1/4 of a year old

I am three months into Dad hood, officially tomorrow if you count by date, which is the easiest way to count I guess. There are way too many different ways to state how old the little guy is, 3 months, 12 weeks (which was a few weeks ago), 1/4 year (which I made up). 3 months in, and we have established a fairly good sleep schedule, we have both returned to work, and we are starting to get used to the idea that we have a child. He is getting more human like, smiling and laughing at us, which is awesome. It is actually pretty amazing to see him develop something new every day or two.

I would not say we have a routine yet, we are still getting used to that part, but we have some kind of rhythm going on. I think the hardest part is figuring out how to fit in the time we once had for ourselves. Time to work out, time to socialize, time to take a little nap (I really miss that one a lot).

During the week, I have started the night shift with Miles. Sarah works an evening shift, so it is my job to get home, feed the little guy, get him bathed, which is a story for another time, and get him to bed.

Over all, this process has been going pretty well. Miles has a bedtime of around 6:30-7:00, so the routine starts around 6:00 PM. This sounds really early, and when we had discussed bedtime, the idea of a 6:30 bedtime seemed ridiculous, but we did not really pick it, Miles pretty much told us that he is done with being awake and entertaining everyone at about 6:30 everyday.

Going through the bedtime routine is not all that hard for now. Miles is pretty much down for it, and though he does get a little fussy when I am getting him in his PJs because he would much rather be eating, once the eating starts we are pretty much good to go.

The hard part, is then finding something to do after Miles goes to bed, and I wait for Sarah to return from work. One might state this is my time to workout, socialize and nap, but it does not work out that well. I can't go out, since I am responsible for the life of a small baby, so I have to find a hobby or two to do at the house. I have considered running on the treadmill, but the appeal of doing that is always gone by the time Miles is down and I am ready to get started. Today, I think cooking sounds like a fun idea, since I really enjoy doing that. The only hurdel with cooking is that I only know how to cook pasta and meatballs (the Macedo Family Recipe).

Video games sounds fun, but it is not very productive, and only amuse me for about 30 minutes, and then I get bored. So as I start week two of this new routine (and really, the first full week), I am in search of a new way to pass the hours that Miles is asleep, and Sarah is at work.

Six Weeks In!

A few people have reminded me that I have not posted anything for quite a while. Funny how it is more difficult to blog about being a dad, now that I am actually a dad! Time is probably the most challenging thing to deal with. The heat is a pain, work is a drag, sleep is awful (the lack of sleep that is), but time is what becomes scarce! There was a day once where Sarah and I got up and got out with Miles, happy to be out of the house, on our way to the morning coffee. One of us sighed and commented on how nice it was to get out of the house early, and start our day...it was 4:00 PM.

We were both a bit shocked about how we lost track of time. I do successfully make it to work, but I am pretty sure I have been wearing the same 5 out fits (maybe mixing pant and shirt combos over the different weeks). Some nights I feel like I get a great night's rest (I don't think Sarah ever gets a great night's rest). Other nights, it is like an all night raging night of activity, and only coffee helps me get my work done at work, and not curl up under my desk for a nap.

With all that going against us, I have to say Miles has had a great summer. In his first six weeks of life he has been to the beach 6 times, to several pool parties, to Block Island, to Newport, out to eat a few times, some nice longs walks with the tribe (though we pretty much retired the dogs for now, they were awful on the walks), dozens of trips to different stores, yoga, play dates and he even hosted his first party! He is living quite the summer life, thanks to his adventurous mom!

It seems like he changes everyday, and I can't believe how much he has already grown (already over 10 lbs)! Sarah and I are both working hard to ensure that his first word is mum or dada, though I am sure it will be some other word, probably offensive, that we say in front of him all the time.

It has been a tough couple of days with the extreme heat, but hopefully the summer will now moderate back to normal temperatures. I think that will really help the sleeping at night!

The first few days.

It is officially official, I am a Dad! Our little baby boy, Miles Joseph Macedo was born at 3:59 PM on Sunday June 12th weighing 7 lbs and 14oz and 20.5 inches long. He is a beautiful little boy, and these last few days have been simply amazing. Sarah has done such an amazing job, from labor and delivery to being an awesome Mom!

