Parenthood - One Month In (1 Viewer)

[tomwaits]

We just hit the 10 month mark and it gets way more fun when they can smile and laugh and really interact with you. Also its awesome when they start sleeping through the night. We were pretty lucky and our little guy started sleeping through the night at 5 months and has mostly kept it up so far not counting when he gets sick (hand foot and mouth disease was not fun).

 

[saintmdterps]

Oh, here's a revelation. Learn to enjoy the comparatively painless diapers she produces at this age. They get worse....and worse....and worse. I ordered some painter's masks recently. They help. Good God almighty.

And she’ll be easier to get potty trained than a boy, so there’s that.
My daughter is 5 (yup I was 52 when she was born) We went on vacation to the beach 2 years ago, and were in line to rent bikes at the resort. A woman is checking in ahead of us, and across the lobby her very young daughter comes out of the bathroom with dad in tow. At full volume the little girl proclaims “Mommy, mommy! I pooped I pooped!” Her mom is mortified and turns to me “I’m sorry” I smiled and said “no need, my daughter is 3”

Finding good day care is a load off your back. We had pretty good luck with private and daycare centers/schools. With a daycare center you don’t have to worry about the daycare mom getting sick, but you lose that personal touch. Ella will be going to kindergarten at the elementary school where my wife teaches, so that's a huge benefit

As others have said, don’t blink. Cherish every moment for you will not pass this way again. One day she’ll be 13 and it won’t matter if you’re a rock star or professional athlete, you’ll still be lame

 

[NotOnHerb]

We just hit the 10 month mark and it gets way more fun when they can smile and laugh and really interact with you. Also its awesome when they start sleeping through the night. We were pretty lucky and our little guy started sleeping through the night at 5 months and has mostly kept it up so far not counting when he gets sick (hand foot and mouth disease was not fun).

Yeah, she smiles now but I know its not a smile that means what we think it means. But I will take any kind of smile over crying for sure.

I was nervous about connecting with her at this age honestly. I had a few friends who have had babies who have told me that it took them months to feel any kind of strong connection as a dad and that it took till they got to the phase of being more mobile and interactive. Luckily, I have felt a really strong bond out the gate though I am looking forward to a "more fun" age.

 

[SDotJeezy]

One other piece of advise...Baby gates, you don't need them now but you will...trust me, buy a bunch of them, they'll divide your house into impenetrable sectors that she wont be able to defeat until she's 2.5 - 3 years old. Also place one at the top and bottom of all stairs and remember to close them.

 

[gboudx]

We're at the 222 month mark today. Yeah. Ummm. Good luck.

 

[El Caliente]

Mazel Tov muchacho (and all Muchachos who have recently had kids). As Brennan Guido and others can testify, sleep wise, it gets better as time passes. That’s about it though. There is more throw up, the diapers get more expensive, the ability to decipher what’s wrong is more important, but then they are at a great age, and they are tiny, and smell great, and easy to hold, and you can get a lot of joy out of them learning things.

Having 4 kids I miss those days, but they are replaced by new thrills. My son spent most of the summer with my in laws as we have been moving, and last year he couldn’t balance himself on a boogie board, last week I went to pick up he and the rest of the kids, and he was eager to show me how he could surf. He wasn’t as proud as I was. Where once I had to tell stories at night I am able to let them choose their own adventures and take over with each cliff hanger. It’s fun stuff.

Enjoy these times my friend. The time is quickly fleeting.

 

[jayd265]

spend as much time with her as possible. when shes old enough take her to parks, movies, ice cream. whatever. she's only a kid once, and you only have her little once. my son is 7 and daughter will be 5 in october. it flies by man.

 

[El Caliente]

Also, do your wife a favor and give her a break. Watch your daughter, and let your wife be free.

And when she does ask you to step in while she needs alone time, don’t call it babysitting. It’s not babysitting if you are the father.

