows the relative percentile of male head size based on age for the first three years of life. Owen, with a current head of nearly 39 centimeters, falls between the 90th and 95th percentile. Way to go kid - already overachieving!

I think Saif sent the chart for a few reasons. First, he sent it to tell Brecken how impressed he was by her resolve in carrying Owen (& his head). Second, he sent it to give me a hard time, and third, he sent it to confirm that this kid is most definitely, without a doubt, my own.

Of course, as a student that looks at far too many graphs these days, this chart was cause for a little bit of concern. As you can see in the above graph, the rate of increase in head size is rather large in the first six months of life, followed by a steady decline in the rate of change. This is eerily like the following graph from my economics class, depicting the diminishing return of marginal utility.

I have taken the liberty of plotting both Owen (growing intelligent boy) and myself (diminishing utility 30 yr old). My concern is that as my head continues to grow, which it most definitely is during my investment in business school, I'm apparently getting less and less out of every ounce of growth. Does this mean that I am actually acquiring less useful space in my brain with every day that goes by? How can that be.

I posed this question to Brecken, as though her opinion is purely objective, and after a brief hesitation, she explained that there has been reason for worry in the past few weeks. She wasn't going to say anything, but she has been very concerned about my behavior. At times, it feels as though she has two kids rather than one around the house.

I don't know what she is talking about. The way I see it, she is surrounded by two good looking guys with a lot of brain power. Like Father, Like Son.

So much to be thankful for.

After overcoming some early jitters upon hearing that I was going to be roasting a 9 lb. 12 ouncer on Thursday (turkey - not kid; don't call HDFS), Owen celebrated his first Thanksgiving with family. Brecken and I are thankful for so much this year, including the new little guy in the family.Owen was showered with attention all weekend long. Grandma and Grandpa C visited for a few days, including Thanksgiving day, and spoiled Owen with hugs, kisses, and instruction on how to avoid slicing the ball with his driver.

Their visit was followed by a visit from Grandma L and Great Grandma June. While they seem like innocent enough guests, I believe I discovered what they were really plotting to accomplish. On Saturday, they took Owen out "for a walk." Well, it turns out that this walk was just an excuse to begin the early stages of brainwashing Owen into thinking that shopping is an entertaining and rewarding activity. I would not think twice about this type of behavior, but I am well aware of what these two grandmothers are capable of achieving. You see, I married Brecken, and she is living proof that their manipulation can be dangerous. I spent the remainder of the weekend teaching Owen about the value of sitting on the couch with a remote control rather than exercising his credit limit.

Jokes aside, Owen is very lucky to have such caring and generous grandparents, and it was great to celebrate the holiday with all of them.

In addition to celebrating Thanksgiving, Owen helped to kick off the preparations for the next holiday season. The Christmas tree is up, and the stockings, all three of them, are hung with care.

Happy Holidays!

UNACCEPTABLE!

After a relatively ugly win over Chaminade last night, I have some sympathy for Owen failing to quickly adopt the Spartans, but his atttitude tonight was simply unacceptable.

With Michigan State locked in a heated second half battle with Gonzaga, Owen fell asleep. His cheering went from supportive to non-existent, and he was not there when they needed him most. He slept in the swing at the end of regulation, in his crib at the end of the first overtime, and then in my arms for the second and third overtime. Despite my insistence on the importance of watching this game, and the clinic being put on at the free-throw line, Owen fell into the trance of thinking about his next feeding.

It is hard to lose respect for a one week old kid, but this is not how I coached him in the womb, and this is not what I would have anticipated during such a well played game. We'll be practicing over the next 24 hours, and when the Sparatans take the floor Wed evening against Arizona or UConn, I'll be looking for more focus and intensity. Get your game on kid!

Oh, by the way, Owen had his first sponge bath this afternoon as well.

Laughter and enjoyment are not two words that come to mind when describing the experience for the little guy, but then again, what little boy really enjoys bathing...at least he will be ready to welcome his grandparents into town for the holiday.

