Happiest Assassin on the Block

5/5/10 The Happiest Baby on the Block book and DVD, given away

I've been told that downsizing is nearly impossible with children, but so far Joanna and I seem to be doing a pretty good job of getting rid of Chase's stuff almost as fast as it comes in. Fortunately, he hasn't started complaining.

One of the truly useful resources we discovered in the Cajun Critter's first two months was Dr. Karp's aptly-named "Happiest Baby on the Block" book and DVD. Dr. Karp's theory is that the first three months of a child's life are the child's "fourth trimester" and so the key to calming a crying baby is to simulate the womb.

First, I totally buy the Fourth Trimester argument since it dovetails with the Darwinian argument that human babies, thanks to our two evolutionary leaps of upright walking and larger brains, need to be born premature in order to exit their mother. Getting popped out into the real world a few months too early would be rough on anyone, so it makes sense that some babies take some time to adjust.

This also brings to mind my favorite Ray Bradbury story, "The Small Assassin," in which a newborn is so ticked at having to leave the womb that he sets out to kill his family. Yeah, I supposed that's a little twisted, but it made for a great story.

Anyway, Chase is clearly beyond fourth trimester stage, so we are ready to pass the learning on to others. Today, Joanna and the Brilliant Boy made a house call to one of Joanna's friends, Michelle, whose baby is due any minute. In addition to bringing cheer and encouragement, Joanna also handed off this book and DVD.

We hope Michelle will find them as helpful as we did.

After all, Chase made no assassination attempts during his early months, so that pretty much proves Dr. Karp knows what he's talking about.