a talk with cody ko and kelsey kreppel [video]

This is a very full-circle moment. Because the first podcast I ever went on was Cody Ko's podcast, Insanely Chill. This was in probably 2017, and I was a really big fan of Cody. Let's just say I was an absolute menace on that podcast. I was so fucking annoying. I can't even watch it back now, but it's very full-circle. Because today I'm bringing on the two people that I spoke to when I did my very first podcast, which was insanely chill. Cody Ko and Kelsey Kreppel. They are a beautiful married couple with a newborn.

We felt like that, too, in the beginning.

Yeah, everyone felt like that.

Actually still.

Yeah.

I was going to ask, that, did you feel like, oh, we're not ready for this a little bit?

No, we felt, we definitely felt ready.

Yeah, not that we weren't ready, but that it was really terrifying.

Well, you have so much experience with babies because you ...

Yeah, but those are like two year olds, newborns. I was always kind of like, scared.

It's also one thing when it's like you're working with kids that are not yours, and it's like they're being sent to you. At a point when you still have to baby them, but not as much, it's not like a newborn baby.

You're just not like as emotionally attached to them. I'm realizing, well, like now, because I'm like, there are just certain things where. If a parent came in and said it to me when I was a teacher, I would have been like, That's not a big deal. Yeah, but like, now, being a mom, I'm like, Oh my god, I would be freaking out if this was my kid.

Are you anxious parents? I feel like I'm going to be an anxious parent, That's why I'm asking.

I feel like sometimes we're a little anxious with Chili, so I feel like maybe we'll end up being a little bit more on the anxious side.

Wait, what do you mean? We're anxious with Chili.

I think we're, like, a little bit overly cautious with him in terms of like-.

For context, you guys, he's a dog, in case you don't know.

Chili's the dog That's our other son, Chili, four and a half year old dog.

Our human child we named Chili.

Oh my God, when I was driving here, I actually freaked out because I get so spiritual about things. Car drives by Otis.

Really, really.

Wait, it, said Otis on the car.

Or, well, it was a truck.

Was it from the elevator company?

Oh, probably.

Was it the same logo?

It just says Otis.

I don't remember, but it just said, Otis really big.

I've seen one of those.

To me, that was a sign.

I think it was a sign.

It was an omen.

In the elevator on the parking garage right here, it said Otis in there. I think that's also a sign.

Because every fucking elevator.

Every elevator says that. But when we did see that for the first time, when we noticed it for the first time, we were like, Holy shit.

We've never noticed that. Every Otis, by the way, also has Otis in it. Another sign Okay, holy shit, but we never noticed that before that. Every single elevator is made by the company OTIS.

Not because of that.

Not because of that, just because you guys have beautiful memories spent in elevators.

Yes, that's where he was conceived, in an elevator.

After the elevator.

We conceived him in an elevator, we had a beautiful, passionate elevator ride one.

We just hit the emergency stop button and we made a baby.

No, it was a quickie, you know, before three to lobby, it was super efficient.

Oh.

I don't know why he's bragging about that. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and said we had to stop it, but he's....

Okay, so what were you expecting? It was going to be like to be a new parent? And then what happened so far?

I don't know.

I don't really know what I was expecting when it came to actually having him at home with us.

But also, actually, I think that's by design, you never really know what to expect, because I feel like every baby is different. Yeah, that's true, but also that's the point of being a new parent is that you're just flying by the seat of your pants and learning.

And also every single baby is different, you can read as much as you want or take advice from people and whatnot. But there are just things that he's going to do that are not the same as every single other baby. So it's kind of tricky, but I feel like he is a really good sleeper.

Yeah, he's a beast.

He's a savage.

He's such a savage.

That was actually our second name choice. Second on the list was savage.

Otis Savage.

Yeah, we made it his middle name, actually, we wanted to go classy, so we made it his middle name, Otis Savage. That sounds like a fragrance.

That's a great fragrance.

Otis Savage.

That's gorgeous.

Oh god.

So what has been like, I don't know, like a notable, like, what's been like? a rough moment, like paint, a rough moment for me.

I just think that, like, there are just times when you're like, Okay, you're fed, you're changed, you've napped. You should be so happy. And you're like screaming and I don't know what to do to make you stop.

Of course, yes.

I get like, really like, I don't know, I don't know what to do, and I've gotten, like, a little bit better, but like, it, like, sends me.