One Busy Monday

In addition to turning one week old today (see my growth chart), Owen participated in a lot of extracurricular activities.

He started out the afternoon watching his first Spartan game. Owen cheered the green and white to victory over Chaminade. Owen was a little nervous early on in the game, but he sees a lot of promise in the youth on this squad. In particular, he is fond of newcomer Marquise Gray, and his high flying athleticism. After the game, Owen and daddy worked on his leg muscles, as he expressed interest in being the first Cutler man to dunk a basketball.

Later in the afternoon, Owen went on his first walk around the neighborhood. Of course, walking is reserved for mom and dad, as Owen really views this as a mobile nap. Here is a quick look at Owen in his luxury liner.

Grandma June is probably fond of Owen's Cadillac. :) No case of the Mondays for Owen this week...but maybe for his dad and the homework procrastination.

Weekends are for relaxing.

Owen kicked back and relaxed during his first weekend, opting out of the countless parties and social gatherings around town. Instead, he hosted a number of friends and took time out for a nap or two. Here, one of his new pals shows appreciation for Owen's fashion sense.

We were very proud of Owen on night 6, as he slept most of the evening, giving mom and dad a "relatively" normal night of sleep. 'atta boy! For those asking how Owen, at 9 lb 10 oz, sizes up against his old man, here is a little one-week check-point.

Owen hopes everyone else had as much fun this weekend as he did. Cheers!

These are the days...

One once said that "generally speaking, everyone is more interesting doing nothing than doing anything."
As new parents, it is intriguing to see how much time we can spend doing nothing but watch someone else do nothing...and love every moment.

Today was Owen's first pediatrician visit. He came through with flying colors, and to celebrate, he rode in his swing and took a nap. Ah, the life of a 4 day old.

Sleep - It does the body good!

If anything is apparent thus far in our second day at home, it is the fact that Owen can be very good at sleeping.
The question that remains to be answered is how well Owen can time his sleeping to meet his family's best interests. After one night....STRIKE ONE! He is a very good afternoon sleeper, but the night appears to be when the real personality comes out. Is he more like mom or dad in that respect? Not sure yet, but we'll keep you posted. Cheers!...or should I say Goodnight!?

Welcome Home!

After two days of wooing the nurses and teasing other kids in the nursery, Owen got all dressed up and ready to head home.

The initial car ride home started with a little whining, but he quickly quieted down. Brecken and I were convinced that it was the radio that lulled him into a sleepy state. Along the way, I took time to point out the beach, the zoo, and the remaining boats in the harbor. We were convinced that Owen was enthralled by the sights and sounds of his first car ride. However, upon arrival, Brecken and I discovered what had really happened.
Owen couldn't see anything. Either he pulled the hat down to avoid listening to my travelog, or the hat was simply too big. Either way, Brecken and I had a good laugh. As we lifted the hat to see his face, he turned to face us with a look of confusion and a subliminal message that clearly stated, "don't try that again!"

Brecken, Owen, and I are all safely home. She and Owen are catching up on some much needed sleep.

Thanks for all of the wonderful e-mail, and thanks to those of you that stopped by to say hello. Time for a little rest.

Introducing: Owen Sutherland

At 12:42 PM on Monday, November 14th, 2005, Brecken and I welcomed the newest member of our family into the world.


Owen weighed in at 9 lbs, 10 oz and a lanky 21.5 inches.

Both Brecken and Owen are doing great, and we look forward to introducing him to all of you.

Waiting to meet him.

At 11:30 PM on Sunday evening, Brecken and I arrived at the hospital. Baby C is on his way...but still not here. As of 3:00 AM, we are doing well, and we even managed to get some rest. Thanks to everyone that called or wrote on Sunday to wish us well. We'll be in touch soon!

