so... im going to be a father.

[I.rar]

dont come near my kid , other. ;D jk

my fiance was late by a few days and everyone jokingly said she was pregnant. well , three pregnancy tests later , she is. we have an appointment next wednesday to see how far along we are and whatever else they do there. we think shes about 5 weeks. even though we have talked about having kids in the past , im very VERY nervous since this will be our first child but very excited at the same time. we have been together for 6 years tomorrow.

do you guys have any advice for us? we need all we can get lol.

[1inStripes]

Looks like you are living up to your username! 

Congrats on the forthcoming little one.

[I.rar]

Looks like you are living up to your username!

Congrats on the forthcoming little one.

;D ;D ;D

not exactly how its pronounced , but thanks!

[Eddie Munster]

Congrats!

Some advice I can give you is:

Get them on a schedule and stick to it: Bed time is this. Your bed is here and NOT in mama n daddy's room.

Be consistent: You and your wife stand shoulder to shoulder in front of the kid(s). Don't undermine each other in front of them.

Honesty: Teach them that above all else you want them to be truthful. Raising my girls, the worst thing they could do was to lie to me. If they did that, it was a spanking + timeout + soap in mouth + loss of desert/tv that night.

Be a parent first: If it turns out you're friends too, good but NOT required. The kid needs parents and not a buddy.

Good luck.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Congrats man!!

BTW, props on the "other" reference.   ;D

Nicely played.

[Nibbles]

I'm not so sure about the soap part... nowadays there's lots of extra crap they put in soap.

As for babies - breastfeeding = healthy baby.

Don't buy into that baby food crap they sell in jars - just overcook some veggies yourself, and voila!

Introduce them to liquids before solids - as in give them veggie broth before mashed veggies in order to assess if they're ready or not. If they get the runs, it means you gotta wait a little longer.

Try NOT to introduce tree nuts, peanuts, foods that people tend to have allergies to too early, as that can trigger an allergic reaction, which will make it so that they will be allergic to those foods for the rest of their lives. If you introduce these foods later on (2-3), it's less likely to happen as the kid's immune system won't be as hypersensitive and paranoid.

[I.rar]

Congrats man!!

BTW, props on the "other" reference.   Grin

Nicely played.

;D ;D ;D thanks.

I'm not so sure about the soap part... nowadays there's lots of extra crap they put in soap.

As for babies - breastfeeding = healthy baby.

Don't buy into that baby food crap they sell in jars - just overcook some veggies yourself, and voila!

Introduce them to liquids before solids - as in give them veggie broth before mashed veggies in order to assess if they're ready or not. If they get the runs, it means you gotta wait a little longer.

Try NOT to introduce tree nuts, peanuts, foods that people tend to have allergies to too early, as that can trigger an allergic reaction, which will make it so that they will be allergic to those foods for the rest of their lives. If you introduce these foods later on (2-3), it's less likely to happen as the kid's immune system won't be as hypersensitive and paranoid.

she will be breastfeeding.

never thought about the allergy thing. makes sense though. im getting very anxious to see what the doc has to say...

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Congrats man.  Theres nothing better than having kids running around the house....unless they belong to other people.

[Uncle Leo]

Best advice I can give is never have any regrets in your Golden Years. Embrace and never let go. Mistakes will happen but take the time to correct. Congrats and good luck.

[slonezp]

You will need to be patient with the wife for the next 9 months. She may turn into a completely different person because of the hormone changes.

Enjoy the kids when they're young. You'll miss that in 20 years.

Congrats and hope everybody is happy and healthy.

[Nice_Bass]

First couple of months, the car seat and car can be your friend.  I had a collacky (sp) baby....pure pain untill you got her in the car seat and driving.  After than she was out like a light.

[I.rar]

thanks everyone. 

[Lucky Craft Man]

Having a daughter was the greatest thing I have ever done.  The only thing I will warn you about is the sleep deprivation you will experience.  My wife and I hardly ever fought, but after our daughter arrived (she is 3 months old now), our frequency of fights increased (mainly due to a low patience tolerance induced by having no sleep).  Now our daughter sleeps through the night and we don't fight much anymore.  Just be prepared for it.

[burleytog]

My condolences.

[Glenn]

Life isn't about getting to the destination, it's about enjoying the ride.  And every good Disney ride has it's scary moments.

Enjoy!

[JDPgator]

dont come near my kid , other. ;D jk

my fiance was late by a few days and everyone jokingly said she was pregnant. well , three pregnancy tests later , she is. we have an appointment next wednesday to see how far along we are and whatever else they do there. we think shes about 5 weeks. even though we have talked about having kids in the past , im very VERY nervous since this will be our first child but very excited at the same time. we have been together for 6 years tomorrow.

do you guys have any advice for us? we need all we can get lol.

As the father of 4 here is my advice:

Enjoy being a father. It is a blessing so if you keep that in mind you and your (soon to be) wife will figure out whats best for your family.

Everything else (meaning all the advice friends and family will pass on to you) is just matter of opinion. JMHO.

[done]

You will need to be patient with the wife for the next 9 months. She may turn into a completely different person because of the hormone changes.

Enjoy the kids when they're young. You'll miss that in 20 years.

Congrats and hope everybody is happy and healthy.

First and foremost...take care of that woman of yours. She is gonna need you to step up and pamper her for the next year or so. She will be riding quite the emotional roller coaster, she will be irrational at times, uncomfortable, craving, etc. Just go with it. Been through it 4 times and my biggest regret with the first one was not giving my wife the attention she needed. I did not make that mistake again.

Don't let up after the kids is born, she will be going through some serious sleep deprivation, especially with breastfeeding.

Also, remember, contrary to popular myth/misconception, it is NOT about your happiness anymore.

Congrats man and enjoy. My crew has brought me more happiness and fulfillment than I can express.

[bwell]

Congrats man, we will be having our first in November.  Her hormones are going to be out of whack and get every emotional at times...  The best thing you can do is comfort her and try to be supportive... 

[bwell]

Been through it 4 times and my biggest regret with the first one was not giving my wife the attention she needed. I did not make that mistake again.

Boy you hit the nail on the head with that one!  Me and my wife just went over this last night.  I have been working a lot of overtime and have been going to bed early and not paying any attention to her ect ect...  Wrong thing to do, if you dont like a crying emotional wife lol.

[I.rar]

you guys are great. thanks everyone! 

congrats to you too , bwell!