AWESOME! congrats. Enjoy to the fullest. Boy or Girl? used all my reps in here again. I got you tomorrow.
Find out boy/girl in about 2-3 weeks..I don't have a preference just want a healthy baby you know. Its a very nice time for both of our families, everyone is happy and excited..Can't wait to see the lil' guy/girl.
NICE!!! congrats again. We find out the sex in about 2-3 weeks as well. My first was born on 9/1 and this baby 's due date is 8/31 ..
thanks. a whole lot of fun man. Things that matter to you now will become irrelevant and things that never mattered will suddenly become important. its a great thing though. During down time at work, i find myself looking up tickets to sea world, zoos, and parks. its awesome man
Can't wait to be father. Getting married in July and the wife wants kids soon. I love being an uncle to my nephew and niece, I can only imagine the joys of being a father. I can't wait to have a son and pass on my fathers name to him. Props to all the NT fathers out there. Looks like the next generation of NT'rs is gonna be great
*Deep breath* Me and my wife just had our second daughter in December. Off hand, here are some things you'll need to know: Diapers- figure out if you want to go cloth or disposable. Our first was very sensitive to disposables, so we used a cloth diaper service (delivery and pickup) for the first 6 months or so. After that, we ended up getting a lot of good quality cloth diapers for cheap, so we used those for the next 6-9 months. I washed the diapers every week, it wasn't too mad until she started solids/meat, but i just used a lot of bleach and boiling water. Cloth can be a pain in the ***, but common wisdom is that cloth diaper babies are potty trained faster (daughter was potty trained by age 2). At the same time, your going to be changing more diapers. If you DIY, you will save a good amount of money, but most dudes don't have the stomach for it. Daughter number 2 is pretty much exclusively disposable, and she has no problems thusfar. Milk- Im sure your wife already has an idea one way or the other. Breast milk (to me) is the clear winner here. It's free, better for the baby nutritionally, encourages skin to skin contact with mother, it's free, etc. Downside is mother has be with baby all the time. Even if mommy pumps and you store milk, she still has to keep feeding/pumping to keep milk levels up. preparing breastmilk in a bottle is a little more difficult than to just as easy as preparing a formula bottle. Formula allows dad to be a part of the feeding process, most formula is up there nutritionally with breast milk, but some babies have issues with digestion. The old wives tale benefit with formula is babies usually sleep longer after they eat (noticed this in the first daughter). And of course you have to pay for formula, and it aint exactly cheap. Diapers- Change them. I can stand the idea of dads who 'can't'/won't change their childs diaper. Especially infants, their poops don't stink and pee doesn't really either. Take it from someone who handwashed shiddy diapers, wiping poo off a couple of asscheeks isn't that bad. Stroller- My advice is to not get too ballerific. Those convertables/joggers look cool, but theyre a pain in the ***. we probably used the fold up stroller that came free with our co-sleeper as much as our 600 dollar quinny buzz. You are gonna want something that is compatible with the car seat at first. Crib- Decide whether you want to 'buy once, cry once' or space it over some time. First daughter we used a co-sleeper and pack in play a few months before her crib came in. Buy a convertable, you'll be able to get at least 10 years out of it as it grows with your child. Personally, I wouldn't spend that much on a crib, a few hundred max, then you can buy the extensions and all that to upgrade it later. Clothes- Buy onsies and sleepers, let everyone else buy the cutsie outfits. People will buy everything except what you actually need. Plus often it's not worth the hassle to put a kid in a cute outfit they will pee/poop/vomit on when you can keep the kid in a sleeper (plus sleepers usually hide the stains better) Toys, diaper warmers, diaper genies, etc are all meh. Don't spend money on it, but if you get them, and they work, by all means use them. You'll need a lot less than you'll think. Try to stock up on things you'll use the most often. Look at amazon for diapers, free delivery for Prime members, plus they have a monthly order that saves a few more cents. Real spit, make sure your wife is ok. Happy wife, happy life. Any other Dad's, feel free to share.
great post above! as for me-when I had my daughter, I already had diapers and wipes fully stocked! I believe we were like 6months ahead... as for formula-its hard to say what your child will actually take and not spit up-so I would just wait on that til ur baby is born! But-start putting $$$$ away just for that... As for cribs and strollers, car seats-that's up to you and what you and ur wife want people to spend on ur baby shower gifts. I looked at consumer reports and reviews on amazon to see what was the best. U can never go wrong with Britax for car seats and MacLaren for strollers-that's what we ended up getting for our daughter when she was a baby! I wish u all the best-kids are the best man!!
Props to all the good fathers on here. I'm a proud father of two healthy babies. Here's a pic of my lil girl and her big bro on the right. She was born about 4 days ago only. Best feeling ever!
Diapers, wipes, onesies, bibs, burp cloths, a car seat (if you have a car), a place for them to sleep (crib, bassinet, or pack & play - NOT your bed), and most importantly - unconditional love, which you will experience the first time you see your new born baby. Best wishes to your family.
My .02 cents.. Diapers: If you're using disposables don't go with generic diapers..They leak bad and your kid will most likely end up getting rashes from them cause they don't absorb worth a crap..DON'T BUY A DIAPER GENIE..Total waste of money..Here's a little tip..They make scented bags that are small and fit a diaper in them perfectly and they really keep the odor from getting out..If you can't find those then get some of those bags you pick up dog poop in..They do the same thing and are usually cheap.. Clothing: Don't go overboard buying brand name clothes..A baby could careless what they wear and fashion is only for parents..Plus that expensive stuff will get ruined with poop, pee, puke, milk, and whatever else a baby can manage to stain them with..Save some money and just get some sensible onesies from Walmart or Target.. Furniture: Again don't think you have to have an entire bedroom set for a newborn..They need a crib and that's about it..Changing tables are a waste of money and you'll realize you don't need it after you spent money on it..Get one of those little chairs that rock back and forth cause they will help a cranky baby sleep better than almost anything else.. Car Seat/Stroller: Get you a decent combo pack..You can get a car seat/base/stroller for a good deal as long as you don't buy it from Babies R Us or Toys R Us..Matter of fact just stay away from those places all together..They are overly expensive and the extra money you spend there buying your kid stuff doesn't translate to how much you love your baby..It just means you paid more for something that is no better than something from WalMart, KMart, Meijer, or Target.. Baby Care Products: Get you a good name brand lotion and bottles..Trust me when I say they tend to just be better at the end of the day than generic..Oh and get your baby some gas drops..Babies get bad gas no matter what..My son burped and farted so much we nicknamed him Pooty Bear.. And the most important thing is this..Don't be afraid of your baby..You won't hurt them when you burp them, or change them, or hold them..Keep them in your arms as much as you can because there will come a day when they're too big for you to do it and you'll wish you could turn back time and hold them again..But you can't, so take advantage of the time you have and hold them as much as possible..And don't forget to hug them, kiss them, and tell them you love them every chance you get..
Love this thread.I love being a father.My life is complete even if I'm single for life.The best thing to ever happen to me.My reason to live and breath.She has my heart
It's great to see all the good dads on here. I have a 12 year old daughter and a 7 year old son. My kids are the best thing in my life.
its cool to see other dudes who feel what I feel. I honestly dont see how there is a man in this world that abandons his child. Major props to u dudes who didn't have dads growing up, alot of dudes use that as a excuse to not b there. I was fortunate enough to have a dad n hes always been the most intimidating person to people but my son is his first grandkid n he is a straight sucker. Can't even tell lil man no or get mad at him. dudes that are expecting what names do u have in mind? Current dads also what are your kids names?