I'm gonna be a daddy!

[meateater]

LOL! Purty much sums it up.

 

[tom37]

Congrats man, everyone has given pretty good advise. Ya just gotta roll with the punches and it will all be good.

And not to worry about being a girl. Here is my stepdaughter and my buddies daughter, 13 yrs old at there first contest. BTW they took 11th if I remember correct.

I thought it was pretty awesome, oh yes these two are the biggest reason for building my trailer rig.

Looks like the girls do as good as the boys.

Good luck and congrats to you and the misses.

 

[jirodriguez]

Congrats!!!

Read to the child every single day...

Yeah good idea! You can read the SMF posts to the kid on a daily basis!

 

 

[smokinstevo27]

I've got that pitiful look down brother bear, it works.

 

Congrats Steve !

Practice your pitiful look---There is always a female around willing to volunteer to change that diaper for a pitiful looking man

It's in their make-up!

Women like to change diapers.

Men & Squirrels like to drink beer, smoke meat, and fart & burp!.

Bear

 

[smokinstevo27]

Thanks everyone! SMF posts will be read to the little one. We've got a barbecue nut on the way!

 

[dalton]

hey bud,

I have a few tidbits for you...

first and foremost...   cherish every minute that you have with your child or children.  having lost one to a brain tumor I can tell you that I only wish I had taken advantage of more time with her.  its easy to let other things get in the way...   work, playing with your buddies, drinking, sports, or whatever is your thing...  I have many freinds who woke up one day and the kids were in their teens...  don't let it happen to you. 

2nd  girls and boys are different yes...   but either one can be a great joy as a father!!  I have 2 girls.  my youngest (she is nine now) just spent this last fall hunting bunnies 5 weekend in a row.  she loved it.  we put 100 bunnies in the freezer and we just finished making some garlic recipie bunny snack sticks together.  the whole time she was telling me how lucky she was to be able to do this with her dad because so many of her freinds don't get that opportunity!!  (made me feel pretty good as a dad!!)  she helped in every part of the hunting...  the shooting, picking up the dead (and bloody) bunnies, cleaning and gutting them, boning out and grinding the meat. I really mean the whole thing!!  some say I am just lucky but I believe that it is all in the raising.  now don't get me wrong...  I encourage my daughter to do "girly" things too, I tell her all the time that its great to be hunter and all, but you have to do other things too.  I want and encorage her to do both "tom boy" stuff and girly stuff.  both have their time and place. 

3rd.  education and learning starts at home LLLLOOOONNNNGGG before school.  reading, learning toys, educational interaction, the biggest for me was teaching the child to be a problem solver.  to teach critical thinking A + B = C...  actions have consequences, good and bad.  ( to give you an idea my daughter was playing chess in kindergarten)  now don't misundertand...  I am not suggesting that you go all "prodegy" on the kid (boy or girl) but that education at home about how to think will build a foundation for learning that they will never get.  think about what you learned in late high school or early college about how to learn, break it down into the most basic elements A+B=C and figure out how to impart that to your child.  it is a little different for everyone but you will find your personal style. 

lastly...   LOVE and PATIENCE are your greatest allies... with your kid, and with your wife.  childhood will teach you  patience wether you like it or not!  just stay involved, resist the temptation to withdraw even when it seems like you are an outsider in the first 8-14 months when mommy is breastfeeding.  just perservere and it will work out. 

all the best for you!!

ps...  sorry if this is more than you were looking for, I am a little passionate about this particular issue!!

dalton

 

[shooterrick]

Congrats!

 

[deannc]

Congratulations!!!  The best advice I can offer is to hold on to and treasure every moment you have with them because before you realize it, they're grown and gone!

 

[rdknb]

Congrats, My best advise is just to love them, all else works it self out

 

[burksmoke]

Congrats!  Hope you are ready for a life change!  No fear you will love it.  My baby (He is 24 now) is my best smoking buddy.  I have 3 kids and 6 grandkids now (we are a prolific bunch of Texicans) Enjoy them while you can, life is way too short.

Burk

 

[smokinstevo27]

I love it. 24 year old baby! My family is tight. I'm the lone boy (28 years old) in a large family of majority women. I LOVE GIRLS, I was raised by my mom and sisters, I will be in love with a daughter, but part of me is hoping for a wee lad to bless the clan.
 

Congrats!  Hope you are ready for a life change!  No fear you will love it.  My baby (He is 24 now) is my best smoking buddy.  I have 3 kids and 6 grandkids now (we are a prolific bunch of Texicans) Enjoy them while you can, life is way too short.

Burk

 

[thebarbequeen]

YAY for both of you! or rather, all Three of you!!  Have fun, all of the above are true, along with "choose your battles", will it matter next week? in a year? in an hour?  Matching socks - really not important, reading aloud, priceless.   Put a good "baby grinder" as we called it, on your list - a small ricer for making baby food out of real food. My daughter would NOT eat baby food! even the applesauce!  Big best wishes to you!  I toast your new addition with an ElysianThe Immortal IPA, in your honor!

 

[smokinstevo27]

Thanks Lady! There are some good ideas in there. That beer has a powerful name LOL.

 

YAY for both of you! or rather, all Three of you!!  Have fun, all of the above are true, along with "choose your battles", will it matter next week? in a year? in an hour?  Matching socks - really not important, reading aloud, priceless.   Put a good "baby grinder" as we called it, on your list - a small ricer for making baby food out of real food. My daughter would NOT eat baby food! even the applesauce!  Big best wishes to you!  I toast your new addition with an ElysianThe Immortal IPA, in your honor!

 

[roller]

Congrats to you and your wife. You have quite the experience ahead of you and many days of enjoyment..Mine are now  33 Daughter and 39 Son....both great kids...would not have changed a thing.

 

[squirrel]

I love that "baby" smell. It is soooo sweet. Except for the poo diapers in the very beginning. OMG that stuff is like nothing you have ever experienced. LOL!

 Also, take lots of pictures and videos. If you don't have a safety deposit box, get one and store pics and vids in there. When I was in high school it was two days after Christmas and our house burnt to the ground. It was devastating to the whole family, but the one thing we couldn't get back were all those cherished photos. We got a few from other family members, but all our baby pics were gone!

 

[Bearcarver]

 We got a few from other family members, but all our baby pics were gone!

Here's one I found of you when you were still bottle feeding. 

 

[mballi3011]

Sleep and a really good camera for life goes by in a flash. So grab as many as you can now. Congrats.