It's been a while...

Hello Again

Sorry it's been so long! Things have been crazy in the Myers household. I recently changed jobs, my wife is heading back to work soon, and my college life has been fairly busy. So here are a few updates!

Health

Akeyzia is healthy as can be! My wife weighed her yesterday, and she is coming in at a whopping 10.7 lbs! The checkups have been great, we have an ultrasound on her hips coming up soon since she was born breach. This is to check to ensure that her joints and development of that area is doing fine since she was sitting awkward for a few months.

This and That

Tons of things have been happening in our realm! Akeyzia has now been following us around the room, which shows that her eyesight is developing very well. The fantastic part of my day is when she goes cross-eyed. As bad as it seems to laugh, you can't help it! If your baby goes cross-eyed it is completely normal. Babies normally do not get complete control of their eyes until around six months. 

We also had her baptism on October 5th. We chose to do it outside, and not in a church due to some restrictions with performing a baptism in the Catholic church. She will be raised Catholic, but we received a certificate she was baptized so we can take her to any church of our choosing.

A Love Like No Other

You love your S.O. that's a given. The love you feel for your little one is a love that is unmatched in any area of your life, and that is OK! I love this girl with everything I have, and I also love my wife with all my heart. The feeling you have for your bundle of joy is going to make you think much differently about EVERYTHING you do from driving your car to buying a coffee. You now not only have your S.O. to worry about, but another human being that relies on you to pass down knowledge and teachings that only a parent can give.

Feeding

Feeding can be a hassle. Whether you plan to formula feed or breast feed, each comes with its own set of challenges. With our daughter, the plan was mainly to breast feed with no formula to save tons of money. Unfortunately, our first night in the hospital we were told by the nursery that Akeyzia's sugar levels were very low so they had to give her a bottle to help get the levels up. All bets were off from there, and she learned the greatness of instant gratification.

Some things the hospital may not tell you but your pediatrician will include:

1. Feed between every 2-3 hours, but be sure to be consistent. 
2. Always make sure the baby takes the full feeding. If they do not take the full feeding and you just let it go, it can cause a 'grazing' phase with the baby and they will always seem hungry.
3. Don't mix formula and breast milk.
4. Don't switch between formulas.
5. If you baby is gassy, try the sensitive stomach forms of formula. Currently we had to switch to Similac sensitive stomachs. 
6. Burping is encouraged, but it's not the end of the world if they don't burp.

That is all for today! Sorry for the short posts as of late. Things are crazy here at the Myers household! I appreciate you reading this blog! Due to recent requests I will be looking to post on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with an occasional Saturday/Sunday post. Topics will include: Health/Food/Formula, Cleaning (Both house and infant), Safety/Life Events (of Akeyzia), and Toys/Accessories/Etc.

As always, feel free to shoot me an email with questions or anything you'd like covered on this blog to:dadsdiaperbag@gmail.com. 

Coming Home

That Drive Home

Coming home is the most bittersweet feeling in the world. When we left the hospital it was a little nerve-racking for us. We no longer had the nurses staff and nursery at the other end of a telephone to come in and coach us. We no longer had the safety of the hospital in case anything were to go wrong. Most hospitals advise that the female doesn't drive home due to meds or any kind of issues with pain while driving. In our case I took the wheel and drove us home. The amazing thing a newborn does to you is that they make your speedometer not able to go above the speed limit. A funny story for you, we packed up little miss Akeyzia, left the parking lot, went about fifty yards down the road and nearly got rear ended by someone. Great way to start out a journey together, right?

Hospital Stay

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Many dads question if they should stay in the hospital with their S.O. after she gives birth. Some ask if they should stay overnight on that nice comfy couch (sarcasm) or head home for a couple peaceful nights sleep before the baby comes home. The idea rolls around in your head a little, I know it did with me, but in the end this is the biggest test to being a parent. Try to switch things around to make sure you spend the night with your S.O. and newborn to be there for many firsts and moments you will never forget.

First Diaper Change

When I stayed in the hospital with my S.O. I was blessed with the first messy diaper that was conjured up from Satan himself. The terrible concoction of events made it a nerve-wracking experience for me being I've never changed a diaper before in my life, the room was full of at least ten family and friends watching me do it, and above all ensuring you don't vomit. New dads should know that females and males should be cleaned from front to back, and always remember that males have a reflex to urinate when the diaper is pulled off. It is best to use the diaper as a shield for a few moments until they urinate. If they haven't urinated in about thirty-forty five seconds it is 'safe' to continue with the change. It is VERY important to ensure if there is fecal matter to clean it all off and always go towards the bottom of the baby to avoid urinary tract infections.

Hospital Food

Our hospital luckily had a pretty decent cafeteria. The food was fantastic, but always bring some light snacks to get you through the day and save some money from the $1.75 pack of M&Ms in the cafeteria. I unfortunately forgot to do this part, but take some cash with you to the hospital in case your S.O. is hungry for non hospital Jell-O or if you need to grab something to eat. Some hospitals do NOT take credit cards, and have an ATM available with a surcharge of $3.00 or more per transaction.

Shower There or Go Home?

I personally went home around 6:00 A.M each day to grab a coffee from my favorite coffee shop and to also grab a nice high pressure shower to start my new day as a dad. The hospital showers can be unclean, and also carry low pressure in the nozzle causing you to stand there for ten minutes to rinse your hair. Also, taking care of morning business was a lot easier at home, but this was because the hospital porcelain throne was so far off the ground I felt like I was in kindergarten. Your S.O. shouldn't have a problem with you taking off for a little bit to check up on the homestead, feed the fur-babies, and of course come back with some nice flowers or snacks. 

