Tag Archives: public restroom

Life, Parenting

No One to Cheers With Except Baby

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Going Mom and I try to make it a point to cheers each other at the end of every day. There may not always be some miraculous occasion to celebrate, but it’s a great way to focus on the “good” of the day. If nothing else, we just cheers to LOVE, we always have that!

My wife was up by 3 am to get get ready and head to the airport for her business trip yesterday leaving Avery and me to fend for ourselves. It was basically the same as any other week day until the evening rolled around and it was still just a dad and his little girl missing the woman we both love most in life.

Despite missing Kelley, I kept busy and finally began the brewing process with the Belgian Saison beer kit I bought over a month ago.

Avery made sure to lend a hand in the process too. She was quite the helpful baby!

I started before she woke up in the morning at around 7 am, and didn’t finish getting it in the fermenting bucket until nap time at 3 pm. It took a little longer than I expected, but I’m sure it will all be worth it 3 weeks from now! I think Tom Petty says it best in his song “The Waiting”…..it truly is the hardest part.

On top of a successful start to beer brewing, I had my first article published on The Huffington Post! It’s a post I first published here on my blog with a little editing done and I’m thrilled to finally have it published! This has been a huge goal of mine and hopefully this is the first of many more to come!

Overall, it was a pretty good day, but when I sat down with Avery in her high chair for dinner, I had no wife to cheers to. Instead, I raised my glass to Avery who, in return, swiped several peas and a carrot on the floor and kicked up her leg.

Meh, good enough.

Hoping for a good day today and think I might even try to watch the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while, but always end up putting it off. Maybe this time it will happen….or maybe not, Avery will ultimately decide I guess.

As promised, I’ll share some of my favorite pictures of the day for Going Mom (and anyone else) to enjoy. Kelley, we miss you dear, can’t wait to see you late Wednesday night!

I think I'm awake......right?
I think I’m awake……right?
Just doing a walky-walk in my jammy-jams. No biggie.
Just doing a walky-walk in my jammy-jams. No biggie.
My name is Avery, but you can call me "bubbles"
My name is Avery, but you can call me “bubbles”
Daddy says I'm a good mini brewmaster!
Daddy says I’m a good mini brewmaster!
Where is Avery?
Where is Avery?
There she is!!
There she is!!
And she's out....
And she’s out….

 

Do you have a daily routine like making a cheers or something else?

If so, do you feel at a loss when you don’t do it for the day?

Life, Parenting

10 Things Babywearing Dads Shouldn’t Say to a Teething Baby in the Bathroom

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Since my first post about 10 Things Baby Wearing Dads Should Never Say in a Public Restroom, I guess I haven’t learned my lesson. Although I don’t say the 10 things I listed then, I still catch myself talking to Avery in the public bathroom and saying things that might raise an eyebrow or two.

It’s been close to 4 months since that post, which means a lot has changed with our baby. One of the changes being her teeth coming in. As of now, she has her top and bottom two front teeth working their way out, and she lets us know about them multiple times a day. Any parent, I’m sure, knows……it’s “fun”. Please, since my sarcasm.

How do you not say something to those teeth?
How do you not say something to those teeth?

Her teething has been going on for a few weeks now, and we are still going to the store where I still have to urinate frequently due to my massive caffeine consumption. No matter how much I tell myself to just keep quite while wearing my daughter at the urinal, I can’t stand the silence, so I break it by making some sort of statement to the sweet girl hanging in front of me.

Wouldn’t you know, the moment I open my mouth and say something, I regret having said it right then and there. Obviously, others are sharing the public restroom, so why do I do this so much?

I can’t think of a good reason, but it happens, and once again I’ve collected 10 of the things I have actually said and want to share with other babywearing dads now. Ladies, I’m not trying to omit you, but I’m only speaking from my own experience, and I also have trouble visualizing how a women can use the restroom and wear her baby, so please forgive me.

