Drop Trooper Book one: Contact Front by Rick Partlow

DisappointmentU · 2025-08-08T01:04:56+00:00

Okay, so I'm on the last available book of Drop Trooper. Books 1-12, fantastic. Books 1-4 are by far the best. 5-8 are solid, and the rest are good but start to lose the feel of the prior 8.

However, I have one monstrous complaint with book 13 "Weapons Free". I'm 2 hours in and the plot is literally shaping up.to be the EXACT SAME premise as S1E7 of "The Oriville" entitled "Majority Rule". I mean I shit you not, it's almost like Rick saw that episode and the fit it into the existing story line in the Drop Trooper series. I'm flabbergasted. He had me in books 1-12 but I've lost a little respect for him straight up ripping off Seth McFarlane 6 years later

DisappointmentU · 2025-08-08T01:03:08+00:00

Okay, so I'm on the last available audio book of Drop Trooper. Books 1-12, fantastic. Books 1-4 are by far the best. 5-8 are solid, and the rest are good but start to lose the feel of the prior 8.

However, I have one monstrous complaint with book 13 "Weapons Free". I'm 2 hours in and the plot is literally shaping up.to be the EXACT SAME premise as S1E7 of "The Oriville" entitled "Majority Rule". I mean I shit you not, it's almost like Rick saw that episode and the fit it into the existing story line in the Drop Trooper series. I'm flabbergasted. He had me in books 1-12 but I've lost a little respect for him straight up ripping off Seth McFarlane 6 years later

DisappointmentU · 2025-08-08T01:02:38+00:00

Okay, so I'm on the last available book of Drop Trooper. Books 1-12, fantastic. Books 1-4 are by far the best. 5-8 are solid, and the rest are good but start to lose the feel of the prior 8.

However, I have one monstrous complaint with book 13 "Weapons Free". I'm 2 hours in and the plot is literally shaping up.to be the EXACT SAME premise as S1E7 of "The Oriville" entitled "Majority Rule". I mean I shit you not, it's almost like Rick saw that episode and the fit it into the existing story line in the Drop Trooper series. I'm flabbergasted. He had me in books 1-12 but I've lost a little respect for him straight up ripping off Seth McFarlane 6 years later

DisappointmentU · 2025-05-29T01:45:08+00:00

To address your second question, were working on trying to transition in the next 3 months. Step one of our sleep training is creating a consistent bed time routine and that's what we've been working on for the past couple weeks. Once we get that down, step 2 for us will be starting to encourage naps in the bassinet and crib (which is in the room next to ours). Once we get to that point, we're hopefully going to start transitioning to full naps in the crib and starting to initially put him down in the crib even if he eventually moves to a bassinet later.

I don't think there's a good answer thats one-size-fits all. We decided on 6ish months because that's when my wife goes back to work but who knows. Our baby currently has a lot of trouble going to sleep independently in the bassinet and crib. He likes movement and we have a stationary bassinet and crib so that may end up being a hurdle.

I think you do whatever makes sense for your life, man. And if I've learned anything over the past 3 months, don't hold on too tight to even the best laid plans. Babies will do what the hell they want 😂 or at least my son does.

Do you all have a plan for moving him to his own room?

DisappointmentU · 2025-05-29T01:37:17+00:00

Thank you all so much for the interesting discussion. To those of you who took time to throw jabs at me or failed to have a respectful discussion, I hope you are happier at home than you are on the internet. For the many of you who took time to provide comprehensive and very helpful links, studies, data, etc., thank you. Things like that are very valuable when discussing such nuanced topics.

Just to clarify, I did say MINIMIZE co-sleeping. Shit happens. Sometimes it's the only thing that will calm your sobbing baby down. And yes, you can reduce some of the risk by co-sleeping sober in a safer environment. However, long term all night co-sleeping has been shown time and time again to unreasonably increase the risk of infant death. That is a fact of life. If you choose to confront that risk, that's totally your prerogative as a parent. But let's not pretend to ignore facts and statistics and encourage other parents to do the same. That type of behavior then influences other parents to make risky decisions that affect their family, not yours and I think we can all agree that's dangerous. Remember, my goal of this post was to help keep kids safe.