The delivery was a long and hectic ordeal. Sarah started to have some contractions at around 4:00 PM Saturday. On Saturday night I was out to DJ an event, and had just gotten all the DJ equipment setup when I got the call from Sarah that she thought it was go time. We did have a bit of a back up plan for the gig, but the hecticness started once Sarah said it was time. I left everything setup, and sped home to get us packed up and out the door. I was a little crazy back at the house throwing things in the bag, running back and forth in the house, getting things put into the car. Sarah was pretty calm except when a contraction would hit, and she was bent over in pain. We headed to the hospital, they sent us home, we watched hours of Netflix(Sarah made us pause the movies during the contractions) and finally I had to get a few minutes of shut eye.

I was woken up by the yelling of Sarah at 3:00 AM that we were finally going to head back to the hospital. We finally got the green light for admission and headed to labor and delivery for 5:00 AM.

Sarah continued labor, and between contractions enjoyed a Red Sox victory over the Blue Jays. Miles was born right at the end of the game, to a Red Sox Victory! At 3:59 PM Miles was born.

The following days have been filled with adventure! My first attempt at daiper changing was a fiasco, including the new born black tar poo getting over the babies feet, and the changing station! I have learned a lot since then and Miles can be proud to have quite the expert of a diaper changer for a Dad! Sleep has been pretty hard to come by. Everything everyone said about sleep has been completely true. The only reason I even know what day of the week it is, is because the computer told me! We sleep in short bursts of only a few hours, and of course Miles likes to be awake at night. He is like a little vampire, once the sun goes down, his eyes pop open and he starts to make his cute little noises because he wants attention.

We have been home now for just over a day, and the pack has welcomed him home. Each animal has tried to get in their smell and a look at the new member, and Stanley even got in a successful lick of his feet. All in all the pack is happy to be a bit larger.

I am not really sure I am successfully describing how amazing this experience has been, but all I can say is it is like nothing else I have ever experienced, and I do look forward to our little addition to the tribe.

Now it is really almost go time

It's now really almost go time. As far as I am concerened, with Memorial Day Weekend here, the baby could come anytime now. Today it is official, the bun is "full term". Junior is full cooked, and as my father and law says, now is just a matter of medium or well done. By the way, I uaully order my steak meduim, so that could mean little junior is ready for the world sooner rather then later.

So we have a baby's room, clean sheets, clean baby cloths, clean diapers and a bunch of other stuff ready for junior! Thanks to some help from Aunt Emily, we have a car seat installed. We have packed the go bag. In fact pretty much everything on our todo list has been checked off! It is getting really exciting, and I don't really have to wait that much longer. I mean I know technically it could still be 3 additional weeks of waiting, but the excitement remains there.

We still don't know if the baby is a boy or girl, which is definately adding to the excitement of the due date. We will get to find out whose take home outfit gets to go on the baby, which by the way, even if I am wrong, I may put it on the baby anyway.

I am not sure the whole Dad thing has really hit me yet. I yelled at my dog yesterday (for throwing up on the rug). The poor dog probally could not help it, though I wished he had thrown up on the floor which is easier to clean. I think I got so mad because he through up because he drank the water too fast. I mean slow down, that water is always there, and if it runs out, we will get more for you. My cat literally did the same thing this morning, she ate her food too fast and through it up. Anyway, after I yelled at the dog, I felt a little bad, and then I thought about how one day, a child is going to say something back to me when I am trying the discipline it. When I say, don't wear your dirty shows on the rug, they will at some point know to say, but you have your shoes on. (even though my shoes will likely be clean).

I guess I have a bit of time to wait for the back talking, and battles of logic with a child about why certain things make sense, and others don't. Now that the car seat is installed, I realize that driving around with the child is going to be very distracting. How to you concentrate on the road when all you want to do is look at the little baby sleeping in the back seat, or the little one screaming at the top of their lungs in the back seat, either way a precious moment you won't want to miss!

It is getting close now..but not really

At the beginning of this process, I honestly thought the 9 months was a super long time. It seemed like plenty of time to get everything done, relax and enjoy the preparation phase (and the designated driver). I even thought the arrival of the little one seemed pretty far away.

I don't really feel that way at all now. Sarah reminded me there is only about 58 days left until the due date (which could mean less then 58 days or more). That seems awful close! That is less then a season! I have said to a few people, well as the weather gets nicer, the baby gets closer! Temperatures are forecasted for 68 next week, and the flowers are in bloom in the front yard.

I wouldn't say that I am freaking out or anything. I pretty much think everything is ready, or as ready as it is going to be. The baby's room is all set up, walls painted, crib built, changing table built, and all diapers are being prepared today. The only outstanding item is the closet (which I am a pro at, so no sweat there). I don't think I even know how to prepare my self, but that doesn't really bother me, because I know it will be 18 plus years of not really knowing what I am doing (as many parents have told me).

