🧑‍🍼 The new/new-ish dad thread

Bru

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I have an 8-month old who occupies a seemingly disproportionate about of mental space given her diminutive physical size. I wanted a place on TCG to share thoughts/observations/tips mostly as a way to cope with the 90-percent of my day thinking about how to not suck as a parent.

To kick off, I’m so freakin tired all the time. I entered my home garage code into work’s bathroom keypad and was legit surprised when it didn’t open. Gravity feels twice as hard. She goes 3-4 days sleeping through the night, then 2-3 days up multiple times. She cries it out and falls asleep on her own, but then I’m wide eyed at 1 am.

Rockababy playlist on Spotify is a life-saver. An instrumental, lullaby version of Bowie's “The Man Who Sold The World” is much better to have stuck in my head all day than “Itsy bitsy Spider”.

I never thought I’d feel so comfortable being covered in someone else’s poo, pee, snot, spit up. Its not even a flinch anymore when she spazzes out on the changing table and smears poo all over me and the changing table.
 

Chet Donnelly

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At 8 months the sleeping should be right on the horizon of getting better. Think my worst was about 9 months and still doing what you describe, but not long after that they were down at 8pm and out until 7am.

Your challenges will turn from lack of sleep though, to constantly chasing them around as they become more mobile. Then it will go to constantly making sure they don't choke as they move to more and more regular food.

Once they are potty trained, its the biggest sigh of relief!

I've got four, ages 1-8.
 

1quick

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My daughter wouldn’t sleep anywhere but in the swing for 6 months, the battery powered swing was eating d battery’s like they were skittles, I went out and bought the most expensive plug in swing money could buy the next week she started sleeping in her bed lol, all the lights at work are motion detecting, I constantly waive my hand at home when I enter a room just to remember I’m not at work, she’s 5 I’m still tired lol having kids gets a lot more fun when they are able to do cool stuff with you but working swing shift leaves no time for sleep if you want to hang out with your kids
 

Bru

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My brother just had a baby about a month ago and I just met her for the first time last weekend. They really just are a moving potato at that age aren't they?

At one-month old, yeah. But imagine if a potato had a 150-decible scream and if every article you read about potatoes was contradicted by the next article you read on potatoes, and also that everything you know about potatoes is wrong.
 

Blownbyyou

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Wow this is going to be fun lol!

Ill just say i have a 3.5 year old and a newborn coming in january... not looking forward to the next year.

And Ill say this much.... the wife wants another one after this... I am pretty sure that answer is HELL TO THE FUCK NAW. I love my little one, but I dont want to be struggling for sleep and time even more than I am now.
 

Bru

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Wow this is going to be fun lol!

Ill just say i have a 3.5 year old and a newborn coming in january... not looking forward to the next year.

And Ill say this much.... the wife wants another one after this... I am pretty sure that answer is HELL TO THE FUCK NAW. I love my little one, but I dont want to be struggling for sleep and time even more than I am now.

Second kid hasn't even entered our post-first-kid vernacular yet.

giphy.gif
 

Bru

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2yrs and 8 months here. The 2yr old is a riot the shit that comes out of his mouth. The sleeping, weight gain, diapers all suck. But I wouldn't wanna give them up for anything. For any non parent looking for a good time. Google up the "NoseFrida" lol

:bowrofl:

It's amazing. We use it any time she has a cold, which is frequent as a day-care kiddo.
 

GTPpower

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We have a little girl that will be 2 in feburary. She didn't sleep through the night til she was a year old. Also, til about 10 months, I had to hold her on the recliner to get her to sleep. There were some rough nights. She still gets up at night probably twice a week. But she is a lot of fun now, and I spend a lot of my time chasing her around. She sits on my lap when I mow the lawn, loves to ride in my pickup, and just loves to hang out and help with any tasks around the house or garage. We've got another due in January, so it'll start all over again soon.
 

jason05gt

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I have a 5 year old boy and 2 year old daughter. Both slept surprisingly well as newborns where we got a decent amount of sleep. That being said, ever since I've had kids I don't sleep as well. I now get woken up by every little sound throughout the night.

Parenting does get easier as the kids get older and the expenses settle down a bit. My son is pretty self sufficient now in terms of getting dressed, brushing teeth, etc.

My daughter is another story.
 

Blownbyyou

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We have a little girl that will be 2 in feburary. She didn't sleep through the night til she was a year old. Also, til about 10 months, I had to hold her on the recliner to get her to sleep. There were some rough nights. She still gets up at night probably twice a week. But she is a lot of fun now, and I spend a lot of my time chasing her around. She sits on my lap when I mow the lawn, loves to ride in my pickup, and just loves to hang out and help with any tasks around the house or garage. We've got another due in January, so it'll start all over again soon.

Hahah my daughter used to sit on my lap to do the lawn, but now its tooo loud and it hurts her ear lol

She is 3.5 and she still wakes up at like 1 in the morning saying she is scared..
 

Bob Kazamakis

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I have an 8-month old who occupies a seemingly disproportionate about of mental space given her diminutive physical size. I wanted a place on TCG to share thoughts/observations/tips mostly as a way to cope with the 90-percent of my day thinking about how to not suck as a parent.

To kick off, I’m so freakin tired all the time. I entered my home garage code into work’s bathroom keypad and was legit surprised when it didn’t open. Gravity feels twice as hard. She goes 3-4 days sleeping through the night, then 2-3 days up multiple times. She cries it out and falls asleep on her own, but then I’m wide eyed at 1 am.

Rockababy playlist on Spotify is a life-saver. An instrumental, lullaby version of Bowie's “The Man Who Sold The World” is much better to have stuck in my head all day than “Itsy bitsy Spider”.

I never thought I’d feel so comfortable being covered in someone else’s poo, pee, snot, spit up. Its not even a flinch anymore when she spazzes out on the changing table and smears poo all over me and the changing table.
I was told you got peed on far less with a baby girl vs boy....this does not sound accurate then according to your experience. I’ve got roughly 2 months till the pee/poo flies
 

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