Search Results for: blog daddy during labor

Top Ten Things I’ve Learned about Being a Dad During (Month One)

Cillian isn’t even a month old yet but I’ve already learned a great deal of things about being a dad during this first month. 1.Your babies name is important (geneology, uniqueness, etc…) People start getting ideas about you and your child because of their name. There was a reason my wife and I didn’t choose certain names for our children, often because people with bad personal qualities carried those names. After the first announcement of our son’s birth a flood of questions came in regarding the name. What is the name? Why did you choose the name? Did you know … Continue reading →

Daddy During Labor

If you’re interested in feeling completely useless, Dad-to-be, get excited about labor. My wife recently gave birth to our first child (a boy to make a father proud) and I must say that I felt entirely useless. Even before he was born I had asked the midwife if she would obtain some hot water for me to make some tea because I was so exhausted I was falling asleep. Wait a minute (Finger wagging!) you didn’t DO ANYTHING! Your wife was in labor, in real pain, doing real work. Well, that’s true. My wife was in pain for a number … Continue reading →

Let’s Talk Pregnancy Blog Top Ten – Ways to Break the News

I distinctly remember the ancient Full House episode in which Aunt Becky attempts to announce her pregnancy to Uncle Jesse during a family game of Pictionary. First she drew a wheel of cheese, then I think she mocked cutting it in half, then came a bottle of ink, and of course a picture of a baby. Cheese. Half. Ink. A baby? Sheeeeshalvingababy? She’s having a baby! And the Tanner family erupted with congratulatory whelping. There’s more than one way to break the news of your pregnancy to family, friends and significant others, so why not make it really fun – … Continue reading →

Marriage in the News: Labor Pains and Football Games

Let me start by saying, wow! I was blown away when I heard this on the news last night while watching highlights of the Bear’s game, and I looked up the story today for more details. It’s about a school teacher named Colleen Pavelka, and she’s become the model of the perfect wife for many husbands who are ardent football fans. Colleen Pavelka decided to have the birth of her baby induced Friday so her husband Mark could attend the Chicago Bear’s Playoff game against the New Orleans Saints. Sure, it was a big game, leading the Bears to the … Continue reading →

Becoming a Big Brother or Sister Part 2

Since Dylan became a big brother a month before we had expected that he would, we did not have all of the details in place for who he would spend time with during my labor and delivery. Well, that is not exactly true. We did have details in place, but we only had a plan “A” and not a plan “B”. As of a week before baby Blake’s arrival, everything was looking good and it seemed as though my dream of giving birth at home was about to become a reality. My husband and I talked about what Dylan would … Continue reading →

A Morning Without

Since I’ve been taking care of our son during the day I haven’t really been able to schedule things like doctor appointments (or a much needed eyeglasses upgrade) during the day. Taking our son along for the ride, while acceptable, wouldn’t bode well for hour long incarcerations in waiting rooms full of nearsighted (or ill people). These types of activities would have to be scheduled when Mom had a day off. Finally Mom did. Dad scheduled these appointments all on the same day so that he could make sure to get everything done so that the little man didn’t have … Continue reading →

The Whistling Kettle

Spending a great deal of time with our son has helped me understand how children learn. While my continued presence doesn’t count as hard scientific data, it should provide a case study of some sort. Every day I’m constantly amazed by the new things he seems to have picked up in relation to our time spent together. The world the surrounds me is, to a large extent, the world that surrounds him. Simple things like where the kitchen or bathroom is were once amazing skills. Now he has a new skill under his belt. I didn’t realize how amazing it … Continue reading →

You say Ketchup, I say Catsup, but I’m only willing to lick it off of the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Last time we left on a cliffhanger. Out of quick and easy cheese on noodles as a cold-weather lunch option I was forced to improvise: grilled cheese. The question on my mind as I flipped those lightly toasted cheese-filled treats was whether or not our son would like them. Normally the crust must come off of any type of sandwich or anything he eats (though, for the record, we eat very grainy bread that is concrete compared to the crust on white bread — so it’s understandable). How would he cope with the thickness, the gooey center, the melted butter … Continue reading →

When Dad-to-Be Is Deployed

Posted on by

There are currently 98,000 troops in Iraq as of February 28th. How many of those soldiers are expectant dads? How many women in the US are pregnant right now, while the daddy-to-be is across the world, missing every milestone and likely to miss the baby’s birth as well? I’m guessing the figure is pretty large. Pregnancy and childbirth, not to mention raising a newborn, is difficult enough when both parents are present. Adding the pain of missing a loved one and going through all of these events on your own makes it that much harder. In past wars, couples had … Continue reading →

Kids’ Birthday Parties—How Much Is Too Much?

Recession? What recession? The economic crisis, which has battered and bruised many Americans, is apparently a non-issue if your name is Diddy. The rapper with 1,000 names–he was born Sean Combs, but later morphed into “Puff Daddy,” then “P. Diddy,” then the artist known as “Diddy,” then “Straight up P,” and now just “Diddy”—-is showing the world that money really can buy love. And that goes double if you are a parent. Daddy Diddy recently made headlines when he threw his son an insanely expensive Sweet 16 party. The ultimate birthday bash took place at one of New York City’s … Continue reading →