Wonder Weeks are for the Babies

I have been at this dad thing for an entire 19 weeks and the thing that sticks with me the most is that your baby changes… constantly.

They are experiencing everything for the first time and developing new skills each days.  It’s awesome and wonderful to see how my little man gets bigger and starts realizing stuff like he has hands… feet… and even crazier… he can control them!  A lot of these new developments come in what has been humorously coined “wonder weeks” by researchers in the Netherlands.  After experiencing a couple of these weeks I am not too fond of the misleading notion of this term.  It makes it sound like a glorious time for everyone involved.  Alas, it may be a wonderful time for your child but the periods of fussiness before and during these weeks will not always have you using those words to describe these times in your life.  Maybe… Exhausted Weeks or Emotional Surprise Weeks or my favorite You Will Have No Idea What Your Baby Wants Week.

So, why am I making such a big deal about this for dads? Well because these new wonders and realizations for your child cause things to change in their brain and how they react to the world which means that technique you use to get your child to sleep… well, it will just piss them off.  Holding him and swaying… oh he hates it now.  Humming and the rocking chair… yup… hates it too.  I have had to figure out on the fly what is going on with Mathias and try to find new ways to help him figure out the world.  It hasn’t always been pretty either and it won’t be for you.  This is the challenge out there for you dads during this lovely time in your child’s life.  Learn to adapt! Try to read all those articles and books your wife will ask you to look at.  Know what is coming… this article breaks down the changes and when they usually occur.  Don’t think for a moment you have it all figured out because your kids like to flip the script on you in a heartbeat.  So, remember wonder weeks are for the babies…

My DADventure Begins

What now?

Recently Lauren and I became parents to a beautiful baby boy, Mathias a.k.a. “Mighty Mathias, Buddy, Squirt, Mats”. We have suffered sleepless nights, frustration, absolute joy, and everything in between while learning how to take care of another human being.  I had read up a little before Mats arrived but it seems like it all went out the window when I was holding a screaming baby in my arms, bouncing up and down, and wondering, “What the hell do I do?!”.  Just as Mathias is learning about the world around him now, I am doing the same thing from practice and experience.  My trials and tribulations being a father are sometimes not that funny to me but when I think about it later it is pretty damn hilarious.

So… it’s with this new section of the blog that I will mock myself and give you the chance to do the same with a glimpse into my adventures figuring out what I am doing as a dad.  DADventures, get it?  Yes, I know that I am not that original but originality is so last year or whenever someone found out that A and D connect both words! On top of all the witty commentary I will also bring my own take on how I have dealt with becoming a new parent and the resources I have used to get by in a somewhat sane manner.

Anyways, stay tuned for discussions about diaper changing, all the other bodily functions that come along with kids, links to helpful resources and hopefully hilarious videos like this!

Doesn’t being a parent seem fun?  I’ll also dig down into my emo side and share all the changes in my life that don’t involve getting poop on my hands on a daily basis.  That’s right, we’re going to talk about feelings gentleman. This is a safe place!  I hope this can be a thoroughly entertaining view of life as a dad that can be used as a resource for those preparing to get in the trenches or those already standing with me.  So stay tuned for more real dad tips and share some of your own in the comments.  Us dads can use all the help we can get.

Here we start our Journey!