15 Ways To Spot A Dad

I could make lists for days. I recently thought of a list of things that I sometimes find myself doing. But, only because I am a Dad now.


15 WAYS TO SPOT A DAD


1. He appears exhausted. Always.

-We all know that having kids is a ton of work. And a lot of missed sleep.

2. He has two cup holders in his car. One with a coffee, the other with a baby's bottle.

-If there was only one cup holder, chances are the coffee wouldn't make the cut.

3. He puts the case of beer back on the shelf to make room for the case of diapers in the shopping cart.

-Those days are over. Diapers are the new 24-pack.

4. He can perfectly replicate the theme song to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.

-Over, and over, and over, and over.

5. He knows how to match shoes with outfits.

-Because our kids must always look better than us.

6. He always has a camera phone ready.

-Pictures! It's all about pictures!

7. He judges and criticizes other parents. 

-"My kids will NOT be like those kids!"

8. He assumes that things missing around the house are just under a table somewhere.

-We all know that kids can get into things faster than we can even notice.

9. He has one pair of old, worn out shoes.

-However, the kids have at least 17 pairs each.

10.  His under-the-armpit-smell-check is accompanied by the through-the-diaper-smell-check.

-We have to make sure everyone is still fresh.

11. His garage used to be filled with his toys, now it's filled with kid's toys.

-Who needs tools or a motorcycle when you can have two playhouses, a playskool tool bench, three water tables, and a bicycle before they can even walk?

12. His frozen beer mug in the freezer is replaced with frozen storage bags full of breast milk.

-If only the garage had room for a deep freezer...

13. He sleeps on 1/8th of the bed.

-A 22-inch long baby can take up an awful lot of space in a king sized bed. And he better not even think about rolling over.

14. His wallet is empty.

-Ha. What's money?

15. His furniture is full of stains.

-Do you really expect a kid to get every piece of food into their mouth?

April 2014 Update

Brynlee is, 90 percent of the time, a happy baby. Occasionally she gets a little fussy, but for the most part, we got lucky.

Look at this photo I got of her yesterday, while she was playing with a toy. With how often I am taking pictures of her, we know that she won't be afraid of cameras when she is older.

She gets so excited. Especially when she is pulling on your hooded sweatshirt's strings. She just loves that.

I think I am enjoying this stage of her life a little more than when she was first born. She has a personality now, and she recognizes me. She is more fun to interact with. I can play with her and she will respond with sounds, or smiles, or laughs. Kind of like a puppy, but a human version.

She eats puree'd foods now. She really likes mangos. Rice cereal works to fill her up, too. Still loves her bottles though. She knows when it's time, and she will start kicking with joy when she notices the bottle in your hand.

Her Grandma, and her Great Aunt help us babysit when we are at work. Sometimes I think that she is more excited to see them, than she is to see us. She really enjoys her time with them. It's safe to say by the look on her face when she makes eye contact with them both. We are very grateful.

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is her very favorite television show. We try to limit her time in front of the TV, because studies show that it isn't great for children under 2. But, how can you keep her completely away? You never will. When the Daniel Tiger theme song comes on, she knows it. She will freeze whatever she is doing, and turn to watch. It's pretty amazing. Her memory is fantastic.

Image from PBS.org