BOL Round Table

Congrats man. Being a parent is the best thing there is. I won't bother trying to tell you what it's like because nobody can. You don't realize how much you can love someone until you hold that baby.

Anyway best advice I can give is have some family around, preferably your mom and/or hers when the baby first comes home. A little help during that time is always good, you and your wife will be tired an freaking out a little. Just relax, you'll figure it all out a you go just like the rest of us did. Good luck and enjoy the new kid, it goes by faster than you can imagine.

Also take ridiculous amounts of pictures and video. No matter how much you have, later on you'll wish you had more.

Congrats. Buy a gun and drum up a fake arrest record for when the boys come over.

As someone mentioned above having the grandparents over to give you and your wife a break here and there is a big help. I think the best advice anyone gave us was to not put the baby on a schedule right out of the gate. Just sleep when she sleeps and don't try making her eat. Even as an infant they will let you know when they want to eat. Good luck man and as long as you love that little girl with all your heart the rest will work itself out.

I have a 7 week old, so I'm in the trenches right now. Everyone will tell you how great it is, and it's true, but here's the cold truth as I've been through it so far.

First, make it a priority to figure out how to make your baby sleep. We have to use a combination of swaddling, a fully tummy and white noise. Without this magic formula, he only sleeps for 2-3 hours at a time. With this combination, we can get up to 6 hours of sleep out of the little guy.

Second, there will be times where your little one cries for no reason. That's okay. Sometimes my little one just needs to cry for a bit. I don't know if it's exercise or if he's working out his lungs or what it is, but he just enjoys crying for a spell. If you can comfort your little one, even for a moment, nothing is wrong. If you can't get your little one to stop crying, then there may be a problem.

Third, know that your wife's hormones will still be out of whack. She will cry for silly reasons. She will get furious for silly reasons. She will take everything the baby does personally. It can be really hard on you, so be prepared. Do your best to be supportive and strong for her (and resist the urge to engage in any fights).

Finally, make sure you find some quiet time for you, make some quiet time for your wife and try to spend one night a week together and away from the baby after the first couple of weeks. Your marriage will need this time. Your wife (if she is like mine) will need to get used to being away from the little one and your little girl needs to get used to you not always being there.

Oh, and one more finally. Don't let your little girl sleep in the bed with you. Not only does it increase the risk of SIDS but it also starts creating a bad habit.

It will be an awesome experience for you, but it ain't easy. Frankly, you will hate it at times. But it's totally worth it. The days will drag on but the weeks will fly by. Always make sure you have plenty of formula and diapers and try to enjoy the ride!

Sippin' whiskey helps with the crying and sleeping imo

Crush up some Tylenol PM and mix it in the formula to help with sleep imo

What kind of whiskey does a baby like?

Just had a little girl ourselves. Here's the honest to God's best advice I can give you.

- Keep the visitors to a BARE minimum in the hospital.....it gets overwhelming quick
- Be a rock for your wife, she'll go through a ton of changes/hormones/emotions in a quick span
- The first 3 weeks are borderline unbearable (adapting, lack of sleep, emotions, crying, doctor)
- Pray that she doesn't have colic or reflux (tears your heart up to see your little one hurt)
- If your wife has a hard time breast feeding.....brace yourself
- The baby blues and postpartum are very real (she may or may not get them)
- Between 6-12 weeks, EVERYTHING changes for the better!!!
- The first time she smiles, you'll crumble
- Get out of the house as much as possible and don't get "cabin fever"
- Pick a routine/schedule (choose one, it doesn't matter) and stick with it, don't bounce around
- Have patience, they are a handful
- and finally, LOVE HER LIKE CRAZY. They are work, but they are the biggest blessing in the world.

- Our little girl is 12 weeks old and we are just now reaping the rewards of the schedule, her getting a little older, and us hitting our stride as new parents. She is 100 times better than she was just a month ago, and while the days seemed long and miserable at times in the beginning, I wouldn't trade a second of it for a million dollars. We now have a beautiful little girl who is on a great routine, sleeps 10+ hours a night, is happy as can be, and is growing up WAY to fast!

Congrats my man!!

only the best imo. your baby's well-being is not something you want to threaten by pinching pennies