Going to be a Dad!!

[Matelotman]

Congrats............ my wife's first scan is on Monday for our second nipper

[Mike Scib]

Congrats............ my wife's first scan is on Monday for our second nipper

Likewise, congratulations mate

[scott_e]

well done lad !

[meatball]

Congratulations!

[gorrie]

Congratulations Mike.
Start to stock up on sleep now. It'll take it out of you.
When I look back at old photo's of me on the couch with the eldest lad at 6mths, I realise just how f****** dreadful I looked. Must have been on Auto-Pilot for most of it.

[rossybee]

When I look back at old photo's of me on the couch with the eldest lad at 6mths, I realise just how f****** dreadful I looked. Must have been on Auto-Pilot for most of it.

Never a truer word spoken! I have exactly the same type of pics - a general air of fcukedness which even now is hard to replicate

Oh, and congrats to all expectant fathers

/losing track faction

[campbell]

5 years in, I've been reflecting a bit too.

Clearly we can't *really* stock up on sleep in advance (although in the couple of weeks right before birth, it is certainly worth being strict on yourself as the adrenalin of birth and aftermath will soon catch up with you).

What you *can* do is a bit of expectation setting with yourself. All the things you used to do in the evening after work/dinner, forget it. You'll be lucky to get one evening a week where Mum is prepared to let you out to play...until a few weeks pass, and you get a routine built.

And therein lies the key. Routine, routine, routine.

Once this is established, it becomes possible to trade "shifts" between yourselves, I found, and whilst getting time together will remain challenging (in our case, Eilidh always chose our evening mealtime to lose the plot and require serious attention), routine will also help this...because it's easier to slot a babysitter (family member or otherwise) into an evening where the routine is clear. That way you also get a couple of hours without the mobile ringing to say they can't settle the wee one, can you come home please!!

If you can be unselfish enough to put most things on hold (other than work - you're the only one bringing in the bread at this point), then these early weeks will mean a lot more - both now and later. There is time to get back to cars, golf, music, the pub, whatever your thing happens to be. You may well look upon work as a welcome escape for a while too...well there's a win-win!

Get a couple of baby books aimed at Dads (Fatherhood and The Fathers Book were decent reads, IIRC) and don't forget to read the baby books Mum is buying too...results in fewer blank looks later on, believe me! The "What to expect..." series is really well written and designed, we have "What to expect...the Toddler Years" and it was a big help.

Very very shortly I think a new sub-forum will appear here too..."SE Juniors", or "SE Dads", or summat...given the rash of procreation that seems to be going on

Campbell

[rossybee]

Can't agree more with the routine comment(s)

I routinely do what I'm told (now from 2 females as Sophie is now 12) and harmony in the home is more frequent

[campbell]

LOL!!

yes the routine only gets more rigorous...and I'm told that as they wind their way through school it ratchets up again, for different purposes of course!!

But for all those starting to put their head in their hands about the prospect of parenthood, there are upsides. Apart from the obvious ones. Eilidh (5) and James (3) are both reaching stages which let us involve them in things in very different ways to before, and we can get them to join us in our own interests more and more as they get stronger, better coordination, communication skills, yada yada.

And we can get into some of their interests too...like Pixar Movies, Tom & Jerry cartoons, Lego, drawing/painting, etc.

It's all good, really!!

[rossybee]

Yep - Sophie (12) and Calum (9) involve me in homework, lifts to
pal's houses/cinema/ice rink/town centre/dancing/skatepark/cubs/guides/swimming/guitar/parties/keyboard/maths tutor/and of course school (two different ones now madam is at secondary - no more goodbye kisses from dad in public )

BUT! Joking aside - Cal is now old enough for me to take only him to "bloke movies" such as 2012/transformers/wolverine/iron man/etc - which is fantastic father/son bonding

Fortunately Sophie is daft on "cheap fashion" such as New Look and Primark but Cal is showing a penchant for the "boarding/surfing" fashions which equal quicksilver/vans/DC shoes/billabong/etc which is a little more pricey

Hope this lot doesn't put anyone off

[kenny]

Hope this lot doesn't put anyone off

Currently weighing up the pros and cons of chopping my nads off V's having kids, neither sounds an attractive prospect.

Best o luck mike

[r10crw]

Congrats Mike, really plased for you guys. Best thing we have ever done
And congrats on the news of your second Chris.

[rossybee]

Hope this lot doesn't put anyone off

Currently weighing up the pros and cons of chopping my nads off V's having kids, neither sounds an attractive prospect.

Best o luck mike

I had my firing pin removed years ago - aka damage limitation





Only kidding

...not the jaffa part though

[GregR]

Mike - only bits of advice I'd proffer are as follows:-

(i)don't look forward to the drive to the hospital, thinking you've finally got an excuse to hair through town at 100 tuts. I tried that and was told to, "SLOW THE F'CK DOWN!!".

(ii) Don't think you'll be able to stop off for sarnies at a shop en route to the hospital. I was fecking starving by the time the wee lad made an appearance.

The rest you'll figure out for yourself

[campbell]

(ii) Don't think you'll be able to stop off for sarnies at a shop en route to the hospital. I was fecking starving by the time the wee lad made an appearance.

A box of oatcakes, couple of mars bars / cereal bars and some bottled water lobbed into "Mum's bag" will keep you going.

Remember to share with Mum during labour (if she is allowed).

Oh and frozen bottle of water pulled from the freezer as you career out of the house sure beats hospital water, and it'll thaw gradually during the process remaining cold throughout.