Blog

El Shaddai is a work of art

2012-01-05T06:15:29Z

Not a great game, mind you, but a work of art

Wait, I'm being harsh on it - this might end up being a great game, but the two and a half stages I've been through so far feel...well, Japanese in all the wrong ways. It's packed with abrupt and awkward cinemas telling an equally awkward story, the camera is locked and slightly crap, and the gameplay has been insanely standard hack-and-slash.

All of that said, hot damn it's pretty. Like, really, really pretty. I'm absolutely loving the art direction and how it alters between stages, and it has one of my favorite intro credit sequences I've experienced in a long while. Well, other than the fucking incomprehensible storytelling it contains.

Neon Fireworks - it's like Tron meets Miyazaki

Playable Painting - platforming watercolor

Then again, when a game looks this good (and hot damn it looks better in motion - like digital neon watercolor, just nuts), I'll cut it some slack on the storytelling department.

For a few more levels, at least.

I wasn't home to help put the kid to bed

2012-01-04T06:46:39Z

Which was the first time in months

That said, I was able to say goodnight, and watch my kid react to my voice and smiles.

We're living in the future, I tell you.

"It Gets Better"

2011-12-13T06:58:00Z

Every seasoned parent said it, but up until now it was nearly impossible to believe

Seriously, though, when you're so stressed out that - despite the fact your child is sleeping in a different room - you sit huddled in the dark, talking in hushed voices, terrified that every sound outside will wake her? Yeah, during those moments that line of encouragement is stupid.

But, it does. It gets better.

Almost like clockwork, when River hit four months something changed. She stopped crying as much, and allowed us to hold her more. She became more interested in things rather than just annoyed, and seemed delighted to see and interact with us. Also, baths became fun.

The biggest thing that helped was hiring some part-time assistance for a couple of weeks, a fantastic baby nurse that convinced us sleep training wouldn't be a bad idea to do now (we were planning on waiting for a couple more months, at least), and had us talk to our doctor about solids.

Now, a just a short time later, we have a daughter who wolfs down rice cereal, actually naps in her crib and allows her parents to enjoy less stressful evenings. She still cries when it's time to go to bed (or, when it comes to naps, before and afterwards), sure. But she also self-sooths and goes to sleep on her own. No more arm-numbing, 20 minute holding / bouncing sessions. No more praying she won't wake up when we put her down half-asleep. No more walking on eggshells in the other room. No more feelings of dread every time she moves.

It's fucking liberating, let me tell you.

Sure, she still gets annoyed from time to time when we're playing (normally when she's getting tired), but also has way more happy / interested / delightful moments. This progress has been amazing, but we know she (and we) still have a long way to go, and it's something we're taking constant baby steps towards.

You know, for a baby.

The child finally learned to roll over on her own

2011-11-04T23:19:56Z

While I was at work, which sucks

But mom sent videos through her phone.

Hot damn I love technology.

Just realized

2011-10-31T02:05:40Z

We gently lull our children to sleep singing about babies hurtling down from treetops

Wow, Rock-a-bye Baby is a pretty fucked up nursery rhyme.

It's all relative, yo

2011-10-28T02:20:35Z

There's one great thing about being super stressed over getting your first-ever UDK level ready for a publisher meeting

It makes the normally stress-filled evenings with a fussy baby that refuses to sleep a cakewalk in comparison. :)

work

2011-10-27T04:17:14Z

I haven't been this stressed / focused / productive / satisfied in years

It's a nice feeling.

i stare at this screen for hours every night

2011-10-26T03:42:02Z

OMG how freaking adorable

Sure, she looks hyper cute and all when sleeping, but we're only moments away from her thrashing around like a madwoman, calling out to be picked up.

This video monitor is the greatest-worst thing I've ever bought.

Good: We can quickly and easily check to make she's breathing.
Bad: We can see her jerking around, kicking the air, sucking her fists, etc.; all the things we'd be blissfully unaware of with a traditional monitor.
Scary: When she slowly opens her eyes, stares AT THE CAMERA for a few seconds, before returning to sleep.

Seriously, don't buy one of these. Well, actually, do. These suckers are really quite cool, and it's going to be great to use to check up on her when she's a little kid playing by herself in her room.

(And when she's a teenager and boys are over).

Just fight the temptation to stare, and turn off the screen and use it as a normal monitor.

Which is much easier said than done.

Quick side note: Look at those PJs! Elephants! So cute!

The Ultimate Diet

2011-10-25T00:04:14Z

I lost nearly 20 pounds in three months

And I did it with no exercise or diet meals! All it takes are these super simple steps:

Acquire a baby
Start up a new job
Get insanely stressed thanks to said child and job
Forget to eat food often
Drink tons of coffee
Cut out beer

Before you know it, the pounds just slide off your quivering body.

I think I'm going to write a diet book...

advice

2011-10-23T17:28:25Z

I'm pretty sure there's no real answer

You'd be shocked by the amount of advice there is out there, from friends to family to books to websites, all giving you the greatest tips for your kid.

Let's take sleeping, for example.

Our kid - apparently, like many kids - is an asshole when it comes to sleeping. She barely takes naps, and when it comes to bedtime...well, let's just say she does not go quietly into the night.

We've heard everything from forced naps during the day guarantees a good night's sleep to keeping your kid up and making them crash at night does the same. Certain books tell you to put the kid to bed when they've fallen asleep on you for 20 minutes, while others say you should make sure they are still slightly awake so they don't get freaked out when they wake up. Some experts say to let the baby cry if she wakes up, others say rush in and sooth.

All I know is we're tired, that things that work one day don't the next, and just because your kid sleeps 7 hours straight one night doesn't mean she won't be sleeping in chunks of 2 hours for the next few weeks.

It's a tad madening, and going online to see what other people have done doesn't help.

The only advice I can personally give is to take it easy - all kids are different, they can bring you to the brink of madness, but days pass the same speed no matter how they act. Just some days feel a lot fucking longer than others.

Oh, and buy a swing you can plug into the wall, it's pretty rad for morning naps.