Spiral.

But there's like a certain tolerance, it's like 30 seconds or something. Yeah, that I feel like our brains have that you can deal with it. And then after that it's like, Oh my god, I can't handle this anymore.

Yeah.

And then, like, you know, you pass it off. Yeah, exactly, it's weird how that works. I've seen that too on like TikTok or something like that. It's like, that's why I feel like having two people is so like, important.

Right, right, right, right, right.

It's so helpful.

Yeah, yeah.

Are you good at changing a diaper?

Cody is really good at changing diapers. I will say for Otis, like first, maybe week of life, I didn't change a single diaper.

That's amazing.

I like, after labor and everything. I was like, kind of out for the count a little bit. And so Cody really stepped up with anything that he could possibly help with. Because I was like, breastfeeding and stuff too.

Master diaper bro, it's not really that hard.

Well, for someone who's never okay, but for someone who's never changed a diaper.

Yeah, I did it for the first time in the hospital, like the nurse had to, like, show me how to do it.

Well, like, there's actually like a proper hygiene, you know, like regimen. That must happen, yeah, so that they don't get like a rash. Like, I actually wouldn't know what to do. In fact, I've held probably five babies in my whole life.

That's a lot.

Really.

Yeah, okay, here's one interesting thing about that is that same I'd only ever held, like one or two, I think, in my life.

That's so crazy, but I've heard that, I have heard that little chatters of that.

Little murmurs of that.

Little whispers, you guys, and it just kind of does come naturally. Yeah, which is comforting, yeah.

No, I would be so scared when we would talk about that.

Imagine if that was the announcement?

Yeah.

Mid, like, 20 minutes into a podcast, or 15 minutes or whatever.

So I am.

By the way, I'm pregnant.

That's why I have so many questions about this, by the way.

I am so curious though, because I don't know, even though I have a long time, I don't know any new parents either. Like this is really the first, like where it's like in real time.

Yeah.

Did you listen to any online advice? I feel like the parenting community online is fucking horrible.

It's insane, it's just wild.

It's crazy.

I don't know, there's just so many different, there's too many opinions, I think.

And strong opinions.

For sure.

People are critical if you're not doing something that someone else is doing and they think it's the right thing, they'll let you know.

Which I always have thought was so interesting. Because I'm like, once you're pregnant and you have a baby, you realize how different everyone's experience is and how emotional you are.

It's like WebMD anxiety times five thousand, right?

Well, yeah, because obviously they can't talk to you, so you feel like, oh, it's your responsibility, it is, you feel like it's your responsibility.

Which it isn't. He literally didn't even tell me that was hurting him, that's on him, honestly.

Fuck you.

You're stupid, so you're really stupid.

Also, the online parenting community is very performative, more so than I would say than like vlogging or like the typical vlogger stuff.

And I was like, I just think that they're not showing it.

What's your like boundaries with baby and internet? Have you kind of decided that?

We're going to wait for him to podcast, for sure.

Like with us.

You can't go on impulsive until 16.

Yeah, exactly.

And then, at 21, he can go on Joe Rogan.

Maybe I think we're pretty like no screen for as long as we can possibly do it. But um, I feel like now we've started this little thing where.

You have TikTok scrolling?

If the TV's playing, we'll just so happen to, like, spin him around a little bit.

So that he sees the TV.

I've been watching Summer House, he's into it, a little bit too into it, honestly.

He'll like, arch his back. He doesn't like to be burped, so he gets like, super stiff, which makes it impossible for the burp to come out. He only burps when he, like, relaxes.

Also, by the way, if he doesn't burp, he'll like projectile vomit everywhere, so like, he needs to let some air out.

So it's sort of like just accidentally kind of turn him around towards the screen.

Then he's looking at the TV.

Then he'll lock on to it, he'll kind of like, relax, then he'll burp, Okay, sorry, that's it for screen time. I think we'll use it strategically.

I was about to ask about iPad baby at dinner. What were you thinking?

I feel like this is the only thing is that you really never know, like, what it's going to be like until you're actually in it.

Like, if you have an absolute wild child, you need to put that on an iPad.

Yes, and like, if we're like with someone and they give their kid an iPad, I would never be like, wow.

That's a great point.

