Tag Archives: dad bloggers

How to Survive the First 5 Months of Your Life

Well, hello there, earth newbs. Want to know how to make it through the first 5 months of your life?

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If so, then I’ve got some important information you need to hear. Now, first things first; see this mouth? Listen to it!

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I’ve learned a few things about those giant babies hovering around us like we depend on them or something. Little do they know, I’ve been pretty sneaky in my 5 months sans womb.

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I mean, reaaalllly sneaky….

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I’ve been pretending not to understand things, but I get it all….up to 5 months, that is. So, if you learn nothing else from me today, just remember one thing.

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Most of you will mainly have two giant babies around you, one calls themselves “Mommy” and the other “Daddy”. Now look at my mouth……..your MUST remember these two.

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Your mommy will probably hold you to the middle of her giant baby body in front of these two dark and odd-shaped pacifiers; just latch on and drink until your stomach feels better. Now, your daddy, he doesn’t do this….I know, confusing, right? Instead, he will usually hold you higher and only have one clear pacifier that is more uniform in shape. Just do the same, latch and drink. See, kinda like this….

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And DON’T, I mean DON’T latch on like this…

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Mommy just screams and daddy gets frustrated. Hmmm, or wait….unless you want to make them mad.

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Yeah, in that case do that, but not very often, just enough to keep them confused and at your mercy. You see, what they are giving you is what keeps your tummy full and gives you more energy to cry. But it also makes you mess up your diaper.

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But don’t worry, mommy and daddy will take it off and give you a nice and clean diaper. This will make you very happy!

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Speaking of diapers, mommy and daddy call mine cloth and they’re always putting them in some basket and when it’s full. Once the basket is full, they put them in some loud machine and after a few hours, I see the same ones again! When I can, I always wait until right after they put a full basket in the machine to make a poop. Hmmmm, I wonder if they like that or not.

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Oh well, just remember, latch on, drink, dirty your diaper, then cry so they know to change you. Trust me, you want them to change you! These little tips will help you grow and stay clean. Another important piece of advice is getting some sleep. Yep, when you are like this…

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Only your eyes will be fully shut and you could be in a number of other positions. Plus, I’m not wrapped like a burrito but you most likely will be. The sooner you accept having your arms strapped down, the better off you’ll be. I accepted, for a while, and l usually slept well. Here’ me pretending to be happy when I had no control of my arms or legs.

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And once you wake up, if your mommy and/or daddy are there, flash them a smile. It’ll get you places and they seem to like this.

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Eat, sleep, poop, and pee; that’s basically what you do these first few months. I’m still figuring out the rest and will keep you updated as I go. Oh yeah, you might start what the big babies call “teething” which really hurts and makes you slobber more than you already do.

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I find it helps to chew on my hands……like all the time. Just try it, it feels soooo good.

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If you eat and sleep well, then you might be able to roll over on your own after a few months. You can find my thoughts about rolling over in another post.

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So, follow my simple advice and you’re sure to survive your first five months of existence. Make sure to throw your parents a few curveballs by acting excited about something, and then like you could care less.

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Also, you get extra bonus points for being nice to other giant babies called “Grandma” or “Grandpa”.

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Speaking of, I’m at my “G-ma’s” right now, so I’m going to go play now. Or maybe eat my hands and act uninterested…

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Our First Trail Hike with the Onya and a Trip to Whole Foods

Hiking can be something as simple as just walking out your door and going around the neighborhood. It’s easy, healthy, and fun! I’ve been hiking with Avery in our Onya Baby Outback around our neighborhood almost daily, and even mowed the lawn, but getting off the paved road is always more exciting!

I had this bright idea to drive to Whole Foods Market which is 30 miles away on Tuesday, and knew of some trails in the area. I’ve been running on them before and Going Mom and I raced a few 5k’s there as well. So, if I’m making the trek to Whole Foods, why not stop at the trails and show Avery something other than the houses in our neighborhood?

We had a late start from Avery taking her time but not refusing the bottle (of course), and then there was a little poop mishap (not pointing any fingers) which resulted in us both changing clothes. Fun. But, finally, we took off in the early afternoon.

For a little background, I worked at this Whole Foods Market right out of college for just less than a year. I had my bachelor’s in Finance, but with a passion for healthy food, I planned on working my way up from a grocery stocker to corporate in no time.

Well, the plan was a bust. I had a manager holding me back most likely because he felt threatened. He kept letting me know he only made it through high school and blah, blah. So, I moved on and went to work at a major financial company with Going Mom. It is a great company, but now I’m a proud stay-at-home dad! And back to the trail trip……

A small dose of adrenaline rushed through my veins as we entered the trailhead. It’s been a long time since I have been able to venture anywhere other than the grocery store, and I was excited to have my daughter along for the experience.

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I opened the door to get Avery secured in the Onya and she greeted me with excitement.

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It was there, trust me! Maybe she was questioning my choice of slip-on New Balance minimalist shoes for hiking in tall grass?

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Anyway, we were all set and ready for adventure in no time.

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See? Avery is trying to hide her face because she’s so excited. Okay, well she wasn’t crying! I think being in a new place just kept her quiet. We started on the paved road until we found the trail.

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Beautiful! I was giving Avery an earful of how thrilled I was to be there, on a trail, with my little girl. As we walked past the trees and plants and I would point and show her anything I could explain. I’m no botanist or anything close, but she seemed interested in our surroundings.

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We eventually came to a split in the trail where one part was a steep descent that would put you close to the river.

