Most pregnancy information is geared for women, and with good reason. We’re the ones who have all the weird physical and emotional changes going on, and are therefore the ones seeking answers. My husband was quite willing to let me do all the reading, and just give him the important highlights. No, that’s not quite true; he did read our Bradley method childbirth book. Good thing, since it’s also known as “husband-coached childbirth”!

I know, though, that there are some dads-to-be that want to know more about the baby’s development, the changes that their partner is going through and how to make the smoothest possible transition to parenthood. Here are some good online resources:

Most people know about the weekly emails from BabyCenter, with updates on your baby in utero, including size estimates in comparison to foods. I remember wondering, though, about some of the more obscure fruits and vegetables they referenced- a large jicama?! My friend’s husband actually said “what’s an avocado?” at Week 16.

Coming to our rescue are the husband and wife blogging team at His Boys Can Swim. They’ve designed a hilarious Dad’s Pregnancy Guide using objects like a hockey puck or the front wheel of a Big Wheel. Because none of their family or friends know about the blog, they’re able to be completely open and honest about their pregnancy experience. They seem to run a bit on the dramatic side of things, but overall, good info.

Another good blog is Almost a Dad. It includes categories like what not to say and cravings and snacks. Clearly, this guy has been there! I also like his prenatal checklist with things like extra batteries and a deep freeze/chest freezer to hold extra meals for after baby’s arrival.

PregTASTIC is a unique site that features podcasts on a wide variety of pregnancy-related topics. Check out Being Dad and From Dude to Dad - maybe during a workout or commute.

And last is not a dad-specific thing, but my husband thought it was the most helpful part of our prenatal class: the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD from Dr. Harvey Karp. His basic concept is that a newborn is used to the womb, and recreating that environment will keep the baby calmer and happier. No, this doesn’t involve pools of warm water, but swaddling, loud shushing (the womb is actually a noisy place), and a few other gems.

There were times when only nursing would make Tate happy, so my husband was unable to help. In other situations, though, he could use Dr. Karp’s 5-S’s to stop the tears and sadness. Dad was definitely the champion “shusher” in our house. There’s a book too, but we thought it was really helpful to actually see him perform the various techniques. Take some time during your pregnancy to learn these skills – you’ll be glad to have them when the baby arrives. This would be a great library check-out or Netflix option as well.

Stay tuned for Pregnancy Prep for Dad, Part 2…hint: it involves shopping!

Photo Courtesy:
amrufm
razzmatazlady
His Boys Can Swim
The Happiest Baby

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For most people, spring means tulips and puddles and all things pastel.

But for some of you, spring means just one thing…baseball. You’re dreaming of a trip down south to watch your favorite team in spring training and wondering if this is the year they’ll be World Series-bound. Just in case that doesn’t work, you’re working on your fantasy baseball team, because this will definitely be their year!

You know who you are…if you’re counting down to both a due date and Opening Day, then we’ve got just the birth announcements for you:

Super-cute and they’re available as either magnets or on linen cardstock. Your fans will love them!

P.S. (added 5-11-09) I just found 2 more great baseball designs…enjoy!

Photo Courtesy:
phillymads63′s

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Welcome to Notes from the Nest! If you’re visiting via the Ultimate Blog Party at 5 Minutes from Mom, thanks for stopping by. I’m Kara and it’s nice to meet you! 

I blog about raising my son Tate, along with flashbacks to my pregnancy. My favorite part about blogging is the chance to share both the funny and the frustrating with others who are on the same journey. 

My husband and I are both firstborns, but admitting that you have a problem is the first step, right? The good news is that all of our siblings are not  firstborns. Thankfully they’re willing to babysit Tate so that he has some good role models for breaking rules. (But please, only small rules, Uncle Mickey?)

We live in Minnesota. Yes, it gets very cold in the winter. No, my son’s first words were not “yah, sure, you betcha’!”. Actually, they were “mom”, “dad” & “hot”- how’s that for irony?

So, that’s a little about me. If you want to learn more, take off your coat and stay awhile! 

If you’re a regular NFTN reader, make sure to check out 5 Minutes for Mom and especially the Ultimate Blog Party. You’ll find links to lots of great blogs and a chance to win fabulous prizes too.

For instance, I’d love to win:
53 – Signing Time Parent Success Kit from Two Little Hands Productions
89 — $100 gift card to HomeGoods from HG Openhouse
USC 70 — Organic Nest Egg take-a-long pillow from ,Blessed Nest
I’d also be interested in 58, 69, 19, 21, 22, 23, 27, 7, 91, 93, 102, USC16, USC70, USC15, USC30, USC66, 46 USC40, USC73 or USC12.

I hope you enjoy the party!

Tate’s hair has been in need of a cut since before Christmas, but I’ve been putting it off. Little boys always seem to look so grown up after that first cut, and I just wasn’t ready for that. It’s bad enough that my weekly emails from BabyCenter now say “Your Toddler This Week” instead of “Your Baby This Week”.

I compromised and had my friend Melissa trim his bangs in January so that the poor kid could at least see. They were already in his eyes again, though, and the back was getting dangerously close to a mullet, so I finally made an appointment at her salon. Melissa is not only a hairstylist but also the mom of three little boys, making her the perfect candidate for the job!

