Hey everyone, on Tuesday, December 14 at 7:57 PM I became a daddy.     My daughter, Arianna Nicole, came in weighing 5lbs, 13oz, and was 18.5" long.  She was four weeks early (due January 12, 2005), so she's an early Christmas gift!  

Anyone know where I can get a gs500 baby seat?  :mrgreen:

Congrats on your new daughter!  


I'm glad you decided on "Ari"anna Nicole instead of Anna Nicole!



Of course by the time she gets to school, that other Anna Nicole will probably be long gone from the spotlight.

Congratulations!

at least your last name isnt huffington!

congrats

Congratulations...!!!!  and believe it or not......




       

Welcome to the beginning of your new life.  You won't look at kids the same way again.  Are you sure we won't see your motorcycle in the "buy/sell" forum?  Maybe you should buy a Ural with a sidecar.

So welcome to the club.  I have two daughters, 3 and 6.  You and I are blessed among women.  For me riding is a midlife crisis, coming after the kids.  I'm 37 and plan to have several more crises.  I think I'm done on the kids, but wouldn't kick a new one out of the house!

Good luck to you all.  Those premies need a lot of extra-gentle care.

The first six months can be pretty intense, but it's of finite duration.  Just wait, though, until she comes home from school and discovers her inner smart aleck!  Meantime Mom's going to need as much help as you can possibly give her, especially for the first six months or so.  Keep the place as neat, clean and de-cluttered as possible.  Mom might not get a lot of sleep, especially if the kid is colicy.  If not and you have an easy baby, thank the Lord because that makes a BIG difference.  (Often the first baby is easy, and you say HEY let's have another, and then you get nailed!)  Beware projectile poop.  (It really happens!).  And yes, you may change the diaper more than once an hour for a while.  And if you're doing the nursing thing, beware the nursing Nazis.  Kids don't get "nipple confusion."  (It's from the same people who brought us pee pee envy.  Give it a name and it takes on a life of its own.)  A kid may PREFER one to the other, but they are smart enough to quickly figure out this is what you do with the bottle, and this is what you do with Mommy.  The idea that you should let them starve until the wife's milk comes in from their constant sucking in is cruel to all involved.  (See the part about becoming an "expert" below, and call me a hypocrite!)  Both my kids drank both when young, and both ditched the bottle quickly, but hell, they were born HUNGRY!

And raise the kid the way YOU'RE comfortable.  Books are good, but one says let the kid cry herself to sleep and the other says let the kid sleep between you both until age 15.  There's probably a book out there for every style, so in a way they're all worthless for more than therapy (except the chapters on health and sickness).  If you're comfortable the kid will be comfortable, for the most part.  If you're not, you can bet the kid won't be.  If that means staying up until 11pm in the summer because you're nightowls, and letting her tote a rifle around the farm on an ATV at age 10, that's your call.  You and only you (collective "you" including the kid) need to live with the consequences (ok, unless your kid shoots or runs over someone).  

You'll soon be your own expert.  On YOUR kid anyways, and can safely ignore most of the advice from all your friends who have no children (but read books!), or have exactly one child and are therefore experts themselves on every kid, just ask them.  

Not trying to be a cynic.  In fact I'm trying to let you know that if your priorities are right and you have half a brain you will undoubtably be a good parent.  Cave men did it, right?  It ain't always easy, but it's certainly the most important work we can do.  OK, defending the country for our kids is up there too.

God Bless,
Mike D.

Congradulations!

Congratulations and have fun.

Yeehaw!  Happy first-ever birthday!

Due Jan 12th ... that's my birthday ...
Congrads on the new if early arrival ... she's not in an incubator right ...
Cool.
Srinath.

Congrats!

Hmm.  No photos.

congratulations...  i look forward to seeing you here more often...

<-- remembers when pablo used to hang around here at odd hours.

congratulations, oramac![/size][/b]

I can wholeheartedly agree to what geekonabike said.

READ_THAT_OVER_AND_OVER_AGAIN!

There is no one single better expert for your dauhgter's well-being on this planet than your wife and you, with the possible exception of a doctor you trust, when it comes to health issues!

Don't let yourself confuse by all the 'good' advice you're gonna get from all around... decide - which implies that you will make mistakes every one and then (who hasn't?) - what YOU think is in the best interest of your daughter.

Sure these first few months may be intense, but similarly, they are rewarding. My grandson was born on Oct 2 this year... it is stunning to see the progress he makes week after week. Yesterday, at the age of 2 1/2 months, I was holding him, face to face, when my son came over to wipe off some spills. When he went back, the baby followed him bending his head all the way back - a clear sign of having recognized the guy whom he is familiar with, other than me, who is around say, once a week for a couple of hours. Amazing!

Hey thanks everyone for all the nice replies and the unsolicited, yet welcome, advice.  I'm sure I'm in for an adventure.  My wife and I are both teachers.  She's elementary, and I'm high school.  Between the two of us, we've dealt with almost everything...except newborns.

As for pics.  Well, I've been running back and forth from the hospital, so I haven't had a chance to get the pics uploaded to my hosting site, but when I do, you all will get to meet Aria.

Thanks all!

Ok, here are a couple





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Beautiful baby, congrats man! Start her early, get a pocket bike with training wheels .

(Also good choice of name, my cousins name is Arianna Harley Reese (i know harley is weird, its my grandpa's first name in my FEMALE cousins middle name, but shes doesnt mind.))

Beautiful....!!      

Quote from: straightforwardcongratulations, oramac![/size][/b]

I can wholeheartedly agree to what geekonabike said.

READ_THAT_OVER_AND_OVER_AGAIN!
.
.
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Sure these first few months may be intense, but similarly, they are rewarding. My grandson was born on Oct 2 this year... it is stunning to see the progress he makes week after week. Yesterday, at the age of 2 1/2 months, I was holding him, face to face, when my son came over to wipe off some spills. When he went back, the baby followed him bending his head all the way back - a clear sign of having recognized the guy whom he is familiar with, other than me, who is around say, once a week for a couple of hours. Amazing!

Thanks for the second!

And you're right.  It is very rewarding.  (Re-read the above too!)  Know that your wife is going to want to eat your daughter, she's so beautiful.  Most stop short of actually chewing their infants.

That Pooh on the front of the diaper, and the way her legs stick out of it, really bring back memories of when my daughters were born.

From the GS Family to yours!

--Mike D.

OK, now I believe you!  :lol:  
The Special Care nursery can be a scary place, as I'm sure you've discovered by now.  I hope she's not there too long.  All blessings on you and yours.