I would like to try to not give him an iPad at dinner. I would like for him to learn how to sit at the table and, like, distract himself with, like, other toys or a book or something.

Because I think people resort to it too quickly.

I agree, I don't want to resort to it. I would like to not give him an iPad when we're sitting at the table eating a meal.

That's what I'm saying. Strategically, it depends.

But like sitting at the dinner table, and like I said, this could change, but the plan is like sitting at the dinner table. Like he would do like with his family, I would like for him to sit and enjoy it.

Can he talk yet?

Yeah.

When do babies start talking?

I think around like 10 to 12 months, that's when they start, like, he can say, like, mama.

So does he have a personality right now, or is it kind of like, who is this guy?

I think he does.

Do you have any predictions about what his vibe is going to be?

You know what I mean? He's got really good vibes as it is right now, he's a happy fucking guy.

You know what's so interesting? This is how I feel.

He's going to be like machine gun Kelly.

Maybe.

Oh shit, I think he's just going to be like, fun and cool.

And like, spunky.

Do you feel like he's going to be like a real estate guy, or is he going to be like a rock star, or is he going to be?

I think he's going to do something musical.

I'm thinking sensitive artist.

Oh.

But with a mohawk.

He's literally machine gun Kelly.

Wait, maybe no.

No, come on.

MgK.

Machine gun Otis.

That's so cute, but also Otis is such a surfer name, too.

I feel like Otis is an artist, name, artist, surfer. He can do whatever he wants and be happy, but I can see him being a little like outdoorsy, he's saying.

He's definitely going to surf.

Yeah, of course.

If he doesn't like it, then he doesn't have to do it. But I'm going to take him surfing, Hopefully he'll like it, I hope, because I'd like to surf with him.

I think a lot of times, if you, I feel like no kid will hate surfing.

Did you go surfing with your dad?

I didn't start surfing because until like now, and I still can't do it because my dad didn't start surfing until like now. He started so late.

That's awesome.

And he's so good. I want to see you guys surf together. Oh my god, my dad surfs Malibu all the time.

Tell him to text me.

Yeah, y'all can hit that.

Yeah, because I need people to surf with, too.

Oh, he loves that, he makes friends in this way and he's good and fun. He's the best we can sit on the side.

And where's Otis? He's with us.

Otis is baby surfing.

Otis is sitting with his mom and his aunt.

Fair enough, sister.

His big sister.

What is happening? Don't age me.

Sorry.

So, let's do a parenting exercise.

Okay.

I'm going to give you scenarios and you have to tell me what you would do. What would you do if at 5 years old, baby?

And we still have no clue.

You have no clue, you find out because it's on your for you page. One day. He's somehow smart enough to be sweet. What do you do?

This is your calling.

Let's put our foot on the gas here. Do you take the social media away or do you say, you know what? I'm just going to try to facilitate this in the best, healthiest way possible.

First of all, I would have to really take a second, consider how in the world I have let my son take my phone, post a TikTok.

He was being sneaky, he knew how to switch the account back so he wouldn't find out.

And then I'd be impressed because he's really smart. I don't even know how to do that.

How did you do this?

But I feel.

Oh, okay, interesting. So you'd be like, let's make these videos for family.

Yeah, and we can send them to your grandma and grandpa. You can choose whatever aunts and uncles you want to send them to whichever of your friends you want to send them to.

That's a really great answer.

Thank you.

I was going to say we could make them with our supervision. Well, he was going to say, why would we? Even? What did you say?

You were going to say, turn on adsense and then just sort of like.

Why the fuck are you doing this?

Without making money.

You're just doing this shit for free, son, wake up. The only issue here.

Is that you haven't gotten into the creator program? You're a fucking idiot son, okay, so you would do it under supervision?

Yeah, and like, start making merch.

No, I just.

If you like making these videos, just do it. But yeah, there's no reason TikTok has to be involved, that's what I'm saying.

We can make the videos and if he wants people to see them, we can just send them to people we know.

That's true, but then you're not getting the proof that they're good. The social.

How is he supposed to feel like he's blowing up that kind of validation from millions of people on the internet?

I totally agree with you. I'm not saying he should be feeding into the likes and comments, I'm saying, what if this was a legitimate talent of his? He could be a performer. Everyone makes videos.

Then we'll put him in a dance class and let him be a star, we'll just let him do something creative. But it does need to be on the internet.

Yeah.

