2 weeks away - Advice needed for this father-to-be

Drink A lot.

 

For college:
http://www.texastomorrowfunds.org/

 

Well, I'm only 6-7 months into my fatherhood...so I can't give you much advice on college. As for the rest of it, don't worry, be happy. After the little guy/girl arrives, you will be amazed by how much of those other worries melt away when you look at your child's little face. And don't worry about not being sure what is the right thing to do. The good (and sometimes bad) thing about parenting is that NO ONE really has the answers. Some just pretend that they do. You will find your own way in this...well, you and your significant other, hopefully. Just don't forget to enjoy the ride, because you only get one run through.

Just remember this, during the actual birth itself, whatever anxiety and fear you are experiencing is probably miniscule compared to your wife's. When my boy was born, we had a last minute C-section because of complications. I was so worried and freaking out over it, I probably wasn't much comfort to my wife, who was the one that actually had to undergo the procedure. It wasn't until later that I realized how unbelievably freaked my wife was (way moreso than I was), and I felt bad for not being more of a comfort to her.

As for the golf and beer drinking with friends...I won't sugar coat it. I was an avid movie goer before my son was born. Since he showed up, I have made it to maybe 2-3 movies in 7 months. But it really isn't that bad. You adapt. The important thing is to work it out with your wife and/or family to arrange for those "me times" when you really need them. Because both of you will. Again, like many things, you will eventually find your own rhythm.

I hope this was helpful.

 

sleep a lot.

 

Buy a house. Get a 15 year loan. Rent it. Once the house is paid for sell it. $100,000 for college. Good luck.

 

You're going to fail over and over again. You're going to say things you wished you hadn't. You're going to do things you wish you didn't.

As long as you love your kid unconditionally, everything's going to be fine. From what I know of you, I think you'll be an excellent father!!! Good luck to you and God bless your baby!

 

Get ready to clean some poo, man. I'm not even joking that this would help you.

 

So... Leila Miller, huh?

Anyway, man... get plenty of SLEEP before going to the hospital. You will need it... or miss it... whatever...

 

That ain't no lie. My 2 yr old still creates some of the worst evil smelling concoctions known to man.

Max & Raven have pretty much nailed it on the head. The nervousness of parenting never goes away...and it never should. It's part of always wanting your child to be safe and happy.

I think the only thing not said yet is...Enjoy every minute of it. My son is a constant source of enjoyment for me and my wife, no matter how much of a pain in the ass he's being. But no matter what, you'll laugh in the end.

 

I don't have any kids but just make sure you do some hand exercises before holding your wife's hand during the birth.

Congratulations!

 

If "hand exercises" is what he needs, then I am sure he has had a head start on those since he was about 13. His hand should hold up just fine.

 

Congrats Drewdog, the best part of your life is about to begin. I agree with the poster above get some sleep because you wont be sleeping in for a loooooong time.

 

Forget this stuff for now.

Take a bunch of deep breaths.

Sleep as much as possible.

Make your Mom-to-be as comfortable as possible.

Be there for her during the delivery and immediately afterwards.

Talk about what you want during the delivery and decide how you're going to handle it should any tough decisions come up... like Raven L, I dropped the ball a little during our first daughter's birth... so buck up and do your best to remain cool, calm, and collected.

If you have a lot of relatives and friends who will be dropping by after the baby comes home, watch mom to make sure she's not overtaxed physically or emotionally. Try to spend lots of time with just the three of you to enjoy the wonder of it all.

You won't be a horrible father... you really don't start hard-core parenting until the terrible 3's... that's when you take them from being the center of the world as a baby to a part of the world as a child. But by then, you're starting to pick it up. Be firm and be prepared to back up what you say, even if it means walking out of a restaurant with the meal half-eaten and a kicking, screaming kid. If you handle those situations well, there won't be too many of them.

Stay engaged and you'll be fine. (It's amazing how little the baby vomit and poop affect you when it's your own kid.)

You might also find yourself not wanting to go to the movies and play golf as much as you do now... Now, I'd much rather goof around with the kids.

Good luck.

 

haha, you are such a guy!

 

Our first child taught us a lot. We freaked out over everything for awhile. Fevers, spitting up...we always thought the worst.

The diaper changing isn't bad when they are newborns. Just wait until they start eating solid foods and meat...that's when it gets real good and nasty.

Have you read any of the "What to expect when expecting" books? All good stuff. You may also want to spend some time at www.parents.com

The actual birth is great...no better feeling in the world.

Here's a tip for you...if you take digital photos and video of your child be sure to get them printed as a backup. You'll get overwhelmed by the number of photos you take and you'll never be able to get around to printing things to save. For video label each tape you put in with the date as you put it in. I have so many tapes laying around have have no clue what's on them.

 

If someone offers to help in the first few weeks, take their help.

I never thought about what exactly it would be like the first few nights we brought our son home from the hospital. I never thought of that fact that my wife would need time to heal physically from giving birth. We brought him home, and she was exhausted. She was feeding every 2 hours and going back to sleep. I was the one who was sitting with our son in the non-feeding time. I can remember sitting in his room in the rocker @ 3AM, he's screaming, and I was scared. I kept thinking, "What did I get myself into?".

In a few days, everything seemed to slow down, and I started to become more comfortable. A screaming baby wasn't as scary as it once was. I was able to enjoy my time holding him, instead of being so on edge.

Then it started to get fun. Before I knew it, he was responding to our voices, and starting to grab for toys. Then he crawls, then he walks, then he talks. Now, he's like a miniature person. You can have a conversation (almost). He laughs. He does things to make me laugh.

As for going out with your friends, you won't miss it for a while. Then, once you start to miss it, there will be a little time for it. Not as much as before, but you'll have a night or two to catch a game with the guys. And you'll really appreciate that time.

 

Make sure you have your recliner ready and facing to your TV. You will spend most of your time after work on this chair.

 

sorry, not recliner, glider.

 

I have a 3 year old son and I'll say this about you, Drewdog...

The fact you ARE kind of freaking out and asking all these questions, already makes you a better father than you might think.