tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51120696488435364752012-02-16T17:56:09.082-08:00Anything and Everything Dads have to say from the Intimate Anonymity of the Internet!Being A Dad Ain't Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01676379543844754351noreply@blogger.comBlogger21100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112069648843536475.post-3296937614886888742009-03-08T16:55:00.000-07:002009-03-08T16:56:20.978-07:00When your wife is pregnant, there's a metric shit ton of decisions that must be made. Will the she stay home from work? How much time will you take off, or will you stay home and she go back to work? What kind of diapers? Snip the tip? What kind of stroller do we want? What kind of theme do "we" want in the nursery? Seriously, if it was really up to us, wouldn't we go with sports or Star Wars or Pac-Man? Babies don't care what's on the walls, and I'll vehemently defend these themes as being gender neutral.<br /><br />A lot of the decisions seemed inconsequential to me at first. But the best decision that I've made so far (we're about 17 weeks along now) is to be involved and get smart on these decisions instead of just saying, "Whatever you think is best, honey." I did that enough when planning the wedding.<br /><br />There are some really good books out there to guide you through this whole new world (no, not one with a hot Arabian princess and a flying carpet.) I've learned why these decisions aren't inconsequential, but rather can have a big impact on our baby's health, development, and safety. They can also have a big impact on our bank account, too.<br /><br />I'm glad I started reading up on things baby. Apparently, it occurs quite frequently that babies suffocate, mainly while sleeping. This probably accounts for most of the deaths attributed to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.) So there are lots of rules about how to keep your baby safe: don't have any loose fabric around the crib, like a blanket or pillow; don't have the room too warm; don't put the baby on her stomach to sleep. If I hadn't read up on this, I wouldn't have known the reasons behind all of these rules, and for me, if I don't know why I'm doing something, I'm not very enthusiastic about doing it. Since I know these bedtime rules will possibly keep my kid from death, I'm definitely going to make an effort to remember and follow them!<br /><br />I also read books on pregnancy to better understand what my wife is going through. I'm a lot more sympathetic to the various discomforts, pains, and inconveniences she has to go through, because now I know there's not much she can do to avoid them. Let's face it, pregnant women feel like crap. I guess the least I could do is carry the laundry basket for her up to the bedroom from the basement and make a bland but healthy dinner when she can't even stand to smell cooking food.<br /><br />Unfortunately, most books that I've come across have been disappointing in terms of the way they address fathers-to-be (a trend I'm noticing involving most things family-related.) Most expect that you'll have little or nothing to do with the pregnancy and go out of their way on every topic to try to convince you otherwise. Even worse are the ones that try to keep me reading by being funny, but most just end up being campy, cheesy, corny. There's a reason not many people do stand up comedy: they're not funny. I don't know why getting published makes authors think they suddenly have charisma and wit. I'd rather get my information directly, like a textbook or a well written user's manual. <br /><br />Please don't treat me like an idiot, and I won't find your home address and leave bologna on your hood.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5112069648843536475-329693761488688874?l=badab-openforum.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Being A Dad Ain't Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01676379543844754351noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112069648843536475.post-4134118582899084532009-02-23T09:54:00.000-08:002009-02-23T09:56:57.320-08:00Got something to say? There is nowhere that is more intimate and anonymous than the internet. Al Gore's invention has given us countless porn sites, instant access to football and NCAA highlights, and more ways to show off our opinions than ever. So let's here what you have to say.<br /><br />Email us at beingadadaintbad@gmail.com and your post will be published. As long as you don't go TOO far over the line...I'll put it up, unedited. Unless your grammar sucks, then I'll edit it, and put it up.<br /><br />Whatever you want to say - confess, congratulate, complain...I don't care. Whatever you want...hit us up!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5112069648843536475-413411858289908453?l=badab-openforum.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Being A Dad Ain't Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01676379543844754351noreply@blogger.com0