Since it was Saturday, all three of us headed for the mall. We figured it would work best for Tate to sit on my lap and have Dad be the photographer. Melissa started by putting a cute little zoo animal cape on Tate and a boring black one on me. So far, so good.

She moved slowly, giving him time to feel comfortable, and gave him some combs to play with. He was fascinated by all the other people getting their hair cut, and the lights and mirrors.

Then it was time to spray water on his head, which he found less enjoyable. She got enough water on to start, but he also didn’t like the sound of the cutting. We had to distract him by spraying the water on his hand, then dad’s hand, then by opening and closing one of those big hair clips. I was just waiting for the clip to close on his fingers, with the resulting sadness ending the haircut with a half-mullet, but we got lucky.

The effort of distracting him served to distract me as well, so I didn’t really have time to be sad about my baby growing up. As I feared, he does look older, but his curls are still there. My own baby curls never came back after my first haircut but apparently that’s not genetic. And if I ever buy that baby book, we have supplies for the “first haircut” envelope.

Thanks again Melissa – you did a great job!

Anyone have a good first haircut story to share? What baby milestones did you most dread?

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We’ve had a beautiful week of 50 degree temps here in Minnesota. I realize that’s probably on the cool side for many of you, but it feels absolutely balmy to us (see Bitterly Cold for details).

Everyone is suddenly outside- jogging, walking dogs or pushing strollers. Tate and I stopped at the park during our walk yesterday, for a ride in the baby swing. All the “big” kids had on rubber boots for stomping through puddles and the still-muddy playground sand.

With spring in the air, I’m especially drawn to the birth announcements featuring fresh colors and elements of nature. What a fun time to welcome a new baby into your life!

There’s no guarantee that warm weather is here to stay in Minnesota this spring, but I guarantee that you’ll love these birth announcements! View many more great designs, for any season, at MagnetStreet Baby.

Photo Courtesy:
jenn_jenn

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Did you know that dialing “999″ is the same as “911″?

I know that. Now.

Was anyone else a fan of ”Choose Your Own Adventure” books when you were little? If I were to write one about today, it might go like this…

Tate loves to play with his mom’s cell phone. She thinks it’s cute when he puts the phone up to his ear like he’s talking. In the back of her mind, she knows she should probably start using the keypad lock function on her phone, but has never actually done it. One day, Tate was playing with his mom’s phone and started pressing the “9″ key.

Turn to page 17 if Tate’s mom had her back to him, checking email while he was playing with her phone.

Turn to page 24 if Tate was sitting on his mom’s lap while he was playing with her phone.

Page 17: Tate played with the phone for awhile longer, then dropped it on the floor so he could pull the pieces out of a puzzle. He looked up in surprise at the sound of a loud siren outside. His mom picked him up so they could look out the window and watch the police cars and fire trucks drive by. To her surprise, they stopped on her street, and then ran up to her door. She met them there, puzzled by the news that someone had called for help from her home. Eventually realizing what must have happened, she agreed to pay the fee for the emergency crews that had been dispatched.

Page 24: Tate’s mom noticed that he was pressing keys, and hit the “end” button on her phone. She had to hit it a few times before it worked, and suddenly the words ”Emergency Services” flashed on the bottom of the screen. What?! He just dialed a bunch of 9s, no 1s, NO 1s!!! Finally, the call ended and no one had picked up on the other end. Phew- that was close! She set the phone down and started reading Tate one of his favorite board books.

After a few minutes, her phone rang. Although it wasn’t a familiar number, she answered. The voice on the other end said “This is Emergency Services; we just received a hang-up call from this phone number. Is everything okay?” Tate’s embarrassed mom explained what had happened, apologized and thanked the dispatcher for following up.

Thankfully, the latter adventure was ours today! There have been countless times in which I’ve given Tate my phone as a toy, so that I could get something done. The chances of him putting together a 9 and two 1s seemed pretty remote. I figured the worst he could do would be hit a speed-dial number and get to talk to one of my eight closest friends or family members.

Lessons learned:

• Should I ever be in a real emergency, at least in this area, I can dial “999″. Much easier to use just one key!
• TODAY is a good day to set the keypad lock on my phone.
• Never underestimate what mischief a curious child can create, even when you’re nearby.

Who else has a good “adventure-that-you-wouldn’t-have-chosen” story to share?

Photo Courtesy:
lemoncat1

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Before I became pregnant, I thought I’d be one of those people who took profile pictures of their pregnant stomach every week, or at least every month, to see the progression. When I was pregnant, though, I never got around to it. I don’t have any pictures showing my bare pregnant belly, actually. The morning I went into labor it occurred to me that I should take one, but then, well, labor got in the way!

Something else that I think is really cool is having a professional photo shoot during your pregnancy. Several of my friends have done this, and the photos are beautiful!

I’m discovering though, that photography is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of commemorating and celebrating your pregnancy. 

I found some very artistic pregnancy body casts from Belly of Love in Australia (pictures below). Several US companies also offer do-it-yourself kits. At Original Belly Works, after you’ve created the mold of your belly, you can paint or decorate it yourself, or ship it to their artists for the finishing touches.

