It is harder to become a parent than it is to get a pet.
You need to fill in a form for a pet. The Humane Society will come to your house and check that your place of residence is up to scratch.
Want a baby? Well, you don't need to fill in any forms to get pregnant. That said, having a baby is kind of a big deal, and unfortunately when it comes to babies - simply put, first time parents are idiots. As a result we read...a lot! And there are lots of things to read. Books on what to expect when you're expecting, books on how to soothe a crying baby (and yes, the book makes it seem rather easy) and books aimed just at fathers (I'm currently reading one called "Someone might get hurt").
For some reason all baby books aimed at dads are ones filled with humor. I'm not exactly complaining, since it has been a bit more entertaining. But being a father is not a laughing matter, and it seems odd that the only way to get dads to engage with this stuff is to make a joke about it. Trying joking about your pregnant partner's cravings or how ridiculous it is to have an argument with her - see who ends up laughing at the end of that! More concerning is that this writing style is kind of an adult extension of the boys get blue stuff and the girls get pink stuff marketing propaganda. This has left me worrying: What if my daughter likes blue? Do I want her to like blue? Or is it a pain to find stuff that's blue for girls. Even worse - what if she hates pink.
The books are great in that they humble you into realizing how little you know about babies. And I'm not just talking about when, how and why you would swaddle a baby (or what swaddling actually is). That said the books, can only tell you so much; and humorous books hardly seem like adequate preparation for being a father. To properly prepare for parenthood you need to go next level: you need to go back to school!
This past week we have attended two birthing classes which provided me with knowledge and insight into what few people tell you is the somewhat gross miracle of birth. Note to the uninformed: having a baby is nothing like the Discovery channel. These classes were invaluable in that I learnt about important stuff like how to know when the consistency of a babies poop is a problem; or how to massage your partner when she's going through the early stages of labor. Heck I didn't even realize that there were stages to labor. I also learnt how to change a diaper on a doll. I am an expert on changing diapers on dolls. Any parents who are reading this: is it the same when you are changing your own adorable wailing wriggling little munchkin?
It has not been all baby prep for us though. Our munchkin and her beautiful mother have been doing a fair amount of jolling in the past few weeks as we've got to attend two weddings of former classmates of mine. Once you're done with the OneMBA, your energy can be directed to more meaningful endeavors like making a baby (3 of the 5 members of my first global group are bringing girls into this world) or getting married. Despite being 6 months pregnant, Mrs G was spotted on a dance floor, shaking her tail-feather. The little Miss G apparently has also been a whole bunch more active in the past few weeks and has been kicking up a storm. She particular enjoys us playing music to her and my deep voice when I read to her (either that or she is kicking to tell me to keep quiet).
Summer is finally here and has arrived with somewhat of a vengeance. We are both loving the sun although playing hockey in this heat is a bit brutal. I'm blaming the heat for the fact that I got sent off for the first time since high school during a hockey festival that I played in this past weekend. It must have been the heat that made the short tempered enough to want to send off an innocent soul like myself.
I hope you are all well. Please leave comments or send me a note to let me know what your news is.
Living the dream...while unpacking a diaper genie
aL
PS #babygirlgolding is now about the size of a cabbage
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| Unhappy pet. Baby has taken away her favorite place to lay down |
Want a baby? Well, you don't need to fill in any forms to get pregnant. That said, having a baby is kind of a big deal, and unfortunately when it comes to babies - simply put, first time parents are idiots. As a result we read...a lot! And there are lots of things to read. Books on what to expect when you're expecting, books on how to soothe a crying baby (and yes, the book makes it seem rather easy) and books aimed just at fathers (I'm currently reading one called "Someone might get hurt").
For some reason all baby books aimed at dads are ones filled with humor. I'm not exactly complaining, since it has been a bit more entertaining. But being a father is not a laughing matter, and it seems odd that the only way to get dads to engage with this stuff is to make a joke about it. Trying joking about your pregnant partner's cravings or how ridiculous it is to have an argument with her - see who ends up laughing at the end of that! More concerning is that this writing style is kind of an adult extension of the boys get blue stuff and the girls get pink stuff marketing propaganda. This has left me worrying: What if my daughter likes blue? Do I want her to like blue? Or is it a pain to find stuff that's blue for girls. Even worse - what if she hates pink.
 |
| I swear there's a baby hidden in there |
The books are great in that they humble you into realizing how little you know about babies. And I'm not just talking about when, how and why you would swaddle a baby (or what swaddling actually is). That said the books, can only tell you so much; and humorous books hardly seem like adequate preparation for being a father. To properly prepare for parenthood you need to go next level: you need to go back to school!
This past week we have attended two birthing classes which provided me with knowledge and insight into what few people tell you is the somewhat gross miracle of birth. Note to the uninformed: having a baby is nothing like the Discovery channel. These classes were invaluable in that I learnt about important stuff like how to know when the consistency of a babies poop is a problem; or how to massage your partner when she's going through the early stages of labor. Heck I didn't even realize that there were stages to labor. I also learnt how to change a diaper on a doll. I am an expert on changing diapers on dolls. Any parents who are reading this: is it the same when you are changing your own adorable wailing wriggling little munchkin?
It has not been all baby prep for us though. Our munchkin and her beautiful mother have been doing a fair amount of jolling in the past few weeks as we've got to attend two weddings of former classmates of mine. Once you're done with the OneMBA, your energy can be directed to more meaningful endeavors like making a baby (3 of the 5 members of my first global group are bringing girls into this world) or getting married. Despite being 6 months pregnant, Mrs G was spotted on a dance floor, shaking her tail-feather. The little Miss G apparently has also been a whole bunch more active in the past few weeks and has been kicking up a storm. She particular enjoys us playing music to her and my deep voice when I read to her (either that or she is kicking to tell me to keep quiet).
 |
| When OneMBA hooligans get invited to weddings |
I hope you are all well. Please leave comments or send me a note to let me know what your news is.
Living the dream...while unpacking a diaper genie
aL
PS #babygirlgolding is now about the size of a cabbage
 |
| One of the perks of pregnancy: Frozen yogurt for dinner |