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I’m always tempted to take the more challenging route, so I crept closer to evaluate my options. But, no, too risky with Avery, so we continued straight ahead until Bart Simpson greeted us.

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Avery received a quick description of “The Simpsons” and then we took advantage of the sewer foundation for a father-daughter picture.

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As we progressed, we were treated to an opening that exposed a great view of the river and we stopped to enjoy.

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Not the clearest river around, but with the nice weather and my daughter content in the Onya, I didn’t mind a bit.

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I tried to show Avery the river, and she might’ve took a glance, but seemed more interested in my red shirt.

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Still showing no signs of disapproval from Avery, we forged on our surrounds grew more dense and difficult to navigate. It really wouldn’t be that bad, but I had to do a lot of backwards walking to keep Avery out of harm’s way.

Eventually, the grass was up to my waist, but I wanted to go a little further. After a few more steps, I looked up to see a shirtless guy buttoning his pants. Hmmm, that’s our cue to turn around now! I let Avery know he was just changing his diaper and we began to head back.

On the way, I saw another split in the trail, and this time it was a steep ascent. Okay, I can do this one with Avery for sure!

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I mapped out my short course and made the climb. Things just look worse than they really are sometimes; I was at the top in two minutes.

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It still felt awesome to do as I love climbing anything on a trail. Yep, my inner boy always comes out when trail hiking!

We finally made it back to where we started and I happily proclaimed to Avery she just finished her first trail hike!

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Don’t mind the giant nose in the way….please.

Hmmm, okay, I’ll just have to remind her when she wakes up. I spotted a bench and figured she could use a break, so we sat down for a minute and took in the fresh air.

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After our short break, it was time for Whole Foods! The last time I was there was when Kelley was pregnant with Avery. I always love perusing the aisles and chatting with any old co-workers that are left.

We arrived within minutes from the trails and I loaded Avery back in the Onya once more. Excitement started emanating from my body again, but not like at the trails.

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The store changed since last time I was there and looked a lot better. Oh boy, more things to look at. I walked around showing Avery the various types of fresh, organic produce and explained how we’ll cook with them when she’s older.

I spent about 90 minutes in there mainly because Avery fell asleep and I didn’t want to disturb her. Plus, it’s not like I see the store very often. But in the end, it really wasn’t worth the drive for the store.

I will happily go back to the trails with Avery, but there are closer stores that offer the same things our family wants/needs. So, I’m glad Avery got to see a lot of new things, but Whole Foods just isn’t as exciting as it used to me. Is this what being a dad does? Oh well, I love it!

Do you enjoy taking your little ones on trail hikes?

Any fun or scary stories?

The Bathroom of Solace

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Bathroom – A room containing a bathtub or shower and usually also a sink and a toilet.

Solace – Comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness

No, I’m not sad, far from, but as a parent, aren’t we all a little distressed? If you said no, what pills are you taking?

As I was minding my own business looking at other people’s business on Facebook, I happened upon this picture from Someecards.com:

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I am not a woman, and I only have one baby, but this pretty much sums up how I feel.

One reason I look forward to the weekend so much is that Going Mom will be home and I can sit in peace in the bathroom when the need arises. And shi….I mean sit in peace I do!

For the other five days, Avery gets to hang with me every morning around the same time (consistency is good!) while she stares. Or, sometimes, I get lucky and she’ll just fall asleep…

Even Freddy the Firefly is out!
Even Freddy the Firefly is out!

Poor wife, she has to wait on me to make breakfast on Saturday and Sunday morning, but I usually have an extended “me time” in the bathroom. 30 minutes is usually the max, then it gets uncomfortable; probably like you if I go any more into detail. Sorry.

But at the same time, not sorry. I mean, as a parent, you have to be comfortable with bathroom (i.e. potty) talk. I’ve only been a dad for 5 months, but I have a feeling poop, pee, and even puke (the three P’s) are a big part of raising a child.

If you’re a soon-to-be parent, get comfortable with the three P’s now. Practice by talking about how you need to tend to your “business” with your friends and family.

While at a big social gathering for the holidays or any occasion, just announce when you need to go; add how badly for extra points. Awkward looks will follow, but stand strong and flash a confident smile as you walk to your announced destination!

Many people see potty talk as taboo, but it’s something we all have to do and should be able to speak freely about. You don’t have to go into specifics, I do with certain people, but there’s no reason not to talk about it with others in general.

It’s quite obvious I am comfortable with and even enjoy bathroom talk from some of my previous posts…..

  1. How Our Daughter Saves us Water
  2. Are You a Paranoid Parent?
  3. Toilet Seats Up!
  4. Baby Compliments at a Urinal
  5. 10 Things Baby Wearing Dads Should Never Say In a Public Bathroom
  6. Just Go Poop!

Going Mom and I are very open about our bathroom ventures and I feel our relationship is that much stronger because of this. Hiding anything is never good in a relationship. I mean, amiright? We even all go to the bathroom together! Whoa, not like that, just to clean it….

Protesting the cleaning by slouching and kicking her Firefly toy off...
Protesting the cleaning by slouching and kicking her Firefly toy off…

I don’t want Avery to be scared to discuss her bathroom needs either, so we’ll all be open together. If you ever engage in conversation with us, just be prepared!

I have always enjoyed bathroom time as my peace and quiet time, but now I’ve grown to seriously cherish it. Vacation? No thanks, I’ll just go poop.

What are your thoughts towards talking about the bathroom?

Do you refuge in bathroom often?