Its a Girl - Doc's Drama As a New Father

[D0ct0rteeth]

As a few of you know I am expecting a baby, and we found out today its a girl!

Caroline Marie Johnson. The chaos of naming my child has been overwhelming as the woman has what I can only believe to be a deep rooted hatred for our previously-genderless child. Names that I would not even name my dog, let alone my daughter have been eliminated and we have settled on Caroline.

So let us all join in the virtual customary cigar, as I read more Armin Brott books and prepare for the next wave of entertainment. I'll post more here tomorrow so you can all join in laughing at the sureallity that us men are exposed to when we have our first child, but for now I just wanted to celebrate and pass the world along as I know a few of you are wondering.

Cheers!

- Doc

[Xtremehkr]

Congratulations :)

[PlaceofDis]

Congrats! and i hope everything goes smoothly and safely

[tech4all]

CONGRATS! If I may ask, when is she due? :)

[gwuMACaddict]

CONGRATS! :D

[WinterMute]

The name is the easy part, you wait till they hand her over to you in the delivery room, so they can get mum sorted out, post delivery.

Your life will never be the same again.

You're going to love it.

[bubbamac]

Congratulations! The best thing in life just happened to you. It only gets better...

Have you gotten any sleep yet? ;)

[mslifkin]

Congratulations! That is a beautiful name, too. When my wife and I were expecting our first, everyone told us "You're having a boy" based on the way my wife was carrying. So I decided (like a jerk) to paint the trim on one wall (where the dresser was) blue. Well, Alison Marie was born June 25th, 1992, and I had some repainting to do. But she is a jewel. I hope you enjoy this very special time in your life.

Regards,
Marc

[D0ct0rteeth]

CONGRATS! If I may ask, when is she due? :)

May 25th or thereabouts, although we are both fairly confident she will be early.

Congratulations! That is a beautiful name, too. When my wife and I were expecting our first, everyone told us "You're having a boy" based on the way my wife was carrying. So I decided (like a jerk) to paint the trim on one wall (where the dresser was) blue. Well, Alison Marie was born June 25th, 1992, and I had some repainting to do. But she is a jewel. I hope you enjoy this very special time in your life.

Regards,
Marc

Nice. Thats classic. Wow.. so she's twelve now, and I bet you still hear about that one. :)

For the past four months or so, everyday she has been saying "Its a Boy, I know its a Boy" and we have been unable to even come close to picking out a boys name... so of course irony is that it turns out to be a girl. I felt like the only person in the world who didnt care if it was a boy or girl, as long as she had both arms and both legs :)

We are building a new house, and I am doing sketches now of a mural I will be painting in her room. Im thinking of doing a combination of all the classic nursery rhymes (Three Blind Mice, Jack Beanstalk, Cow jumping over the Moon, Humpty Dumpty... and so on)
Im just trying to balance the desire to make it perfect with the reality of free time, and the inevitable fact that Im sure we will paint over it in a few years.

Thanks everyone for the warm wishes. But by all means keep the advice coming. I am an arrogant bastard when it comes to many (read: most) things, but any advice for the baby is great. I appreciate it. :)

- Doc

[edesignuk]

Congratulations to you!

[Raid]

Congrats to you and Mrs. D0ct0rteeth. Friends of mine had a baby girl in September, and it's really charming to see changes in the parents after the baby is born (i.e. wanting to talk about diaper changing techniques instead of the latest GTA game... that kind of thing)

I do have a theory though about Fathers with daughters, that around the time she is 13-16 years old the Father will go gray or start to loose hair… :) My girlfriend's brother-in-law has 3 daughters 3yrs of age or younger and he shaved his head saying "I'd better get used to this look now, before I don't have a choice!"
:D

[emw]

You have a lot to look forward to - congratulations! There's nothing like hearing that first cry in the delivery room...

[atszyman]

Thanks everyone for the warm wishes. But by all means keep the advice coming. I am an arrogant bastard when it comes to many (read: most) things, but any advice for the baby is great. I appreciate it. :)

Congratulations. Keep in mind first children are usually late rather than early (or so I've been told). But of course my daughter was due on my birthday but instead came 8 days early.

