Sometimes, poop happens. And sometimes, it happens in the middle of the diaper change. And if you're really lucky, it happens when your wife is changing the diaper.
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 One of the things I wasn't totally prepared for was exactly how much time my son would spend with his mom. Don't get me wrong, it's not because she's hogging him or anything like that but rather biology has set the table for mothers to have a natural bonding moment every 2-3 hours (i.e., breastfeeding for those of you that are slow on the uptake). It can be a little tough as a new dad feeling like you don't have a huge role in your newborns life or that you're second fiddle to mom. I certainly have had a few moments where I felt like I was on the sideline but over the past 12 days I've come up with a few ways to get involved and connect. Skin to Skin This has been on of the best bonding experiences for me. Skin to skin is a popular position of putting your baby directly onto your chest and is very common in the first hour after birth. However, I've found that this is also an excellent bonding position well after the first hour. Nothing beats having my little buddy crash out on my chest, hearing him breathe and snuggle up to me. It is a great way to share a nap with him, which trust me you will need many of in the first few weeks. It also had a separate effect of developing a fierce protective instinct within me. It's hard to put into words but the best way I can describe it is the feeling you get when you know you are fulling responsible for the well-being of another human being. There is an immediate need to ensure that everything will be ok because he is entirely dependent on you.  Tummy Time Tummy time is the a fun exercise where I put my son on his stomach on a play mat. Everything you read recommends doing this a few times day to help development in areas like neck strength and motor skills. Rather than just put my son on his stomach and watch, I make a point to get down and engage with him. It may not make the hugest difference but it is fun to cheer him on each time he grunts his way to lifting his head up. Seriously, the small success of him turning his head elicits a cheer from me similar to when the US scored two goals in the final minutes of the friendly against the Netherlands on Friday to win the match.  Change Diapers
Ok, I can already hear the sighs and sense the rolling of eyes but hear me out. My mother in law made a comment that she loved engaging with her kids when they were getting their diaper changed. I admit, I thought it was a sneaky ploy to get me excited about handling toxic waste. In reality, you spend a lot of time making faces, singing songs, and pretty much using everything in your arsenal to get your little guy to not freak out while changing a diaper. I've found that my diaper changing sessions have been some of the best bonding moments simply because I'm spending a lot of time being a goof ball with my son. If you're lucky, you'll get rewarded with the precious smile that makes it all worth it. So there you have it...don't take the back seat dads! These are just a few ways to bond with the new addition to your family. Although you don't produce the sweet nectar your kids need, you have every opportunity to engage and be a meaningful part of your kid's early days. Have suggestions? Leave a comment below, thanks!
Don't judge us. We're tired.
My wife and I just had a very curious experience. She was involved in a pretty intense diaper change and we suddenly noticed that our son was sweating profusely from his head. We originally thought that it was from a new beanie which was trapping in heat. Being the new overly worried parents we are, we rushed to take his temperature (which came back normal). We figured it was a freak occurrence and so my wife began feeding him while I cleaned up the diaper station. I started to notice a few odd things. First, the corner of the diaper changing table was pretty wet. There also was a washcloth that had significantly more moisture than normal. I also noticed that Honest product gift box (don't ask, it's a popular granola brand of baby stuff) was soaked. At this point, I asked my wife if she noticed Micah had engaged in a mid-change target practice session. Although we both were in the room, neither of us saw him in the act of newborn graffiti. I began looking around the changing station and sure enough, there was liquid substance everywhere. What is baffling to me is not that this right of passage occurred, but rather that it happened without either my wife nor I noticing it.
We need more sleep. Everyone tells you to forget about sleep when you have a newborn. While this is true, the image I had of what form this would take was completely wrong. Like many other new dads, I was thinking that I would be woken up at night by a crying baby either because of a dirty diaper or a need for momma's sweet nectar. I also thought that since feedings were 2-3 hours apart, that I would be getting a couple of hours here and there which is totally manageable. Wrong on so many fronts. Let me break down the cycle for you: 10 pm: Feeding An amazing feeding goes about 30 minutes, but amazing feedings are rare. A good feeding goes around 45 minutes and a rough feeding can go an hour or more. What makes the difference between amazing and rough you ask? For starters, how well does the baby latch onto his mom's nipple (I'll discuss more about this crazy phenomenon in a later post). There's also keeping the kid awake while he's feeding. It blows my mind that this guy is getting free food and is passing out in the middle of his meal. 11 pm: Burping, diaper change Never, ever, ever, skimp on burping. I once didn't do a good job of this and every ounce of his meal ended up all over his face, arms, and hair. Not to mention his swaddle, his basset and pretty much every other item he could touch. A good burping is key. As for diapers, I'm happy to say I'm getting better. Not as arrogant as I was (see earlier post) but definitely getting a handle on it. 11:15: Sing, dance, woo your baby to sleep I've heard tales of magical babies that fall asleep right after a feeding by just putting them down in their bassinet or crib. Don't get me wrong, Micah is one of the best sleepers out there (so far). However, he likes to be held and typically likes some sort of song n' dance usually reserved for goofy moments when I'm trying to make my wife laugh. It's one of the more enjoyable activities we do together but there are only so many dances a man can do. 11:30: Sleep CONGRATS! You're baby is asleep. Now you have 30 minutes to crash out before the cycle starts again at midnight. Yep, midnight. That two hour feeding clock started back at 10 pm...not from when he finished feeding. So in reality, you're getting about 30-45 minutes of sleep at a time between feedings. The best way to describe it is the feeling I had in college during class. You'd struggle to keep your eyes open and then you'd blink only to realize 30 minutes have passed and you've completely missed a key part of the lecture. All in all, I love the quality time with my little guy. Although we may be sleep deprived, the joy of spending time with my man is priceless.  Yesterday, we were released from the hospital. One one hand, I was elated. After five nights of sleeping on a makeshift bed I was ready to be in the comforts of my own home. On the other, it felt like leaving a safety net. I mean, if I had any question or if something went wrong, I had a nurse just around the corner. We're one day into and we have survived...so far. More posting tomorrow about our adventures. Until then...  |
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