Self indulgent parent thread

Rallick wrote:
Norfair wrote:
m0nk3yboy wrote:

While putting Lilly (4) to bed tonight she asked my the earth spins around.

Tomorrow we are going to be making the solar system out of playdough!

Spoiler:

And yes, there will be a Pluto damnit!

Will there also be a Haumea, Makemake, Eris or Ceres too?

Thank you! I like Pluto as much as the next guy, but it is not a planet, dammit, Janet!

If and when I make a solar system with my kids, I will be adding in Pluto. I may or may not put a big X on it.

My future rock star

IMAGE(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7983518819_cb5a265ec0_n.jpg)

Went on vacation on a beach this year and I took this photo of my (almost) 4 year old daughter and it summarizes everything that is awesome with being a kid, I thought. Amazement at the world, pure enjoyment of her surroundings and eating a sand covered sandwich without caring.

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A2c6SgECIAAmnW8.jpg:large)

Bonnonon wrote:
Rallick wrote:
Norfair wrote:
m0nk3yboy wrote:

While putting Lilly (4) to bed tonight she asked my the earth spins around.

Tomorrow we are going to be making the solar system out of playdough!

Spoiler:

And yes, there will be a Pluto damnit!

Will there also be a Haumea, Makemake, Eris or Ceres too?

Thank you! I like Pluto as much as the next guy, but it is not a planet, dammit, Janet!

If and when I make a solar system with my kids, I will be adding in Pluto. I may or may not put a big X on it.

Quite possibly, but most likely scattered under the couch

padriec wrote:
Pirate Bob wrote:

Any day now, finally have some pictures to post. T-minus -3 from due date, induction scheduled for next week, hopefully things happen sooner.

T-minus 8 days for my wife and I. I tried looking for the "Holy crap I'm about to become a parent and I'm scared to death" thread but couldn't find anything. If it doesn't exist I'll create it so the parents who have gone through this can talk us noobs down from the ledge.

Those last couple days were the worst then after he was born was just... indescribable. Needless to say my blood pressure dropped quite a bit after he was born and I stopped being on edge all the time.

Take naps. Lack of sleep does a number on everyone's coping skills and temper.

MonoCheli wrote:
padriec wrote:
Pirate Bob wrote:

Any day now, finally have some pictures to post. T-minus -3 from due date, induction scheduled for next week, hopefully things happen sooner.

T-minus 8 days for my wife and I. I tried looking for the "Holy crap I'm about to become a parent and I'm scared to death" thread but couldn't find anything. If it doesn't exist I'll create it so the parents who have gone through this can talk us noobs down from the ledge.

Those last couple days were the worst then after he was born was just... indescribable. Needless to say my blood pressure dropped quite a bit after he was born and I stopped being on edge all the time.

I lost about 6-7 pounds in the last 5 days at the hospital - not much sleep and tons of stress, joy, frustration, and absolute amazement. Still very much on edge, but a completely different one.

IMAGE(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CtTcb31WF1I/UFZCrz4saoI/AAAAAAAANk4/MZHwVCqGe1o/s800/556567_10151103935268702_1906604018_n.jpg)

Sienna was born Tuesday morning. We went in early Monday morning with contractions to find that my wife's water had broken, or at least leaked. 16 hours later, only to 4cm, she was beyond fatigued, in incredible pain (the last few hours she had just wave after wave of contractions without any rest between), and went for an epidural. That was wonderful, we were able to sleep and she made steady progress to 8... and stayed there. Come morning, 24 hours after starting, the doctor recommended a cesarean - no further progress likely and water broken too long, too much risk of infection. Afterwards the doctor said another 60 minutes or so and the baby likely would have started distressing.

And with that, 30 minutes later, we had Sienna. We cried. It's been a long road to parenthood - infertility, miscarriage, and now finally here. The first few days I was just emotionally drained - a wreck. Just down the hall was a friend from work, she had just lost one of her twins (the other is fine, if rather small). That was hard, reminded me too much of our loss before and the idea of not having Sienna was a bit too much. We were in the hospital for 5 days, it felt very surreal and absolutely terrifying leaving again and realizing that there's a whole world out here still.

We've still got some feeding/milk issues to resolve (and one terribly sharp tooth!), but settling into home life. Ultimately, it feels good to be back home.

So padriec, I guess my advice is that looking at what's ahead will seem beyond possible, insurmountable. In the hospital, the idea of going home and reorganizing everything, dealing on our own with feeding issues, lack of sleep, etc..., it scarred me more than almost anything else before. Now here we are, getting through it, and it is possible. Your wife will take each contraction, one at a time. You'll support her, hold her, one at a time. The the magic, the crying, and on to one feeding at a time, one diaper. It looks scary going in, but time moves, carries you through, and you'll find that you're capable.

Katy wrote:

Take naps. Lack of sleep does a number on everyone's coping skills and temper.

This.

