If the question is...

If the question is "do strawberries make Horatio move around hysterically?" the answer is a resounding yes. Ouch.

Thoughts from the Fatherland

A post from Stewart (aka: Dad)

Becoming a father.

Last Saturday morning I attended a class called "Becoming a father" at Holy Cross Hospital. The class, more of a group discussion really, consisted of about 10 first time fathers and a single nurse named Karen Sullivan who ran the event. There were also two 'guest dads', previous grads I believe, who came to add to the discussion.

The first hour was an introduction where each dad gave their name and what they wanted to get out of the class. I mentioned that with baby sitting and Eliza, I wondered if I was too confident and didn't realize all the things I didn't know. Most of us were there because our wives signed us up for it. Actually all of us.

The conversation sort of took it own course and the guest dads chimed in a lot about things to help out your wife and what supplies were most useful. Things like how to wash the umbilical cord and what products to use and to avoid. We laughed a lot and everyone had a 'you can't believe a grown man could be this dumb, but...." story.

1. Bring a gift for the nurses.
2. A push gift. A little something for the wifey.
3. The first few weeks will be the longest of your life. Get over it now.
4. Take off a least two weeks of work if you can.
5. It's worth every bit of pain and trouble.

We finished with hands on training. Swaddling. Diaper changes. I gave my bit about putting a spare under the child's head to wide acclaim.
Go me.

Well worth the few hours.

We hit the motherload

Pun absolutely intended.

This morning, we were invited by friends to come raid their baby supplies. Their son is almost 3 now, and they want to be rid of things. They did their best to warn me how much stuff they had, but there's no way I could have prepared for the bounty awaiting us.

We left with:

An almost-new Pack 'n Play
A full-sized swing
A vibrating chair
A vibrating ROCKING chair (for the baby, not for me. Unfortunately!)
A gorgeous reclining high-chair
A bath-tub

Plus:

SIX boxes of gorgeous clothes, from newborn to 2 years. (Yes, BOXES. Not outfits. Boxes)
Bath toys
Mobiles
A sling
Breast-pump and bottles
Cloth diapers for baby burping
A food grinder, and home-made food storage set
Numerous hats and socks
Boots and moccasins
Numerous helpful little things, like pads to go under the high-chair, shades for the car windows, and a bottle drying-rack.

All of it in gorgeous pre-owned condition. Right up my alley. I'm still not sure how great a Mom I'm going to be, but for sure this kid will NEVER be naked!

Thank you, Jill and Gregg. And thanks to little Rudy, for being born and racking up such a bounty!

A boring update

Happy Belated Mothers Day, to all you mamas out there!

A very nice day was had here. Stewart got up early and fetched beautiful tulips and breakfast-making-supplies. We ate on the veranda, in the gorgeous weather.

Okay, we ate sitting on our metal front steps, but I can call it my veranda if I want to!

Spent the rest of the day with my Mom, had a walk, and many noshes. I made this apple tort for my mama:



It actually looked better in person! Martha Stewart can kiss my booty.

In inevitable baby news:

Stewart felt the baby kick for the first time last week, and he's definitely getting stronger. It could be the feasting I did yesterday, but today he's kicking much harder than before. I actually felt him in two places at the same time today - a tickling under my ribs, and a kicking near my hip. He's coordinated!!

Still plugging away on the getting-the-house-ready stuff. There was a bit of a lull last week, but I'm all motivated this week.

Boring stuff. I got nothing else, readers! Photos to come soon.