Newborn Baby Football

Go Dad! Go!

Here's a new dad analogy: think of yourself as a running back and your newborn as a football (though unlike mine, yours may not be brown).

• Protect the ball - you'll want to secure the ball with two hands.
• Feel free to stiff arm anyone who tries to handle your baby without washing their hands (sorry, doctors' orders!)
• No kicks, punts, or throws - as guys we love to throw and kick things (beers, keys, balls, almost anything).  Don't toss the baby!
• Do not put the ball on the ground.  
• Do not turn the ball over (onto its stomach) to sleep.
• Sometimes you have to go out for a pass (or groceries or other errands).
• Protect the passer (wife/mother of your child/ren).
• Sometimes you need to carry the ball more to take pressure of the passer.
• If you're an experienced veteran, mentor a rookie. Make the world a better place.

The best running backs in football don't just run with the ball, they're multifaceted - double/triple threats.  When they do run the ball, they protect it and don't lose it.  That sounds like a good start to being a good dad.

   - Clark's Dad

Shhhhh! Quiet! The Baby's Sleeping

We've all watched movies or television shows in which babies can be awakened with sound of a pin dropping or more likely dad comedicly stubbing his toe on furniture and trying not to scream in pain.  I can't speak for all babies, but Clark can sleep through almost anything.  In case you were concerned, yes, he did pass his hearing test.  However, moderately loud to low sounds, including regular conversation, phones ringing, television audio and dinner prep don't disturb him, especially when he is asleep.

Shhhhh! Nevermind!

The instructor of our baby class mentioned that babies can hear quite well in the womb.  They basically hear all the sounds going on around mommy during the later half of their time in the womb, even above the sounds of mommy's internal going-ons.  This establishes the ambient noise level of which the baby becomes accustomed.  So if you have yapping dogs around barking during the pregnancy, the baby will probably be used to that sound when he makes his grand entrance (or exit depending on how you look at it).

Well, Clark has a pretty loud dad, so I guess he was prepared for pretty much any sound that might otherwise disturb him.  So it might make for great comedy, but unless you live and work in a library, your baby will probably not be that sensitive to the usual sounds found in his or her mother's daily environment.

I wonder if that's applies if mommy works a jackhammer for a living?  Hmmm

       - Clark's Dad

Update: @ 8 weeks - I say throw everything in this article out the window.  I'm so grateful when Clark falls asleep, that I don't want anything to ruin it.  So I do walk around on eggshells, trying not to "stub my toe."  Parents can go about their daily routines, but baby sleep time is so valuable they probably don't want to risk it. 

Update: @ 8 months - He wakes up erratically on his own before a pin drop has the chance to wake him up.  So, no eggshell walking in our house.  Plus, our upstairs neighbors are stomping around up there all day and night anyway.  So, if he can sleep through that, not much of what I do should disturb him.