  1. I can see it poking through.
  2. You look so different now.
  3. I know it hurts now, but you’ll feel better once it pushes through.
  4. Here, chew on this.
  5. Wow, that’s a lot of drool!
  6. I cold cloth would be really useful right now.
  7. It could take 2 years before you’re finished.
  8. Remember, it’s not nice to use those on mommy.
  9. I wish they’d all come at once so we could get this over with.
  10. Oh, I need to take a picture of that one!

Yeah, maybe I should print these out and laminate them on a card to study from now on. But, I probably won’t do that, because as our daughter continues to change, so will the things I say to her in and out of the bathroom.

I love my toof!
I love my toof!

Sometimes I wish I made this stuff up. That would save my face from turning red with embarrassment after saying one of the above and having someone quickly walk out of a stall and then the bathroom without washing their hands. Oh well, it happens (right?), and I’m able to look back and laugh now.

Avery still has plenty of teeth to come in, so who knows what I’ll say next?

Can you think of things you’ve said to your teething baby that wouldn’t sound right to another person in the restroom? Has this happened to you before?

Baby Wearing, Parenting

10 Things Baby Wearing Dads Should Never Say in a Public Restroom

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Yesterday, Avery and I made our usual two store grocery trip to Sprouts and Costco in hopes that we won’t have to go this weekend. We live only a few miles from the Texas Motor Speedway, and since it’s race weekend, driving anywhere is worse than most days.

Since we don’t head out until after her morning nap, I some work in the kitchen to tend to. I try to make Kelley’s meals in bulk so I am prepared for a few days out, so I readied four ready-to-be-grilled bean and goat cheese sandwiches. Sometimes, I wonder why I don’t make one for myself…..

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Oh yeah, because I’m more of a roasted beet, Brussels sprouts, and garlic kind of guy.

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I could find something to do/cook in the kitchen all day, but Avery makes sure that never happens. She woke up from her morning nap with loud moans permeating the baby monitor. She was in an area the monitor couldn’t capture, so I went in her room to see what all the fuss was about.

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How a sleeping baby is able to roll around and get their leg stuck in the slot of their crib, I haven’t a clue. Luckily, she didn’t hurt herself and seemed fine once Daddy was there with a camera in her face.

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I liberated our daughter from her self-induced leg restraint and gathered everything to head out. Our first stop was Sprouts, as usual, and the urge to use the restroom suddenly hit me while perusing the aisles. Damn multiple cups of green tea and coffee!!

As I stood at the urinal, I looked down at Avery in the Onya Baby Outback carrier and tried to keep her from letting out any random cries as she generally does. Why she has to fuss as I hopelessly stand at a urinal, no clue. But, as I tried my best to offer soothing words, I paused and realized what I was saying might be taken the wrong way considering my location.

Then I thought back to the countless times before when I was wearing Avery and had to use a public restroom. “Crap” (not literally), I thought to myself, “Anyone in the restroom at the same time must really be questioning what they heard from me!” I know if I were in a stall and heard some guy talking in a soothing, coo-like voice, I wouldn’t come out until I knew he was gone.

So, I listed the top ten things a dad should never say while wearing their baby and using a public restroom. And if you’re wondering, yes, I have said all of these to Avery. It’s a surprise I’m still allowed in these stores!

To help you see things from my perspective.
To help you see things from my perspective.
  1.  Don’t worry, you’ll get bigger. (I said this to Avery when her head couldn’t see over the carrier.)
  2. Well, hello there.
  3. Uh oh, I need to get you a burp cloth.
  4. Daddy won’t take long.
  5. I’m so proud of you!
  6. What do you see up there? (This is when Avery is looking up at the ceiling.)
  7. Mommy is going to be so happy to see you!
  8. Please stay still so I can finish.
  9. Are you hungry?
  10. If you’re good, we can play with that new toy at home.

Yeah, needless to say, I’m going to be more conscientious about how I word things when talking to Avery in a restroom.

Baby wearing dads, have you ever said anything to your baby while wearing them in a public restroom? 

I don’t know how the baby wearing moms deal with this issue, but if you have any good stories, please share!