Okay, I love that. Okay, you passed the first test. I'm sweating.

Do you like my clipboard? Super professional.

He's 16 now and he's doing really well in school, which is great. Congratulations you guys, but he decides school is not really for me.

There's hot babes.

You have to figure out how to pay for it.

You're not paying for it.

I would say, if you don't want to keep going to your school every day, something about that is making you not happy. We can finish school at home once you finish.

I love that we're creating a two year plan.

Closer to 18.

I'd say, look into crypto.

Do a bit of pump and dump.

Do a couple pump and dumps and then get out there.

And shred.

I hate that.

If he's 16.

That's what I'm saying.

But if he's trying to make y'all pay for it.

I want to drop out and move to Bali, No.

I think we agree.

We do agree.

What if he starts coming into a lot?

Sorry.

You guys are not in sync.

Something weird is happening.

But imagine this.

What the fuck you turned on adsense like, I told you?

He's been banking the money he has made 2 million dollars from selling, from doing pump and dumps, he's been doing crypto pump and dumps.

First of all, I would be absolutely horrified I would make him donate all of the money. Oh, that's great to planned parenthood.

I love that, that's beautiful.

Who?

Has a sus vibe this person, just overall, you can tell, is bad news, bad news. Probably a cheater, too.

Remember that TikTok you saw of that dude where you tell your friends when you hate the guy she's dating?

We're going to tell him to get on the apps.

Get on the apps.

I feel like every parent has to deal with that. At one point, I think my parents have, yeah, mine have.

Wait, you guys are my parents, have you?

We have.

You've known everyone. You've been there when I've gone through a breakup and come over and laid on your couch, weirdly, that one time, do you remember?

Eastwind.

I do remember that.

Not directly. I totally remember that.

But you know what?

We got through it.

That's like a rite of passage as a parent.

It is.

I would be like, Ugh, he found that one.

I don't ever find out until after my other parents, they don't tell me, they've never told me, and part of me feels betrayed.

It's so tricky.

You don't want to resent them for not being supportive. It's kind of like, if your friend is dating someone that you don't love.

Unless it's really fucked up, you kind of just have to stay out of it.

I almost didn't go to college after I had gotten into Duke. I almost didn't go because my high school girlfriend didn't want me to go. My parents had to sit there and be like.

That's crazy.

That is insane.

I was so close. This is ridiculous. I think they had faith that I would make the right decision. I know that had to have been so hard for them.

I know that's got to be crazy. You just have to be like, keep thinking about it. I cried to my mom.

I remember that it's one of the only times I've actually broken down in tears. I cried to her about how hard of a decision it was. I know she was, just like, It's a fucking easy decision.

Have you been emotional recently?

It really comes and goes in waves. I was thinking about this today. I've been pretty okay, definitely more emotional. Sometimes I just wake up.

Emo.

Yeah.

I feel like even when I don't know the hormonal situation, I can't even imagine already.

I also think I started my period today, I'm a woman.

Is it so weird to have a period again?

No, it's just back to the grind.

Back to the grind.

Damn.

Would you want to get pregnant again? Are you excited about getting pregnant again? or are you like, No?

I would say, I will, I know I'll want to, not yet I will.

We're only having one kid, that's fine.

But now I'm like, I can do that again.

I feel like it's usually easier the second time.

I would really hope so.

Now, you know, it's almost like when you drive somewhere for the first time and you've never been there. And it feels like you're driving for six hours because you don't know where you're going.

Hopefully that is the case, because it wasn't super pleasant.

No, also you had to give up a lot, you couldn't drink alcohol. Could you have caffeine?

I could have one.

One little coffee that's actually better than I thought I'd have to poop.

Sure.

Enough to get the system going.

Except, like pooping when you're pregnant, it's like, really not easy.

Oh my God, I can't imagine.

You're like, constipated.

I can just imagine you're sitting and the belly is on the front.

I never really thought too much about it, I'm just thinking about.

I'm genuinely curious about how that works.

No chance you're seeing what's going on.

No, no bowl check available bummer.

That's the best part, that's the best part.

That's the best part.

I look forward to those bowl checks every morning.

How are you supposed to know what you've made? It's exciting to see what was your weirdest food combo.

When I was pregnant, yeah.

Was that kind of a myth?