The Carseat

Put the carseat in. Put the carseat in. Put the carseat in. Don't wait until last minute like we did so you don't have to put it in a dark parking garage while trying to be discharged. Every carseat is different, and rather than tell you what to do please be sure to read your car seats manual and vehicle manual to ensure the seat is secure. Unfortunately, my wife's car was a little smaller (2011 Chevy Cruze) and the seat had to go so far up that my knees were hitting the dashboard. Fortunately, I found an article on WebMD (and later confirmed with other safety resources) that you CAN place a car seat in the middle of the backseat and it is completely safe. Some sources state that the middle of the back seat is safer due to a side impact being further away from your babycakes. 

That is all for today! I appreciate you reading this blog! Due to recent requests I will be looking to post on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with an occasional Saturday/Sunday post. Topics will include: Health/Food/Formula, Cleaning (Both house and infant), Safety/Life Events (of Akeyzia), and Toys/Accessories/Etc.

As always, feel free to shoot me an email with questions or anything you'd like covered on this blog to: dadsdiaperbag@gmail.com. 

"Hey, my water just broke"

Hoover Dam

5:47 in the morning on September 1st, 2014 I hear my wife get out of bed, head down the hall, and flush the toilet. Now if you are a soon to be dad or a dad already then you know that this is an every two-hour occurrence for a woman in her third trimester. 5:50 A.M. my wife falls into bed, but yet she doesn't shift around like she normally does to snuggle up close. Yet I feel her looking at me and hear her say "Hey, my water just broke."

Now in the movies "My water just broke" is full of excitement, screaming, and more. My response was a cool calm "Are you f*ckin' with me?" The ongoing joke for the past few weeks was my wife to go into labor on Labor Day as a joke instead of September 2nd; which was her scheduled C-Section date. Although it was no joke, it was real and I was about to become a dad.

Now What?

Many movies portray the water breaking like you need to grab your bags and floor it! Here's a little FYI, unless your S.O. is starting to have contractions take your time. This fortunately is what happened for us. It is a GREAT time to do the below:

1. For you to snag a shower, you'll be in the hospital over night most likely so why not? The hospital showers are a little awkward and have some really crappy water pressure. 
2. For your S.O. to snag a shower. In my wife's case, she felt gross after her water broke and a shower was fantastic before continuing her journey to become a mom.
3. While your S.O. is in the shower feed your pets, change any litters, take out the trash, mail out any bills, etc in case you aren't home for a day or so.
4. Go over your checklist! Snag cell phone chargers, iPads, Kindles, and whatever doodads you need; especially a camera!
5. Leave a spare key for a friend or relative to get into your house in case you need anything or forgot something important.
6. Make sure the hospital bags, diaper bags, spare clothes, your clothes, etc are in the car.
7. Head to the hospital.

My wife - Sorry if you ever see this babe!

Driving to the Hospital

Alright now Dale Earnhardt. Take your time, I know you're scared and excited but this isn't the time to try to make the fastest time from your home to the hospital. You don't want to get into an accident while your S.O. is in labor, and you also don't want to potentially injure pedestrians if you lose control of your vehicle. I know this section is short, but please be careful and drive safe. Sometimes getting to the hospital fast just ends up being "hurry up and wait."

Your S.O. is Heading into the Delivery Room

Each hospital is different, and ours was a C-Section so we had to head into an OR. They took my wife into the OR and told me to sit in this empty delivery room. As I sat there in my scrubs, my camera around my neck, and only my thoughts to occupy me. In that time, I took a few deep breaths and thought about how my mom wasn't going to be around to see this moment (She passed away to cancer in 2011), and if I was going to be a good dad. This moment, if you are to get it, is the most surreal moment of your life. Take it all in and get ready to be a dad. After this moment of serenity I was called into the OR to see my wife laying on the table with a big blue drape in front of her. I was instructed by the assistants to sit on a stool by her head and wait for instruction to stand up. I held my wife's hand and shared a few smiles back and forth (even though I had my mask on). After a few moments and looking into my wife's eyes I saw her start to get a little emotional, she had her moment too. We knew we were about to become parents, and great parents to boot. 

The time came where I heard "OK, stand up!" I stood up and my jaw dropped. I saw her, my daughter, the person I've been waiting to meet for nine whole months; I was looking at Akeyzia Eris Myers. The moment you lay eyes on your child will be a moment that you never want to forget. I never felt such nirvana before in my life like I did on that day. Take it all in, make sure to get pictures, and if you get to cut the cord cut above the clamp away from the baby. I nearly made the cut below the clamp and possibly caused a huge mess. Thankfully the doctor caught what I was doing before I made the cut.

There will be more to follow about the post surgery, recovery, the first diaper change, and more in the next coming week or so! The goal of this blog is to post two times a week. Once on Sunday and once on Thursdays.

Purpose of this Blog

This blog is really meant for me to document a lot of things going on as I learn to be a dad. I wanted to share my experiences with the world just in case any new dads need some pointers, want to laugh, or even have some questions about my experiences. Feel free to email me any questions or concerns you have about becoming a dad. I will be covering a lot of things in this blog and I hope to see your emails! My email is: dadsdiaperbag@gmail.com. If you submit a question let me know if it is NOT OK to feature it on my blog. I will love to answer questions publicly in case people have the same questions you do!

Thank you for reading!