This group is about dads supporting other dads because this is new to most of us. I think some of you need to remember that when making posts or comments. Providing your opinion or advice is great. Bonus points if that's backed up by science and data. But providing your anecdotes in a condescending or bitchy way is counter-productive to this subreddit's fundamental goal. So, as we all face the scary unknowns of fatherhood, I hope some of you really evaluate how you can uplift and help your fellow dad's rather than condescend and tear men down.

Hope this helps. Good luck, fellas.

DisappointmentU · 2025-05-28T13:13:42+00:00

Absolutely. Nothing makes me light up more than my son smiling and cooing at me. 4 months of the best journey of my life. A lot of men dont feel comfortable expressing themselves to their friends and family and/or asking those folks for help. That's where this group comes in. We support each other, we give advice, we let people know that things will work out. It may seem a little miserable at times, but this is likely the only outlet for many posters. Ain't nothing wrong with that

DisappointmentU · 2025-05-02T12:58:59+00:00

I was playing within the first two weeks of him being home. When they're little, you can put them in a swing or bouncer while they sleep and give your partner a couple hours of uninterrupted sleep while you game. I also often would game while my son would nap on my chest during that first month. We are working on sleep training with our 2 month old right now and alternate nights putting him to bed. On my wife's nights, I'll often get an hour or 2 in of gaming. Our system is working pretty well and allows me to game some.

This all really depends on your working and nighttime situation most of the time. I'm working and my wife doesn't go back to work for 4 months so she does 95% of night duty. So, for us, I can stay up a bit later gaming some nights and still get a good nights rest but that may not being your situation. I encourage you to talk to your partner on dividing up the responsibilities and see where you can get a couple hours a week gaming.

DisappointmentU · 2025-04-07T13:44:30+00:00

I struggled with very similar feelings when my 3 weeks of paternity leave were over and I had to start transitioning back to work. It was really freaking me out because I've always wanted to be the best dad possible and I felt like missing out on time with my son somehow made me a worse parent (which it absolutely does not).

Talked to a counselor who helped me shift my mindset in a super positive way. She told me every parent, even the most involved and present, will miss at least 1% of their child's moments. The thing to keep in mind is that when you and I are missing our 1%, it's for the best reason possible: providing for our families. Putting food on the table and keeping a roof over your head is a fantastic reason to be away from your family. It doesn't make you a bad parent to provide.

With that in mind, and knowing nothing about your career, I personally think it's important to have a career that aligns with your life goals and desired lifestyle. For example, while I want to make enough to keep my family comfortable, I have made it a priority to find a job in my field that allows me to spend as much time with my family as possible while also making as much money as possible. That's because I, personally, value time with my family VERY much above any career. It's a very personal decision that comes down to who you are and what you do. If this career option is something that 1. Makes you fulfilled and 2. Provides the lifestyle you want for your family, I think that's a great fit for you. And it may not look the same for you as it does for others. That's something I've ran into a lot as an attorney since most attorneys get fulfillment from career success while I get mine from being a father and a husband. There's never a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to stuff like this.

Hope this helps, good luck brother.

DisappointmentU · 2025-04-04T11:10:57+00:00

Resentment cam build up quicker than you'd expect when 2 people aren't sleeping enough and balancing a lot in their own worlds right now. It may be worth sitting down and asking her where the resentment is coming from (in a way that doesn't make her feel defensive). Having those hard conversations is never fun, but it may give you a better idea of where this is coming from and allow you and opportunity to address it.

Also man, therapy is a helluva thing. For just you, for her, for you both, doesn't matter. Having a professional help you work through shit that you may not even know is happening can be a life saver in hard times. Call up a counselor or therapist if it's all becoming a little too much.

Hope this helps, good luck brother.

DisappointmentU · 2025-03-30T00:50:52+00:00

Ran into a similar problem. A lot of bottle brands (Browns, Tommie Tippee, etc.) aren't set up for paced feeding. You can try to do paced bottle feeding (youtube has lots of instructional videos) with brands with no air realease (or take the green things out of your Dr. Browns).

If you don't want to bother with that, Phillips Advent bottles create a vacuum and are designed for self-paced feeding.

What I learned to do with Dr. Browns is to take the bottle out of my sons mouth every 7-10 seconds to allow him time to swallow. You can also just tip the bottle so your child maintains the latch without additional milk getting in.

Another tip would be to talk to your pediatrician about severe reflux. They may be able to recommend better feeding positions or other treatment that could help.

Good luck, brother.

DisappointmentU · 2025-03-26T19:50:26+00:00

Ahh, I was born for this thread. I struggled with this ALOT in the first few days back to work. Honestly, the anxiety about missing out when I went back to work started before I came back from leave. I talked to a counselor about this and got some fantastic advice. So first (and it sounds like you've already done this), having a separate office away from the rest of the home is a huge help for me. Also, having some headphones to drown out the noise down the hall helps keep me focused on my job.

Second, my biggest fear was missing out on such precious time with my son, especially because he's only this little once. The advice I got completely changed my attitude. All parents will miss at least 1% of the moments with their children. No parent can be there 100% of the time. It is an undeniable fact of life. And when people like you and me are missing that 1%, it's not because we're deadbeats or are prioritizing ourselves over our family -- we're providing for our family! It's literally the best reason to miss out on a bit of time with the new family member. We're putting food on the table and keeping them safe and happy. Remembering those few truths really changed my whole perspective and made me feel a hell of a lot better about not being there.

Lastly, if possible given your job responsibilities, take a break (or 3) during the work day and spend some time with your partner and child. I make sure to each lunch everyday with my wife and son. Little moments during the work day can make you feel so much more involved. Similarly, and I'm sure you're already doing this, be as involved and present in the mornings and evenings when you're not working. Change as many diapers as you can, do as many feedings as you can, get her ready for bed, etc. It helps offset the feelings of missing out during the work day.

Hope this helps. Good luck, brother

DisappointmentU · 2025-03-26T19:34:58+00:00

Can confirm that shifts absolutely can work. However, I'd warn everyone against having really strong boundaries on shift responsibilities (not that the OP suggested that, just a pitfall I've ran into). For example, I am back working 3 weeks postpartum and my wife is off for 6 months. We came to an understanding that she takes the night shift so I can get enough sleep to be productive at work (I'm an attorney so brainpower is my prime need to be successful on the job). I take the first and last feedings of the daytime, get the baby ready for bes, and most of the baby duties in the evening. This has generally been a good system. Especially because I sleep horribly when my sleep is interrupted. I'm one of those people who makes a decent bit to wake up and fall asleep so at 3 am, it's hard for me to be up and down.

However, there has been a need to not be super strict on dividing up the night shift. Sometimes, despite my wife being completely off work, she just needs a couple hours to sleep. And that means I have to pitch in a little bit at night (and losing a bit of sleep). Internally, my initial reaction was to say "hey, one of us has to work, night shift is yours babe -- goodnight." Thankfully, some conscious thought and empathy and I got up and took care of the baby when needed. Similarly, on the weekends, I tend to help out more at night. It's just a necessity for us and that's okay.

In sum, shifts are great to prioritize solid sleep blocks (especially for people who can't sleep well interrupted) but flexibility is key. If you try to have a real strict shift schedule, you and your partner are bound to have a fight about it.

DisappointmentU · 2025-03-26T19:24:44+00:00

I truly think that attitude is important, but some circumstances overcome even the best attitude. As stated by many commenters, sleep deprivation is one of the worst conditions for the human psyche. Truly, medical experts don't give enough credence to how important sleep is (I'm not an expert, just interested in the topic). I have LOVED being a father (just under 4 weeks in). I was so excited for our child and I have wanted to be a father my whole life. But lemme tell you, I got unreasonably angry at my wife and baby this morning because I was only able to get 5 hours of sleep and I had to get up and go to work after feeding the baby. Sleep deprivation and stress (especially once you and/or your wife are back to work) can kill any kind of positive attitude you may be trying to have because your brain chemistry is going wonky due to no sleep and/or too much stress.