 

[FLEA]

Mine are 20 and 18...Their baby years are a meer blip on the screen now. I can tell you we set mile stones. When they were off of formula and out of diapers I took my wife to Antoines with the monies we saved!! Enjoy the time and don't miss one game, recital, play, princess party etc.

 

[saintmdterps]

Mine are 20 and 18...Their baby years are a meer blip on the screen now. I can tell you we set mile stones. When they were off of formula and out of diapers I took my wife to Antoines with the monies we saved!! Enjoy the time and don't miss one game, recital, play, princess party etc.

And makeovers. Let her give you makeovers. I’ve had ribbons in my hair, lip gloss, painted nails, etc, and laughed the entire time.

Yeah there’s pix but y’all ain’t gittin’ ‘em

 

[NotOnHerb]

Wife is good about sending pictures throughout the day and I can't decide if it makes me super happy or just makes me feel like I am missing out. Right now they are at Broad Theater at a weekly event they have for parents who can bring their babies and the theatre orders sushi for everyone as part of the entry price. Sounds way better than punching keys at a desk.

Also, we've had a few days of "witching hour" this week which happens to align with about a half an hour after I get home from work. Hoping that is short lived cause its not easy for either of us to know that she had a great day all day and then she seems to get upset just when I am around. I know I am not the cause, but separating that is easier said than done.

 

[St. Chris]

It looks like you have not posted since before your baby was born and your first full day back to work, you are posting on SR. That makes it look like your priorities are as follow:

1) Family
2) Saints Report
3) Work

Looks like you are doing it right so far.


Edit: For the record, I am not a father. Step children and step grandchildren, yes.

 

[CapitalCitySaint]

So I have been even quieter than usual on here thanks to my wife and I welcoming our first child into the world on June 29th. Today is my first day back on the full time grind after working a few part time weeks.

Things have been better than expected so far with her sleeping more than 2 hour stretches starting 2 weeks in and generally being a very happy baby. Doesn't hurt that she is cute as heck.

Any fatherly advice is welcome that doesn't include threatening boys with shotguns.

As a girl who was born on June 29th myself, I can tell you that your daughter is going to be AWESOME!

 

[Brennan77]

Wife is good about sending pictures throughout the day and I can't decide if it makes me super happy or just makes me feel like I am missing out. Right now they are at Broad Theater at a weekly event they have for parents who can bring their babies and the theatre orders sushi for everyone as part of the entry price. Sounds way better than punching keys at a desk.

Also, we've had a few days of "witching hour" this week which happens to align with about a half an hour after I get home from work. Hoping that is short lived cause its not easy for either of us to know that she had a great day all day and then she seems to get upset just when I am around. I know I am not the cause, but separating that is easier said than done.

My wife took advantage of the Broad theater as well. She and her friends loved it. Don't fret about the witching hour and sleep cycles. Just hang in there. It comes and it goes with the growth spurts on our end. She'll go for weeks sleeping 12 hours through the night and then go for a couple of weeks of being hangry every 2 hours. I usually try to dream feed her a bottle around 10:00-11:00 to sorta top her off and hopefully get that midnight to 6 peaceful for everyone in the house.

 

[NotOnHerb]

My wife took advantage of the Broad theater as well. She and her friends loved it. Don't fret about the witching hour and sleep cycles. Just hang in there. It comes and it goes with the growth spurts on our end. She'll go for weeks sleeping 12 hours through the night and then go for a couple of weeks of being hangry every 2 hours. I usually try to dream feed her a bottle around 10:00-11:00 to sorta top her off and hopefully get that midnight to 6 peaceful for everyone in the house.

Just got the report back and she and our friends had a great time and definitely something she will keep on doing.

Also, its funny you used the phrase "top her off" as its something we have both said, but apparently when I say it the wife doesn't like it as much.

The witching hour thing mostly sucks because it started my first full week back at work. But I read it week 5 is a normal time for it to pop up, so that makes sense. Last night it didn't happen, but she also fed her and we put her in the car seat and went out for dinner. If that is the solution, looks like it may be a $$ one.