Late Night Sirens

For the past several weeks, and especially since the due date last week, I have been anticipating an eventful awakening in the middle of the night. I've visualized the composure and control that I would exhibit in loading the car and maneuvering my way to the hospital. It would be a seamless effort, and Brecken would applaud my grace under fire. Unfortunately, Baby C doesn't seem interested in my heroics or the need to wake us up in the middle of the night.

Instead, we were awakened last night at 4:15 AM by the sirens of fire trucks and the echoing voices of firemen on loud speakers. When I glanced out the window, I was surprised to see a glowing sky and burning embers floating over top of our place.

Not sure what happened, but apparently no one was injured. Had Baby C decided to show up during this event, I'm not sure that we would have made it to the hospital, as our car was pretty well parked in by the fire trucks. When I asked Brecken if she had any interest in letting all the steamy firemen help delivery Baby C, she wasn't amused and countered by asking me if that was my fantasy or something. Yikes...end of conversation. Back to sleep.

Let's hope for more pleasant awakenings tonight and a safe trip to the hospital to welcome Baby C into the mix.

Osmosis: Myth or Reality?

In college, we would often contemplate whether or not sleeping in the library with your head on your book would actually be more beneficial than sleeping with your head on the desk or on your arm. The theory being that direct contact with the subject material would result in a transfer of knowledge from the more concentrated book into the less "intelligent" brain. This was geeky humor at a theoretical school, but I must admit I tried it once or twice...

Well, I am back on the experimental wagon, but rather than using myself as the test subject, I have turned to Baby C. Friends and relatives have been hounding on the importance of reading books and playing music, suggesting that Baby C will emerge with a familiarity of our voices and an apparent taste for outdated music and monotonous talk radio. There may be some validity to this process, but I am more interested in selfish pursuits.

With my first set of finals right around the corner, and the prospect of reduced sleep due to changing diapers and feeding Baby C, I need to find a way to get back to a level playing field. Therefore, I have convinced Brecken to invest in my future and the future of her son.

Each evening, rather than reading Barnyard Dance or The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I have been talking Baby C through the following diagram, highlighting the benefits of the income and substitution effects on market demand. Who needs stinkin' caterpillars turning into butterflies anyway?











Now that Brecken is no longer working, she has extra time for multi-tasking. While watching TV and answering "When is this kid going to show up" calls from our families, she is investing in Baby C. Here Baby C is seen focusing on Microeconomics, Accounting, and Statistics.


Talk about good parenting. We'll keep you posted on the progress of our testing and the results of my finals.

The day we've all been waiting for....keep waiting!

November 7, 2005. T-minus....zero. The countdown has reached it's conclusion...but where is Baby C?

The due date is upon us, and yet Baby C is apparently bargaining for more time. He's holding out for a better contract. Maybe he doesn't like what he has been hearing from the two of us. Maybe he can't stand me always turning the radio to ESPN, or maybe he doesn't like Brecken's show tunes? How are we to know. Maybe he doesn't like the idea of sharing a birthday with cousin Ryan, or maybe he doesn't like the idea of being a Scorpio. Maybe he's scared to see what we've been doing in that basement, or maybe he's creeped out by all the noises in the alley (hard to blame him).

It is hard to say what the holdup is about, but it is easy to say that he is running out of room for negotiation, or so Brecken keeps telling me. In the past week, we have tried most of the classic bargaining chips with this kid, including way too spicy food, long walks, driving the car along bumpy roads, and even a little mental telepathy. No dice. He is very consistent in his response - quick kick to the ribs followed by a flurry of punches to the bladder. I thought kids were supposed to control you once they arrive, yet this kid has managed to already take over Brecken. I'm not sure whether that makes me proud or sympathetic.

Brecken is meeting with a mediator (a.k.a. doctor) tomorrow to discuss our options.

Many thanks to all of you that have been checking in over the past week and especially over the weekend. No updates yet. We promise to keep you posted. Here is a quick picture of Brecken practicing her mental telepathy. Hopefully the next picture will be one to introduce you to the little guy.