New addition to the family

trigun7469 wrote: Thanks all for the congrats and advice. I am really excited, we have been trying for 2 years, so we are still in a little shock that it is happening. When we saw the sonogram this week, it became little more real. Daycare question, where did you look and what exactly makes one better then the other? Same question but pediatrician.

Yeah, as if the 2 years of trying was so awful...

Daycare. Go visit the location, ask some parents who you see walking in and out. Ask what the daily routine is for infants. How do they handle issues/emergencies/illness? What are their policies (days they close, how long the child can stay, etc...)? We did daycare with our first, and for the first 6 months after our twins were born. But at that point, we were paying $2200+/month for daycare, so we hired a live-in nanny. That was no fun either.

Pediatrician - Ask them a lot of questions. Ask for references.

I have been down both roads with kids. Do it on your own if you can. Things can get messy. Having to correct or challenge parenting opinions with your parents / her parents is a real PITA. Best to let grand parents be grand parents and parents be parents. Works better in the end.

I had a coworker recommend a daycare his son has been going to for 3 years. The staff gladly gave us a tour of the facility and introduced us to the staff of our daughters age group, and went over their policies with us and answered any questions we had. The facility also had a lot of positive reviews online for whatever that's worth.

Bonus is its 10 minutes away from my office and probably one of the most inexpensive places in northern virginia.

I like Klayfish's advice about Instinct. That's pretty much what I am doing, figure it out as I go. We did some free classes at the hospital but that kind of stuff never really sticks with me for too long.

Congrats! My wife is pregnant with our 2nd right now! I am lucky enough that the company I work for offers two weeks of paid paternity leave

dean1484 wrote: I have been down both roads with kids. Do it on your own if you can. Things can get messy. Having to correct or challenge parenting opinions with your parents / her parents is a real PITA. Best to let grand parents be grand parents and parents be parents. Works better in the end.

100% truf. And on that same topic, be a parent to your child, not their best friend. Yes, love them with all your heart, but that's very different than trying to be their BFF.

I currently have a Toyota Tacoma would car seat work in a jumpseat?

I do not believe so. I think they are meant to be installed in a standard forward facing seat. It would undermine the design intentions of the rearward facing car seat. Easy thing would be to ask the hospital where you can have the Sheriff/Local PD show you how to install child restraint seats and ask them directly.

The car seat might be too wide for the jump seat anyways, a lot of car seats these days are huge monstrosities.

Congrats. The only thing I didn't see mentioned was, don't fight it: Buy a minivan or a sport ute. Babies require an astonishing amount of ancillary crapola. Take lots of pictures and video. In some senses it seems like they are little forever. In others, it seems like you blink and their voice is deeper than yours (hopefully, if this happens, it's a boy).

My wife has a Mazda3 hatchback which is surprisingly big and is suppose to accommodate more then one baby seat.

Well we found out we are having a girl, I probably made a big mistake by being very adamant about having a boy. Based on being the only boy in the household working with only women. I am a little disappointed but I am not going to disown or love the baby any less. Heck I am happy the baby is alive and the tests are showing her healthy.

I was hoping for a boy too, but it doesn't matter. Im still collecting hotwheels for her.

The feeling you get when you see them and hold them for the first time is indescribable.

I drive the minivan now, and carry that diaper bag with pride.

I wouldn't trade my daughter for the world. She's the girliest girl ever, but she still loves car videos and hot wheels.

The Tacoma won't cut it. My dad's new F-150 doesn't. The Mazda3 will work just fine. We made it through the last 3 years with just two subcompacts and 2 kids. I did get an old Wagon for road trips however.

Congrats on the girl! One thing that we found out is for a diaper bag, an over the shoulder strap that is long enough to go over you head was a huge help when trying to haul everything. Again, your mileage may vary.

Congrats, and don't sweat the girl vs. boy thing. You should be raising them the same way, anyway! DD#1 drives autocross with me and DD#2 works in the timing tent.

I told my employer early because my wife had a very complicated pregnancy thanks to twin to twin transfusion and was being sent to toledo weekly, i needed the days off when her mom couldnt take her. She was off work for 6 months total, then babysitter issues happened and she stayed home for a year.

Kids were boring too me until they started moving and playing. I did the diapers and formula feedings etc but wasnt real enthusiastic. You will learn as you go!

Even with some hard times tossed in my kids are a highlight of my life. There 7 now but the best i can offer is still Goodluck!

Congrats.

I swear if you guys start that DD,DS,DH,DW LO bull E36 M3 here I'm out. I can't even read parenting message boards on account of the acronym useage.

nocones wrote: Congrats. I swear if you guys start that DD,DS,DH,DW LO bull E36 M3 here I'm out. I can't even read parenting message boards on account of the acronym useage.

+1 to that E36 M3. Everyone knows DD means daily driver.

nocones wrote: Congrats. I swear if you guys start that DD,DS,DH,DW LO bull E36 M3 here I'm out. I can't even read parenting message boards on account of the acronym useage.

In my case, it stands for Duke Daughter #1 (elder) and Duke Daughter #2 (younger).

Congrats!

As said before, work is dependent on state laws and your employer.

as far as being a new dad, nothing can really prepare you. As far as dealing with the kid, understand with a baby you have brought the most effective and ruthless terrorist in the history of the world into your home.