Update on Dad Life, MacBook Pros, and Acquired Video

Ben Gilbert (0:00)

Hello, Acquired LPs. We are excited to be with you today together. David is checking in from Paternity Leave. He's not back yet from podcast or paternity, but we decided we want to have a little discussion.

Of course, we decided that you all should be involved in that discussion. I want to ask David things like, how is it being a parent?

What are all the things that you didn't expect? And of course, David, you're what, three weeks in?

David Rosenthal (0:24)

Almost three weeks, two and a half weeks.

Ben Gilbert (0:27)

Crazy. I'm sure it's felt like a lot longer than that.

David Rosenthal (0:29)

The best analogy that I have is it's like the beginning of COVID. We're just like time dilates in weird ways.

It both feels like forever and just a blink of an eye. I remember, but it just feels like she's always been with us. I can't even really remember a life before her, or what it felt like. And it feels like every day is a marathon.

Ben Gilbert (0:53)

It is sort of this remarkable characteristic of humans that you often are fearing a big change or gearing up for a big change, and then the change happens. And within a week, we're sort of normalized to it. And we're like, oh, life has always been this way. Like when you move or you get a new job, you're suddenly like, hasn't it always been like this?

David Rosenthal (1:11)

Human neuroplasticity and adaptability in action here.

Ben Gilbert (1:17)

Listeners, I'm sure we will dance into other topics today, but such as my very quiet, stealthy new computer that David, I know you've been holding back on asking lots of questions about it until we were on air. So I know you'll want to sprinkle that in.

David Rosenthal (1:30)

This is great. We're going to talk about, you know, my new baby and your new baby.

Ben Gilbert (1:36)

Very much so.

David Rosenthal (1:37)

And we should say LPs too. We're having some fun here. This is like a warmup lap for me testing out, recording with a baby in the house. So feel free to skip this one, but if you want to hang out with us and banter, that's what we're here for.

Ben Gilbert (1:51)

It's like an LP call minus the 50 other people chiming in on stuff. Well, David, if you could go back three and a half weeks and tell your former self something, any wisdom to impart?

David Rosenthal (2:05)

Oh my gosh.

It was ridiculous, but I think I actually was kind of worried about this, that this whole having children and parenting thing was a vast conspiracy. Everybody says, oh, it's so great. It changes your life. It's wonderful. You'll love, you know, your kids. And I was like, yeah, like, I think so, but what if they're just saying that to trick people into propagating the human race, you know? Like, what if it's actually horrible? And I can a hundred percent with confidence say, it's actually real.

It is wonderful. I love her so much. I can't imagine life without her. It's the absolute best.

Doesn't mean it's not hard. It's hard at times, but it is not a conspiracy. It's the best. I recommend parenting to anyone who wants to do it.

Ben Gilbert (2:51)

Well, not to mention, how could it have possibly been a conspiracy where all these people were truly in on it in some way? What do you get?

How do I know that you haven't gotten whatever the thing is that everyone else got?

David Rosenthal (3:00)

That's true.

I literally have one friend tell me in the couple of weeks before the baby came that I should start taking sleeping pills every night just to stock up on sleep. And I was like, that seems a little crazy, man. Wow, is this gonna be that bad?

Ben Gilbert (3:15)

And has it been? Like have you slept?

David Rosenthal (3:18)

Yes, I slept over eight hours last night.

Now caveat, I think we got an incredibly easy baby. Like we lucked out on the easy baby front. I know there are far, far, far more difficult babies than ours. For us and our experience, I'm sleeping a little more than Jenny cause Jenny has to stay awake during the feedings, but I am getting plenty of sleep. It's just not all happening contiguously.

Ben Gilbert (3:43)

And are you waking up for the feedings too?

David Rosenthal (3:46)

Yeah, so I'm doing all the diapers and Jenny's doing the feedings.

Ben Gilbert (3:51)

Fair's fair.

David Rosenthal (3:51)

Feels like, you know, she does the input, I do the output. Like, I'm still getting the better end of the deal, but we had a big, big, actually yesterday was big on many fronts, but the biggest milestone yesterday was, it was a beautiful day. It's been beautiful weather in San Francisco. We went out for happy hour on 24th street in Noe Valley.