I guess the realization is starting to really set in though, that we will have a tenant soon! I got to kind of see him/ her the other day, on one of those fancy 3D ultra sounds. It was a really neat thing to see. The baby seemed a bit shy though (that is from Sarah not me). He/She was hiding behind some of Sarah's body parts. I tried to get her to move them, but it wasn't working out. Any way, it was really amazing to see the babies face. As I sit here and preseverate about time ticking away, I also can't wait to meet the little one!

With my eagerness to meet the new member of the tribe, comes the fact that their is still like two more months to go. I mean we are close, but no that close. It is kind of like when some one is baking a delicous meal, like Thanksgiving Dinner, and the turkey is cooking great, and everything smells awesome, your mouth begins to water, but you still have an hour or so before you can put any thing in your mouth! Yeah, I think that is how I kind of feel.

On that note, I am off to go eat lunch.

Cooking for Children

I will not try and take credit for much of the cooking in our house. Sarah does most of the food planning, and cooking at home. If I cook one meal a week on average, then it has been a good week. This is mostly due to the fact that Sarah gets out of work before I do, and by default has the time to get what we need for dinner. However, when I do cook, the food can be put into four major categories. 1) Tomato Sauce and something else. This includes pasta and meatballs, a lovely dish called orange spigets, tonight's new addition to the rotation, which was ravioli in sauce, or a pizza. 2) Protein, vegetable, starch. The most common version of this is steak tips, orzo and a can of peas. Easy, tastes good, not so bad for you. 3) Microwave night. Common dishes are Evol burritos and a "Mexican Dip" which has replaced an old favorite, nachos. Finally 4) Grilling in the back yard, which can be as frequent as 3 nights a week during the more pleasant months of the year.

What I am starting to realize with the kid on the way, is how this may change a bit. I don't think the four major groups will change much. These are my strengths, and I should not mess with a good thing. In my time spent with the little ones that we currently know, I find kids like (in by kids this ranges in children with new teeth to like 3 year olds): Cheerios, gold fish, little tiny cut up pieces of a mystery meat. Chicken Tenders and French Fries (shout out to Brody). French Fries and Broccoli (shout out to Reese), spaghetti, hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream.

I think most of that food fits into my four groups, so I am good. I can cook for a kid no problem! I remember my parents challenges in cooking for us kids. I was a picky eater, and would claim to not like things I liked probably two weeks prior. I remember telling my dad that I felt the recipe had been altered by some brand of canned beef stew, and therefore no longer would eat it. I hope our kid is not quite as picky. Sarah can attest to how bad it can still get sometimes. I have to remember to lead by example, and be sure and have my no thank you serving without making any faces or unnecessary sound effects while eating it!

Conquer the crib

That is what we did:

Kick in the face...

It is getting to the point in the incubation period (aka pregnancy)where there is quite a bit of movement going on in that oven! Sarah of course feels this stuff all day (even gets woken up at night, occasionally). I have felt it a few times on my hand, and even seen the belly moving with my eyes, which was pretty awesome.

The other morning however, I was partaking in a ritual of mine to help the baby get to know my voice, speaking useless information into Sarah's belly. I think I was telling little junior about March, or the weather or maybe plainly what day of the week it was, but somewhere in the middle of the one sided conversation, he/she kicked me right in the face.

One may get angry in another situation of getting kicked the face, but this did not really hurt that much, and truthfully was probably one of the coolest things I have been able to experience during the bun baking process. I am not sure if the kick was actually a kick, or a punch or a head bunt or something else, but it stopped me mid sentence, because I was so shocked! Of course I then sat there with a cheesy grin on my face repeating to Sarah a few times, oh he/she just kicked me in the face!

I now expect this every time I go in for a conversation, and though a repeat kick has not happened yet, I am hoping for it a few more times. Once the little one is out in the real world, I will settle for smiles, giggles and other avenues of affection, but for now, I will take the kick in the face.

The Honey Do List

I have never considered myself to be handy, at all. I am so bad at trying to get stuff done around the house that I have a celebratory beer when I successfully hang a picture on the wall! I have unsuccessfully attempted closet shelves, flooring, painting the bathroom, fixing a leaky floor, removing the foundation of a shed and a few other projects that have been left unfinished or done poorly.

Failure after failure I started to ponder how it is possible that I could get anything right! On almost every little project there was someone on YouTube who could get what I wanted done in like a blink of an eye. I would try to mimic their technique for hours to absolutely no success. I would read instructions, follow directions, fail, try my own technique, fail, review videos on-line, fail, and then finally give up.