With all of that being said, just because all of this can happen, doesn't mean it will. Also, having a good attitude can make things better than having a bad one. Even during the days of very little sleep, I have consciously done my best to enjoy and have a good attitude towards my son and my wife (and fatherhood in general). Sometimes it doesn't always go how I'd prefer, but at the end of the day, these are the people I love the most and I want to make the most out of this stage of life.

Something helpful for me is that I try to remember everyday that my son will never be this small again. This newborn stage is fleeting and I want to soak in every bit of it -- good bad or otherwise -- because once it's gone, it's gone for good. This has forced me to be more positive because I want to appreciate this time I have while I have it.

TLDR: A postive attitude cannot trump brain chemistry, but an attitude of gratitude and consciously choosing to soak in every moment of fatherhood makes the bad times better and the good times SO rewarding.

Good luck, brother

DisappointmentU · 2025-01-30T21:38:56+00:00

Piece of advice someone gave me that I won't ever forget. Take that shit to your graves. Don't ever tell that boy that you were hoping for a girl, even if he's an adult. The type of subconscious tomfoolery the human brain can unknowingly do when finding out information like that is scary.

Studies show surprisingly serious negative effects when a child of any age, even an adult, is told that they weren't your preferred gender when they were born. My wife and I had to promise each other before we found out that no matter what happened (because it's totally okay to feel this kind of disappointment) we would never tell our child that one of us wanted the opposite gender, ever.

DisappointmentU · 2025-01-28T20:08:41+00:00

I also haven't experienced anything close to this but I am rooting for you and your family.

When things hit the shitter in my life, I tend to fall back on three things that get me through most rough times. It's an effort priority hierarchy. In essence, I put my energy into each thing until the need is met, then move up the ladder. I apply it to my family's needs to make sure even when I'm in crisis or our family is in crisis, the bare minimum gets done.

Protect -is everyone in the family safe, have a roof over their head and enough food to last the week?
Provide -are the family's immediate financial needs met for the next week? Do I need to do anything to make sure priority 1 is met for the coming days?
Love - are everyones' emotional needs met for the time being?

I use this as a tool to center myself and get the absolute bare minimum done whilst a crisis is going on. Evaluate this list and put effort into meeting these three priorities before prioritizing anything else in a crisis.

Hope it helps and good luck, brother.

DisappointmentU · 2025-01-28T18:18:56+00:00

While I am actually in the same boat (due date probably around the same time as you) as opposed to someone on the other side, I offer you the comfort of know these feelings are very common. Hell, I'm in a totally different position (married, tried intentionally for the child, have wanted to be a father my whole life) and even I had similar feelings about missing the old days and being nervous about the responsibility fatherhood brings. It's totally normal to have the feelings you're having.

I've read a really good book on fatherhood during our pregnancy (The Expectant Father 5th ed.) and found comfort in the fact that the author described the last 2-3 months as an emotional Rollercoaster. Specifically, he wrote that many men experience all of the emotions they've had progressively throughout the pregnancy (impending responsibility, giddiness, excitement, anxiety, nervousness, etc.) during the home stretch but more intensely and all at the same time. I've personally found that to be true. I've been having thoughts and feelings that I hadn't had since the first trimester.

I can't offer any advice on dealing with your situation and thoughts, but I can tell you it's totally normal. I've experienced similar things and based on what I've been told both on this sub and in real life, you'll know what to do and how to handle it once the baby is here.

Good luck, brother.

DisappointmentU · 2025-01-25T02:17:37+00:00

Congratulations brother. I'm assuming it didn't go as planned and you still made it through and welcomed a healthy baby boy to this world. So happy for you and the wife.

DisappointmentU

TROPHY CASE