Avoid Northwestern Expectant Fathers Class

Last night I attended the “Expectant Fathers” class at Prentice Womens’ Hospital. The description of the class read, “Fathers will learn about pregnancy and childbirth from a father who has lived through the experience. The relaxed, open forum allows for informal discussions. This class will cover changes that occur in your lifestyle with the addition of a new baby, relationships, helping your partner with pregnancy and childbirth and much more.”

So I ended up there about 30 minutes late but it turned out they were waiting for several other guys, some of whom didn’t even show. We received a book from “Dads Adventure”, the people who do the Daddy Boot Camp seminars. Then the instructor started a powerpoint and never really got anywhere. There was a video clip from some soap opera, another clip from Bill Cosby’s stand-up routing, a picture of Salma Hayek, and a few other random things.

I don’t know for sure what he was trying to do, but he just seemed to be making shit up as he went along. He didn’t seem to have any plan or outline even for the class. I think he was trying to get us to ask questions and discuss but he couldn’t even do that well. I did have to remind my self that the guy is an EMT with the Chicago Fire Department and not a teacher but I think Northwestern could have done a lot better in finding someone to facilitate the class.

We did get a handy book and there was food. But overall, clearly not worth the time or money.

Finding Childcare

So I know he’s not even born yet, but I’ve been spending a lot of time visiting child care places. I had no idea how difficult it was going to be overall.

So far I’ve visited 4 places after conducted a crapload of research. For our needs, the South Loop area seems to be best (and a hotspot of daycare let me tell you). My impressions so far.

KinderCare South Loop – A nice, clean place on State St. Overall, it seemed a little cramped but not bad. The rooms were clean and overall the staff was friendly. A little more pricey than I had imagined but convenient and not out of our budget. There was a small park around the corner that seemed like a good place for the wee ones. It’s on the short list.

Rainforest Learning Center – Found this by accident. I was actually leaving KinderCare and saw a sign for these guys that said “come in” so I went. It is a very art-centered, almost obsessed center. When you walk in, you are overwhelmed by the amount of art all over every flat surface. They were able to give me a tour right then which was nice. A lot of the kids were heading out for a walkabout. Some others were having a little dance class. There was so much going on it was mind boggling. Turns out to be the same price as KinderCare, all organic meals. The infant rooms were larger and seemed very nice.

It Takes a Village – located in River City, this so far is my favorite. Its very convenient for me on my way to work and the facilities were very nice. I walked right by it in the building because its completely nondescript on the outside. The woman who walked me around was very helpful and pleasant. They’re apparently building their own outdoor space at the location which is nice and its cheaper than the others. My wife and I also like that they are a mixed income center.

This morning I went to a placed called Detour2Discovery which was nice bu they don’t open until 7:30. I have one more place to check out called A Child’s Place on Friday morning but I think for now our best bet is ITAV.

“Week 33″ vs “Next Month”

So we’re officially in Week 33. We went in for an ultrasound this past Wednesday where the Dr said everything was normal. Well, normal except for the minor kidney thing which I don’t fully understand but he didn’t seem worried. A few days ago it hit me that he’s going to be born next month. NEXT month! When we were counting weeks it still seemed far off but it really isn’t. The official due date is December 24th but he could come earlier. Its hardly an exact science.

I am so completely unprepared. I have a lot of work to do. Still need to buy the crib. I’ve bought a few clothing items here and there. Still need to find child care. That’s turning out to be harder than I thought. We’ve got some classes coming up so hopefully those will be helpful.

Holy crap. He’s going to be here next month.

Baby Prep month about to begin

This week  is the end of my school’s 1st academic term. Tomorrow is report card pickup with parent conferences and then we’re off for a month. That month I am calling ‘Baby prep’ month.

So far my list of jobs includes buying and setting up a crib, adding additional items to the nursery, beginning to baby-proof the house, attending a new dad class as well as  a parenting class, installing the car seat in the car, and a whole host of other items on the honey-do list.

I’m also going to make time for a cooking class or two as well as some time wandering through some museums. That’s assuming of course I don’t spend too much time at work getting ready for debate.

It’s going to be a busy month.

How Many Books are ‘Too Many’?

So I found myself at Borders yesterday, just killing some time, and naturally I ended up in the parenting section. It’s become a regular stop on my meanderings through book stores right after sci-fi and just before cookbooks.

I did find a book that seemed very helpful called “Parenting Guide to Your Baby’s First Year”. When my wife saw it, she called me ‘cute’. I got a little defensive arguing that since I’m a teacher, research is what I do. I need to have as much information going in as I can. I don’t always do so well just winging it.

The book so far has been very informative. Its from the same people who bring you Parenting Magazine. I especially like that it has personal anecdotes from Dads as well as Moms. There also does not seem to be a single thing in the page making fun of dads.  I’ve only been focused on the information for the first 3 months but that seems enough for now, especially the section that deals with the first hours and days after he arrives.

Knowledge is power and I have a lot to learn in a very short period of time. he’s due in less than 2 months!

Got a new ultrasound pic yesterday

So as we get closer to the due date, things are starting to move from surreal to “holy crap”. He’s moving around a lot which is always cool and yesterday wife came home with some new ultrasound pictures. The Dr. managed to get a couple of good 3D shots of his face. In one, he looks like he’s a got a huge nose but the others are, well, seriously cute.

Its amazing that I can see what he looks like this far away from the due date. I was looking at the picture thinking, “holy shit”. I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to post the actual photos or not. I might but sometimes that seems a little weird.

Fatherhood – Being a Father – Babyzone.com

Fatherhood is filled with joys and challenges. Find out more about the important role fathers play in their children’s lives.

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Book Review: Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Being an Expectant Father

One thing I have found quite annoying is the selection of books out there for new dads. I’m a history guy and a researcher. One of the first things I do when faced with a new task is find a book. Lots and lots of books out there are silly and also a little insulting.

One book that I found which is actually quite helpful is the Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Being an Expectant Father. Like most ‘Idiot’s’ books, this one is well organized and has a lot of great advice. I particularly like the chapter called, “Getting your life ready”. Some of it I could do without. Too many books for dads seem to feel an anatomy and health lesson is always in order and this one is no different but overall this has been a handy little book.

Plus its small so I can read it without too many people noticing that I’m reading a ‘new dads’ book.

Product Review: Delta Eclipse Double Dresser

A word of advice Dads; if you don’t already own a power drill, go out an buy one now. Given how many pieces of furniture you’re likely going to be building, you’ll struggle with a screwdriver unless you have Popeye’s forearms.

That being said, we made our first major baby purchase in the form of a dresser. We’ve been searching for quite a while now and finally decided on the Delta Eclipse double dresser from Target. Cost $249. It comes in only one olor, dark cherry but it’s not a red as we thought from the pictures online.

Putting it together was fairly easy with good directions. It comes with exactly the number of screws and bolts that you need; there are no extras. It is a solid piece of furniture and will clearly last for a long while. It is wide and short and will make a perfect changing surface. Put togther it is 48.5″ wide, 35″ hih, and 31″ deep. In the box it weighs 130lbs. Like I said, it is a solid, well built piece of furniture. There is a matching crib which we will also be purchasing soon.

On top of the dresser are Daisy an George, 2 stuffed animals from Tanya, our friend and neighbor.

Hello world!

Welcome to this new blog. In just over 2 months (give or take) my wife and I will be welcoming our son into this fantastic city. This will be my outlet for sharing that experience and discussing the challenges and surprises of raising a son in the city.