Once and Future Parent

After weeks of careful planning, Matthew's baby arrived in the middle of the night—at a completely different hospital than expected.

In this episode, Matthew shares their unfiltered birth story: the telltale signs Mary initially dismissed, the frantic drive across town, and their first days as a brand-new parent navigating meconium diapers and jaundice.

In this episode, we discuss:
  • How do you know when labor is actually starting vs. false alarms?
  • What happens when the hospital you planned for is full and you get diverted?
  • Why did we choose to find out the baby's sex beforehand?
  • What's it really like doing your first diaper changes on a newborn?
  • How do you handle the unexpected physical realities of newborn care (meconium, jaundice, temperature regulation)?
  • What does it feel like to transition from "future parent" to "current parent"?

What is Once and Future Parent?

Three parents. Three generations. One endlessly humbling journey.

Welcome to Once and Future Parent, where the parenting timeline gets the roundtable it deserves. Join hosts Matthew Fox (brand new parent), Mandy Kaplan (mom to a high-schooler), and Pete Wright (father of mostly-launched grown kids) as they gather to compare notes from three different stages of family life.

From the sleepless nights of preparing for a newborn, through the chaos of early adolescence, to the bittersweet art of letting go, each episode tackles the lessons, laughs, and late-night Googling that come with parenting at any age. Expect a mix of heartfelt honesty, media-fueled nostalgia, and just enough intergenerational snark to keep it relatable.

We’ll talk about everything from screen-time philosophies and failed movie nights, to the last bedtime story and the awkward magic of being parented by your own kid. Whether you’re building a nursery or texting your college student emojis you don’t fully understand, you’ll find real talk, hard-won wisdom, and a reminder that none of us are in this alone.