All of this frustration created a nice long Honey Do list that we would add project after project to, with no items being crossed off, since I was afraid to even try them.

That all changed once we learned of our growing tribe. We now had a deadline to get everything on that list done (and of course we had to add a few new items). Weekend after weekend the do it your self attitude in me has been growing more and more confident. Failure is no longer an option! I have installed closet organizers, painted several rooms, hung up advanced wall hangings (shelves, mirrors, pictures), I have updated our door locks, and I have more on the list to do! Almost everything on the list has been met with success, not necessarily on the first try, but success in the end. Now I feel like no project is too big! Bring it on! I was even considering taking the do it your self attitude to some vet work needed on the cat (Sarah stopped that before it got too far).

I am not saying that I could build my house or anything, but I am less likely to look for the handy man's phone number before I tap into my inner weekend warrior first. By the time this kid is born, I will be able to take my skills to the next level and may put together the crib and set up the pack and play, but those skills are still a few months away!

Hijacked

Occasionally, once every few months or so, the social calendar falls in such a way that the wife has other plans, and a night with my fellow men occurs. Man night, guys night, some men call it poker night or bowling night (likely because they play those games). It is always a good time, where we revert back to the childish jokes and pranks that get us in trouble with our better halves. For the most part, Man Night is like Vegas, and what happens on Man night is not discussed much with those who were not there (that is part of Guy Code).

One thing did however get out from Man Night. As the night proceeded, and alcohol and testosterone got the better of everyone's judgement, my Facebook was hijacked by my fellow men. A posting was put out there about male breastfeeding, which gave us all a good laugh. I realize today however that many people have taken the posting quite seriously. I even got some pretty good sources of information about how to make this a reality.

I figured I would set the record straight. As much as I am appreciative of those who have given support to the idea, I am not sure I am up for man breast feeding, mostly because I am a hairy guy and I think there is some logistical issues I would not be able to work out. I can bond with the child in other ways, and I am sure in the early stages I will bond with him/her while changing the dirty diapers.

What seemed to be a window into my father-to-be emotions in that posting was really the out come of hours of drinking and what was a golden opportunity for my mates to play a little prank. So now we can see how the new technologies and the phenomenon of social media continues to touch the different aspects of our society, even showing its reach to the coveted Man Night.

Team Pink vs. Team Blue

Sarah and I decided really early that we would not find out what the baby is (boy or girl). We feel pretty strongly that it is one of life's little surprises. This is uncharacteristic of us, I mean we are two people who exchange Christmas gifts in mid December. I have been known to give Sarah gifts with the bag from the store as the wrapping paper. I have been at the store with Sarah to get some of my gifts!

Putting gifts and surprises aside, Sarah is also a planner. She enjoys having everything in place well ahead of time, and arrives just a bit early if not right on time for everything. Despite all of these things, we are leaving it a mystery until he/she is born.

The big question remains then, since we do not what little junior is, are you on team pink or team blue. I have thought from the beginning, that it is a boy. I find though that there are not too many people on team blue. I have been told by co-workers and friends things like, "you think it is a boy because you are a man and that is what all men want". I really don't know why I think it is a boy, but I do. Almost no one else does, everyone else has a feeling, or just thinks it is going to be a girl.

I have tried to use data and statistics to see if I can't determine boy or girl. All of the babies in my family born of the next generation have so far been girls, so it seems likely a boy is to come soon. However, most of my friends with children have had boys, so a girl is also likely. I come from a family of two boys and a girl, Sarah a family of three girls, so four girls and two boys, odds are we have a boy then right? Or does that mean odds are we have a girl. Then there is the thread and needle test, the Chinese Lunar Calendar, the heart rate, the wife's symptoms, all being analyzed to determine if it is a boy or girl. Alas I have no clue, but I will stick with team blue.

In the end it is just plain exciting to think about meeting the little one, and I will be happy no matter what. I just keep on talking to junior through Mom's belly, trying to keep him/her up to date on pop culture and the latest news and providing trivia so he/she can defeat Watson on Jeopardy some day in future.