Congrats Bob! Sienna is beautiful

Phishposer wrote:

Congrats Bob! Sienna is beautiful :D

Indeed. So much hair!

AnimeJ wrote:
Phishposer wrote:

Congrats Bob! Sienna is beautiful :D

Indeed. So much hair!

She is beautiful. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Pirate Bob.

She is gorgeous, Bob. And yeah, that's what gets you through. And keep hold of that, because it gets you through the teenage years.

And savor it all. Soon she'll be dancing in a long white dress with some little pissant punk with a flower in his collar and you won't know what the hell happened.

Pirate Bob wrote:

IMAGE(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CtTcb31WF1I/UFZCrz4saoI/AAAAAAAANk4/MZHwVCqGe1o/s800/556567_10151103935268702_1906604018_n.jpg)

Awesome and congrats!

Congrats Bob and family!

Pirate Bob wrote:

We've still got some feeding/milk issues to resolve

Just putting this out there, but if it ain't working, don't force it. Bottle feeding is an option. I know people say breast milk is the best thing in the world, and I'm not going to dissagree, but my wife had a terrible time with this and it resulted in really bad PND.

We went to lactation specialists, went through 4 midwives, watched COUNTLESS instructional videos and sessions in hospital but still nothing.

It got to the point were the sound of the baby crying for feeding would make my wife start to cry at impending struggle/pain/hardship.

Spoilered for the squeamish.

Spoiler:

It got that bad that the little bugger almost took one of her nipples off, and the breast pump we had been suggested to try was drawing blood also.

In the end, it was a combination of an underdeveloped sucking motion from our daughter and a history of low milk production on my wife's mother's side (something we found out in hindsight from an Aunty, as my wife's mother passed away when she was young).

TLDR; don't beat yourselves up on the breast vs bottle thing. In the end, what ever works, works. There is no wrong or right, only a fed child. Best of luck to you both with this.

Awww. Welcome to the World, little Sienna =)

m0nk3yboy wrote:

TLDR; don't beat yourselves up on the breast vs bottle thing. In the end, what ever works, works. There is no wrong or right, only a fed child. Best of luck to you both with this.

Very Much this. My wife did breastfeed, but her production was on the low side, so we first supplemented with, and then completely switched over to bottlefeeding. Trust me, little Abigail is none the worse for wear - quite the opposite. She's tall for her age, a good weight, and extremely bright and inquisitive.

There are plenty of things to stress out over with a new baby, so please don't add this to it.

Rallick wrote:
m0nk3yboy wrote:

TLDR; don't beat yourselves up on the breast vs bottle thing. In the end, what ever works, works. There is no wrong or right, only a fed child. Best of luck to you both with this.

Very Much this. My wife did breastfeed, but her production was on the low side, so we first supplemented with, and then completely switched over to bottlefeeding. Trust me, little Abigail is none the worse for wear - quite the opposite. She's tall for her age, a good weight, and extremely bright and inquisitive.

There are plenty of things to stress out over with a new baby, so please don't add this to it.

Don't let anyone tell you what you're doing with your child is right or wrong. As long as your decisions are informed and considered you're doing things right.

Maq wrote:
Rallick wrote:
m0nk3yboy wrote:

TLDR; don't beat yourselves up on the breast vs bottle thing. In the end, what ever works, works. There is no wrong or right, only a fed child. Best of luck to you both with this.

Very Much this. My wife did breastfeed, but her production was on the low side, so we first supplemented with, and then completely switched over to bottlefeeding. Trust me, little Abigail is none the worse for wear - quite the opposite. She's tall for her age, a good weight, and extremely bright and inquisitive.

There are plenty of things to stress out over with a new baby, so please don't add this to it.

Don't let anyone tell you what you're doing with your child is right or wrong. As long as your decisions are informed and considered you're doing things right.

Plus with the bottle feeding, I was able to take over one of the night feeds. Double plus wifey brownie points awarded there

m0nk3yboy wrote:
Maq wrote:
Rallick wrote:
m0nk3yboy wrote:

TLDR; don't beat yourselves up on the breast vs bottle thing. In the end, what ever works, works. There is no wrong or right, only a fed child. Best of luck to you both with this.

Very Much this. My wife did breastfeed, but her production was on the low side, so we first supplemented with, and then completely switched over to bottlefeeding. Trust me, little Abigail is none the worse for wear - quite the opposite. She's tall for her age, a good weight, and extremely bright and inquisitive.

There are plenty of things to stress out over with a new baby, so please don't add this to it.

Don't let anyone tell you what you're doing with your child is right or wrong. As long as your decisions are informed and considered you're doing things right.

Plus with the bottle feeding, I was able to take over one of the night feeds. Double plus wifey brownie points awarded there ;)

Top Tip: My wife still breastfeeds but she pumps a bottle daily and the first night feed is always a bottle.

Congrats Bob, she looks great.

I think the main thing worrying me is lack of sleep. The house is completely ready and set up (well, as much as can be anyway) for Lillie's arrival so now it's just waiting.