If you have older kids, try a little art project to get them excited about the upcoming birth: Tutu’s Bliss let her daughter finger-paint on mommy’s pregnant belly! Visit her site to see the pictures – wouldn’t that be a cute big brother/big sister shot to put into a baby book?!

Or maybe you want something that requires less clean-up? Try a temporary tummy tattoo! The options in the packet from Proud Body are all pregnancy-themed, from the Chinese character for mother to “One Hot Mama” surrounded by flames. For me, it would be worth $6.50 to look down and giggle at my stomach when pulling up my elastic-waisted maternity pants in the morning!

Are you doing anything artistic or creative during your pregnancy? Share your ideas with us!

Photo Courtesy:
Torsten Mangner
www-bellyoflove-com

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Like any married couple, my husband and I have good and bad days. Mostly good, though. We have a little joke that when one of us does something really dumb or weird or smelly, we remind the other one how lucky he/she is. But it’s true. Sometimes I still can’t believe that I actually get to spend my life with this wonderful man.

Tomorrow is the fourth anniversary of the day that we got dressed up like this:

It was a wonderful, beautiful, very fun day, one of my favorite ever! First came the love, then came the marriage…you know how it goes. In the midst of the “baby carriage” days, it’s fun to look back at when it where we started.

If you or someone you know is planning a wonderful, beautiful, very fun day, make sure to visit the Truly Engaging wedding blog. Heidi is sort of my sister-blogger, writing for MagnetStreet Weddings. From bridal trends to finances to inspiration, she has all kinds of ideas and tips to aid your wedding planning. Check out the very romantic poem in today’s post  – maybe something to share with my groom!

What’s your favorite wedding or anniversary memory?

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My husband and I agreed that we would not find out the gender of our baby ahead of time. Oddly enough, we had this discussion a few hours before getting engaged, which was a few years before getting pregnant. If you made the same decision (to be surprised about whether it’s a boy or girl, not whether to discuss it before getting engaged), you’ll know that you get quite a few green things at baby showers. Luckily for me, green is my favorite color!

At the same time, if you know what you’re having, but your due date is somewhere around March 17, then you may be receiving lots of green anyway!

These St. Patrick’s Day birth announcements will show off your little lad or lassie in sweet Irish style. And I know there are some of you that aren’t expecting a St. Patty’s baby, but will take any opportunity to declare your Irish heritage.

Either way, these announcements are so cute! There are more ways to “go green” online at MagnetStreet Baby.

Photo Courtesy:
Ja-nelle

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Tate has been verrrrrry clingy lately, wanting to be held a lot. He’s also very inquisitive, noticing and wanting to explore lots of things, many of which are off limits to him. A whiny uh-uh-uh sound seemed to be constantly coming from his mouth, with arms reaching up to be carried. Or if I was already holding him, he was reaching out to touch something. It was getting a little old, to be honest.

Stay with me, I’m veering off here, but it will all tie together eventually… I mentioned in the first year recap post that Tate loves to be a helper. It all started when I read about a study revealing that toddlers have empathy for those struggling to complete a task, and want to help them. (Now I can’t find this article, please let me know if you know the source!)

I thought, why not give it a try? Instead of saying “no” so often, while trying to get things done around the house, I tried to include Tate in my projects. We started with closing the cupboard door or dropping an empty box into the recycling bin. He got into it right away, and we’ve found more things that he can do.

For instance, after he finishes eating, I wipe his hands and mouth with a wet washcloth. As I’m finishing, he starts kicking his legs in anticipation because after I get him out of the high chair, we walk over to the sink and he tosses in the washcloth. He seriously jumps in my arms, he’s so excited to get to do this.

Sometimes this new helpfulness backfires, like when he thinks he can help me crack eggs. Salmonella fingers, yum! Or after I wipe his nose, he gets upset if we don’t get up immediately and walk over to the garbage can to throw away the kleenex. Likewise if he picks something up and I say “that’s Daddy’s shoe (or phone or letter or whatever)”, we HAVE to go bring it to Daddy right away.

We’re visiting my mom this week. She figured out that Tate would hand her clean dishes and silverware from the dishwasher, so I snapped a few pictures. As I was re-loading the dishwasher, he grabbed some of the silverware. I wiped the peanut butter off his fingers with a washcloth and of course he wanted to have it. This time, though, he dropped to the floor with the washcloth and started scrubbing! Thankfully I still had the camera nearby, because I hardly believed my eyes.

Honestly, how does a one-year old think to wash a floor on his hands and knees?! He certainly doesn’t see me do it very often. And does that mean that those clean-freak genes are hiding somewhere in his father as well? 

So while Project Helping was initially started to minimize Tate’s whining, it may turn out to have some lovely side benefits regarding the cleanliness of our house! I’m also finding others who involve their young children in household chores. Jennifer at Fruitful Vine has her five and six-year-old sons helping out with all kinds of things. She also shares this link for age-appropriate chores from Lisa Metzger.

What do your kids do to help around the house? If they’re older, are their chores tied to an allowance?

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