The Night Owl

I can't really remember many nights that my parents went to bed before I did. In fact the usual sounds that I fell asleep to as a kid were the distant sounds of late night TV, and my parents occasional laughter at the late night talk shows. As I got older I grew to also have the Macedo Insomnia. I usually fall asleep well after my wife falls asleep. Night time is Joe time in the house. It is when I can watch some good comedy, get in some gaming, maybe even catch a good movie. I come up with inventions, read about crazy alien moon bases on the internet and figure out how to run for President of the United States (I lose a lot of the details by morning though, so none of that stuff goes to far). I am not sure how this will work out with with the tribe's new arrival. In the first few months I see this as an advantage. Since I enjoy being up so late, I should have no problem doing late night duty with the baby right? Mornings could get problematic. I am already not the greatest morning person. Especially when we do the early morning workouts, I mean I can go for a 5 mile run at 5:00 AM and only remember the last 2 miles.

One of my little fears about the new arrival is how I am going to deal with the mornings. My wife leaves for work almost two hours before I do. This means that I will be in charge of the morning routine. I briefly mentioned this in a previous post, but I still don't have a clue how I am supposed to manage taking care of the little one in the morning, and get in my nice long hot shower!! I hear there are swings or seats that can keep junior busy while I shower, or I suppose I can train the animals to watch junior. I am starting to realize that these showers are the least of my early morning worries. I am a night owl. I have the whole night to shower, but getting us out of the house on time for day care and work, that is going to be the real challenge.

I have my morning routine mastered down to the minute. Workout, breakfast, coffee, iron cloths, take nice long hot shower, leave with exactly enough time so that I walk out of the elevator at 9:00. I am going to have to dress another human, probally change the diaper a few times. I know I will get totally side tracked playing with junior's toy train or oversized legos, and before I know it is 9:30, I am not shaved and baby has nothing but a diaper on!!

I'm driving, so I control the radio

I remember when my dad used to drive me around all the time. Whether it was to school, shopping at Ann & Hope or just driving us kids one place or another, he had one rule. "I am driving, so I control the radio". This persistent rule led me to have a strong appreciation for classic rock (since my dad was a big fan of the genre). This has got me thinking, can I enjoy the great music of my childhood, while driving my child around? Or is that inappropriate?

One of the major issues with this, is the difference in my dad listening to the tunes he grew up to, and me listening to mine. I grew up during an era when hip-hop music was breaking into mainstream radio and Rock and Roll was splitting off into to sub genres like alternative and hardcore. I enjoyed artists from Run DMC, Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg to Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails. I also am part of the original MTV generation, that group watching, imagine this, music videos playing on MTV. That being said, some of the greatest songs of my time, may not be something I really want to explain the meaning of to my child. To make things worse, I have been blessed with the invention of digital music downloads and a music player in my car with uncensored songs and no commercials!

Let's dive into an example. One of my favorite songs to enjoy in my vehicle as I drive to work is Snoop Doggy Dogg's Gin & Juice. This song literally starts with the audible sounds of some one taking what sounds like a drunken piss. The song is a classic Dr. Dre beat, with a showcase of what made Snoop famous. A classic. However, how do I play this song in my car with my child, and then explain to them that it really is not okay to go cruising down the street, smoking and drinking!

I suppose it will take a few years before Junior to understand these lyrics. I was actually thinking of introducing Junior to some music while he/she is in the oven, but I think it will be edited to classical music.

A lot can happen

It has been over a year since I last updated my blog. A lot can happen in a year. I have a new job, I have run a few more races, I went back to Costa Rica and I even attempted a triathlon. The triathlon ended up being biathlon because of some rough seas, but that does not matter.

All of these things are no big deal. The big change that is coming, is the growing of the tribe. We currently have a pack of six. With the wife, two dogs, two cats and myself there is already quite the tribe dwelling on our land, but we are bringing another as we embark on the adventure of parenthood.

This is in fact my way of telling those in the world where communication is limited to findings on the internet. If you have seen me any time in the last few months I have undoubtedly shown you the ultrasound pictures I have stored on my phone and shared with you my anxiety about taking a shower in the morning while I am home alone with a new born!

We are officially halfway through the bun baking process, and it is getting extremely exciting to observe, listen and feel the oven as the bun has started to subtly kick and punch at my wife's insides. It is really hard at times to express how it feels to sit and watch the baby grow inside of her. Nacho, the affectionate name given to my belly, has been growing for years, at a pretty slow pace, but I have no real emotional attachment to him. The bump that now exists in my wife however already seems to catch my attention.

We enjoy talking to it, shining lights on it, and we listen to it quite often. We have decided that our little bun in the oven will be routing for the Green Bay Packers this weekend. Though I am sure he/she will not understand the rules of the game, nor will they be at all entertained by the media frenzy and the over the top advertising, I am sure little junior will enjoy the bounty food at the event.