I highly support breastfeeding (or bottle-feeding pumped breast milk) as much as there is. If it's one bottle in ten, well then, that's what it is. No point stressing out over the percentage; if anything, stress will only further inhibit breast milk production or expression (inhibition of the "let-down" reflex).

There's still a benefit, I think, to fractional breastfeeding (studies pending). The kid still gets however much antibodies survive and are in the milk, and it's a highly calorie-spending activity so you lose the pregnancy weight faster - for anyone who's interested in that, anyway.

That said, it's not an unmitigated disaster not to breast feed. The kid'll be fine.

LarryC wrote:

I highly support breastfeeding (or bottle-feeding pumped breast milk) as much as there is. If it's one bottle in ten, well then, that's what it is. No point stressing out over the percentage; if anything, stress will only further inhibit breast milk production or expression (inhibition of the "let-down" reflex).

There's still a benefit, I think, to fractional breastfeeding (studies pending). The kid still gets however much antibodies survive and are in the milk, and it's a highly calorie-spending activity so you lose the pregnancy weight faster - for anyone who's interested in that, anyway.

That said, it's not an unmitigated disaster not to breast feed. The kid'll be fine.

Not to be cold or anything, but another reason to breastfeed is that it's free. We got the pump and bottles from my sister-in-law so that's free too. Now with our luck none of this will work and we'll be stuck paying through the nose for formula. C'est la vie.

padriec wrote:

Congrats Bob, she looks great.

I think the main thing worrying me is lack of sleep.

The first 200 nights without sleep are the worst. After that you just kind of go numb all over.

Maq wrote:
padriec wrote:

Congrats Bob, she looks great.

I think the main thing worrying me is lack of sleep.

The first 200 nights without sleep are the worst. After that you just kind of go numb all over.

Am I a bad parent if I hasten the numbness with some scotch?

padriec wrote:
Maq wrote:
padriec wrote:

Congrats Bob, she looks great.

I think the main thing worrying me is lack of sleep.

The first 200 nights without sleep are the worst. After that you just kind of go numb all over.

Am I a bad parent if I hasten the numbness with some scotch?

You're a bad parent if you hasten Lillie's numbness with some scotch, or as I like to call it "Calpol Plus".

padriec wrote:
Maq wrote:
padriec wrote:

Congrats Bob, she looks great.

I think the main thing worrying me is lack of sleep.

The first 200 nights without sleep are the worst. After that you just kind of go numb all over.

Am I a bad parent if I hasten the numbness with some scotch?

As with many things in life it depends who is getting the scotch and in what quantity.

Norfair wrote:
padriec wrote:
Maq wrote:
padriec wrote:

Congrats Bob, she looks great.

I think the main thing worrying me is lack of sleep.

The first 200 nights without sleep are the worst. After that you just kind of go numb all over.

Am I a bad parent if I hasten the numbness with some scotch?

As with many things in life it depends who is getting the scotch and in what quantity.

So scotch for me = yes, scotch for baby and mom = no. Got it. Unfortunately I dislike scotch and my wife loves it. This could be a problem.

padriec wrote:
Norfair wrote:
padriec wrote:
Maq wrote:
padriec wrote:

Congrats Bob, she looks great.

I think the main thing worrying me is lack of sleep.

The first 200 nights without sleep are the worst. After that you just kind of go numb all over.

Am I a bad parent if I hasten the numbness with some scotch?

As with many things in life it depends who is getting the scotch and in what quantity.

So scotch for me = yes, scotch for baby and mom = no. Got it. Unfortunately I dislike scotch and my wife loves it. This could be a problem.

Looks like it's time for you to grow some tits.

Maq wrote:
padriec wrote:
Norfair wrote:
padriec wrote:
Maq wrote:
padriec wrote:

Congrats Bob, she looks great.

I think the main thing worrying me is lack of sleep.

The first 200 nights without sleep are the worst. After that you just kind of go numb all over.

Am I a bad parent if I hasten the numbness with some scotch?

As with many things in life it depends who is getting the scotch and in what quantity.

So scotch for me = yes, scotch for baby and mom = no. Got it. Unfortunately I dislike scotch and my wife loves it. This could be a problem.

Looks like it's time for you to grow some tits.

Or my wife to grow some balls.

padriec wrote:
Maq wrote:
padriec wrote:
Norfair wrote:
padriec wrote:
Maq wrote:
padriec wrote:

Congrats Bob, she looks great.

I think the main thing worrying me is lack of sleep.

The first 200 nights without sleep are the worst. After that you just kind of go numb all over.

Am I a bad parent if I hasten the numbness with some scotch?

As with many things in life it depends who is getting the scotch and in what quantity.

So scotch for me = yes, scotch for baby and mom = no. Got it. Unfortunately I dislike scotch and my wife loves it. This could be a problem.

Looks like it's time for you to grow some tits.

Or my wife to grow some balls.

Speak for yourselves but that is the last thing I want for my wife!