You may want to check out this thread (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=97004) for advice. My daughter will be a little over 6 months old when your Caroline arrives. I could probably give you all kinds of advice but to tell the truth, every child is different and even the "experts" don't seem to give consistent advice when multiple sources are referenced.

[3rdpath]

congrats. fatherhood is amazing.

i've got 2 girls, 4yrs old and an 8 month old...life is busy. my wife and i laugh that we ever thought we were busy or exhausted before we had kids...but its all very satisfying. holding your child the first time is amazing but it doesn't hit you until the chaos of birth is over and you're in your quiet hospital room with your wife and the baby.

i wish you and your wife a good delivery. i read( and reread ) the books by brazelton...lotsa common sense stuff.

enjoy!

[emw]

holding your child the first time is amazing but it doesn't hit you until the chaos of birth is over and you're in your quiet hospital room with your wife and the baby.
For us, it hit when we got home from the hospital and realized we were on our own :eek: !

Talk about On the Job Training! No manual with a kid - but they're pretty resilient.

[atszyman]

For us, it hit when we got home from the hospital and realized we were on our own :eek: !

Talk about On the Job Training! No manual with a kid - but they're pretty resilient.

That's why I recommend The Baby Owners Manual (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=gq69nUGAYp&isbn=1931686238&itm=1). Reads like a product manual and gives advice on how to correct malfunctions and keep everything operating smoothly.

[OutThere]

Reads like a product manual and gives advice on how to correct malfunctions and keep everything operating smoothly.

Does it have a specifications section at the back? :D

But really - congrats on the petite fille. :)

[rueyeet]

I do have a theory though about Fathers with daughters, that around the time she is 13-16 years old the Father will go gray or start to loose hair… :) Before my dad's hair went entirely gray, I used to point out the wide gray streak running back from his temple and declare it to be my work. :D

Might not want to keep painting the baby's room over a period of years, since paint fumes are surely not good for newborns to be breathing.

Congratulations, and good luck! :)

[wdlove]

Congratulations on the coming birth of your daughter Caroline, D0ct0rteeth. ;) It does seem that a birth will come early many times. Although I have no experience as a father. My experience is as a nurse. While being in the Air Force Reserve it worked in the OB/GYN Ward. So on weekends I took care of the mothers. When I did my two weeks activity each ear it was in the Nursery. So I got to see many brand new fathers arrive in the Nursery with their new baby, beaming. It was a happy place to work.

[jsw]

I do have a theory though about Fathers with daughters, that around the time she is 13-16 years old the Father will go gray or start to loose hair…
Hmmm.... I must have a daughter out there that I never knew about. My current one won't be in that age bracket for a decade, and yet the gray hairs and baldness started before she was even born. ;)

[Mechcozmo]

Remember: Little children are pretty resilient.
;)

I've been around enough little kids to know that they are always happy around other people and their parents are tired, semi-haggard, and have a stupid grin on their face from over-exhaustion. Its nice to watch.

[wdlove]

Remember: Little children are pretty resilient.
;)

I've been around enough little kids to know that they are always happy around other people and their parents are tired, semi-haggard, and have a stupid grin on their face from over-exhaustion. Its nice to watch.

I certainly learned that during my time working in the Nursery. They are not as fragile as my mother led me to believe. Pound for pound they are stronger than most adults. Experience trying to contain an infant while a physician examines them. They just don't like to be restrained and then there is a fear that it might cause harm. :D

[Doctor Q]

Great news, D0ct0rteeth! Being a dad is W O N D E R F U L ! ! ! It's my first and foremost job and I wouldn't have it any other way. You'll love it. I hope you'll share some baby photos with us in the summer.

Be sure to read absolutely everything known about parenting and listen carefully to all of your friends and acquaintances who claim to know what's best. Follow everyone's advice absolutely and exactly as they say, even if it conflicts with the other advice you are also following, or else certain disaster will result. :GIANTROLLEYES:

Enjoy the anticipation. When the time comes, enjoy the "birthing experience" (at least you have the easier part of that). And enjoy your sleep while you can!

[atari1356]

Congratulations and good luck on your new endeavor. ;)

There's nothing more precious and gratifying (at least for me) than having a daughter - I have a 5 month old girl and feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the world.

We thought our daughter was going to be early too... she ended up being 5 days late. Those were the longest 5 days of my life. :eek: