I'm a dad!!!! (1 Viewer)

[nolesrule]

Well, I've been a dad for a week now, but this is the first chance I've had to post about it.

Rachel Orli was born on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 at 11:38pm. She was a teeny tiny 4 lbs 13 oz., and 17.5 inches short. Even though she is small, she's a healthy, beautiful little girl.

I've spent the last week falling in love with her (and not sleeping much).

 

[Bryan X]

Congrats and cherish EVERY single minute. Even the ones where she's keeping you up at night. What they say is true-- before you know it she will be all grown up.

 

[Mike~Sileck]

Congrats!!

(Oh reallllly?)

lol just kidding, seriously, thats awesome, best of health and happiness

 

[ZacharyTait]

Congrats! Look forward to the next 18 years of your life going by in a hurry. To paraphrase the wise Ferris Bueller "If you don't stop and appreciate her once in while, you could miss it."

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Congratulations. Best day ever?

 

[Chu Gai]

Looking forward to seeing pictures of the little one

 

[drobbins]

Congratulations!!

I need to give you a word of warning though. Babies can have strange effects on even the most self controlled, reserved men. In a few months she will start doing her cute giggling & laughing routine. You will probably get caught up in this, especially is nobody else is around. Durning this time DO NOT put one of those suction cup toys on your forehead!! There should be warning labels on either the toy or the baby or both. It will leave a 2" diameter bright red circle on your forehead that does not go away for days. It is imposable to be taken seriously at work especially if you supervise other workers. The ladies at church will not-so-discreetly laughed behind your back. I was in the checkout line at the hardware store and the guy behind me congratulated me on my child. I said thanks, and asked him how he knew. He stated that he had a red circle on his forehead once that looked just like mine.

Be sure to enjoy these times.

 

[Todd H]

Congratulations! We're expecting our first July 28. Can't wait.

 

[JonZ]

Congradulations!!!

 

[nolesrule]

Thanks for the advice on the suction cup toys Dave. I'll try to remember it.

You want to see photos? I have hundreds of them from my family, and I'm just now starting to get them posted. Here's the stuff that is mostly from my camera, with a couple pics from my parents sprinkled in.

http://www.kauffmanfamily.com/gallery/v/rok2007/

 

[Mike Frezon]

Just found this thread, Joe! Thank goodness you had posted the pictures by the time I got here. Rachel is beautiful. You and your family are blessed.

It's true about how fast time flies. I'm marrying off my little girl this summer. She'll be 21. She graduates Cornell in May. Her little brother who'll be 17 this summer will be off to college in another couple of years.

I've shared this story before... When I was a young Dad I would take my favorite baby picture and have it developed as a 5x7 and keep it in a frame on my desk. Then when I'd get a new one I'd just place it in front of the old one and so on until I had too many pictures stored in the frame. So, I went and got a photo album with pages for 5x7 prints and still keep it within reach at my desk. Any time I'm having a bad day at the office, I just pull out that book and flip through it and, without fail, everything becomes all right.

There is no happier day than the birth of your child. Congratulations! You have many happy years ahead. And challenging years, too. But mostly happy!

 

[Alf S]

Congrats!!

 

[nolesrule]

Woohoo! For once, the famous Mike Frezon posts in a thread I started rather than vice versa.

Seriously, thanks for the kind words. The story about the 5x7s is really touching.

I never knew I could ever fall in love with anyone as fast as I did with little Rachel. As I was sitting there holding her waiting nearly an hour for my wife to be wheeled into the recovery room (we had a semi-emergency c-section after an induction that didn't go well), we just kept studying each other. I was so tired after a long day (the induction started at 6am, and she was born at 11:28pm), but to be alone in the room with her was the most amazing bonding experience of my life.

Good news is she's definitely putting on weight. I don't think she's hit 5 lbs yet, but her skin isn't as loose on her body as it used to be. I think she is having a growth spurt because she was ravenous today and fed more often than usual.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Dude: she'll be filling out before you know it. It is always amazing how hardy those tiny little people can be. Tougher than nails and strong in spirit!

The trick for you now will be to find a weekly roundup of diaper prices!

 

[Sami Kallio]

Congratulations!


Our first is due on July 9th.

 

[Bob Turnbull]

Ain't that a kicker? Trust me, it keeps growing every day too.

Whoops, I think I just heard Mark Hastings wretch at that last comment, so I'll cut out the sensitive Dad stuff.

Congrats Joe. Looks like Rachel is in fine hands.

 

[Holadem]

Congrats Joe.

We should start a post your children/family's picture thread.

--
H

 

[Todd H]

Are you a little nervous? I wasn't at first but the closer we get the more nervous I get.

 

[Sami Kallio]

Excited at first when we saw the ultrasound, then it kind of cooled down with busy time at work, now that she is saying the baby is moving I am getting both excited and nervous. It's also the first grandchild on both sides of the family so everyone else is excited as well. Best time of my life right now...

 

[andrew markworthy]

Congratulations. Nothing anyone can write will come close to matching the feeling.

When my wife was in hospital having our first child, in a bed opposite (I don't know how it is in the USA, but in the UK open plan wards are the norm) was a girl (I use the term advisedly) who'd just had her first baby to a member of a Hell's Angel chapter. Various menacing hairy bikers came in to visit mother and baby, and every one of them was reduced to a helpless gooey state at the sight of the baby.