One time I was like, I really want cheetos and then I want to get soft. Serve vanilla ice cream and dip it into the soft serve ice cream. And I was just explaining that to Cody.

That sounds good.

It still sounds good to me.

It does sound good to me right now.

So how are you keeping up with your own?

I feel like Cody's back working and everything like normal, so yeah, I'm kind of like.

That's so exciting.

It's because I have a huge knot.

You should do a Karen haircut.

Can you imagine with the curls, blonde hair? No, it's perfectly straight. How did you even do that?

Okay, please do that.

Okay.

Do you think you're going to start being like, at a restaurant, you guys are going to start being like, send it back.

It's cold.

And shit like that, just start being a parent like that.

I don't think so.

I feel like it's a mindset you choose how you.

Yeah, but some things are unavoidable. Explain. Before we were parents, you always see the new parents, especially the dads.

You're grunting in public.

Exactly I'm bending over my ass is hanging out.

Getting the baby?

Puke all over my shirt.

I feel like we're always a little bit of a mess.

Yeah, we're disheveled.

That's how it has to be.

I feel like we're doing something right.

Yes, that's the perfect aesthetic.

I love that stinky, spit up, stinky mommy and daddy.

I can't wait until he's like, three.

I'm excited for when he's a little toddler.

Yeah, it must be weird. When it's full baby time, you're really dealing with a lump and a half.

Yeah, he's gotten a little bit more interactive, it's fun, I'm excited for him to be a little less fragile.

Yeah, imagine, isn't it weird to think about when he's 20??

So weird.

Super weird, I don't want to think about that.

It really freaks me out.

So weird.

It freaks me out to think about.

I'm going on a weekend trip.

No, you're not, you're hanging out with us actually.

I'm going to Joshua Tree with my boys.

I did that.

I need to meet him, It's hard for me to speak to him, you have to meet him. It's weird that I haven't, but you just live in another country, ultimately.

That's actually a good point.

It's not that far.

You travel a lot.

I need to come.

That's one of the things I was going to say. How do you stick to your hobbies? We liked to go out to eat a lot, we go out and do stuff a lot right from the get go.

For sure.

We went on a date on Friday to our friend's restaurant.

Cute.

It was fun, it was really good, actually. You should come to Santa Monica.

Bar Monette, it's called.

It's the best, it was so good.

Do the things that you enjoy feel the same as pre-child?

Yeah.

I think so. It's almost like a lot of people talk about the sacrifice. We don't get to do the stuff that we like to do, we don't get to do the stuff that we used to enjoy.

That is a love of ours. Tenants of the trees.

We've only been once.

I kind of love it. We should go back.

I'm down.

I don't think that we felt that way.

I feel like that's maybe because naturally, you were like.

We were down to party less and shit anyways, yes.

We're very lucky that we do have family close that watches him. There have been a couple times where I'm like, should we just go out with our friends? And my parents will come over and we go out and it's just fun. It's also nice because a lot of our friends are also in the same part of life as us now. Totally.

Also, I've always liked going to bed at 9.

That's true. Are you putting Otis on a peanut free vibe? Are you going to be peanut free parents?

No, that would be a scary life to lead.

Yeah, that would suck for us. We can't have peanuts in the house.

Yeah, a lot of times parents are like, No, my baby is going to be fully raw, just eat raw fruits and vegetables.

Just raw beef, liver, that's it for Otis, he loves it.

He really loves it.

I think he's just going to have regular, he's going to be a regular boy.

I don't know. We try to eat healthy for the most part, I'm sure we'll try and make him eat healthy.

When do you start feeding normal food?

6 months, I think.

I think at 4 you can start with purees. It depends on how they're able to sit and stuff, so you can make sure they're able to.

Swallow and whatnot?

What's going to be first meal?

Chicken and waffles, I think, yum, puree, of course.

His little gums are trying to chew on it.

He doesn't have teeth, maybe.

Sweet potato would be great.

Like a banana that would be delicious.

You should eat it with him, I challenge you to eat it with him.

I think you're supposed to show them until they know how to eat.

That's actually yummy.

We're only feeding him Thanksgiving food, that's the diet he's on.

We're going to try cranberry sauce now. Here's blended stuffing. What is this?

It's the worst blended food ever, it's not Thanksgiving. Food is phenomenal.

It's the best.

It can be good, it can also be not good.

Some people think it's bullshit.