Four Months Photo Update

I think it's time for some more pictures from the last month. She was four months old on January 15th. She is almost five months old now... I guess I am a little late...

Up Close with ROGAINE Hair Regrowth Treatment

“I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Dad Central for ROGAINE®. I received a product sample and promotional item to thank me for participating.”

First of all, you are all probably thinking... What? ROGAINE? Kevin, you are only 26 years old?

Well, I haven't had to use it yet, but I am intrigued by some of the people who do.

Have you seen the show Giuliana & Bill? Bill Rancic is the ROGAINE brand's first-ever "Growth Coach". He was also the first winner of Donald Trump's show, The Apprentice. I had no idea that he struggled with hair loss, and I think it's great that someone so genuine, is representing the brand.

"When I started noticing that my hair was thinning, I knew I had two options: sit back, let it happen, and go bald, or take control, find something that works and make a commitment to solving the problem." - Bill Rancic

Team up with Men's Health and ROGAINE to Grow Your Game. Several coaches are teaming up with guys to make their lives better. Follow along with them as they change their habits. Every day there are new updates, coupons, and advice! They have helped me change my outlook on how I choose my daily routine. Also to be healthier, and be a better parent.

As a father, I believe it is important to be your best at it every single day. If you can be the best dad, the opportunities are endless. Your children will grow to appreciate your dedication, and you will, too.

Here are some interesting facts about ROGAINE Foam -

- The product is intended for use twice daily, and results will appear in about 16 weeks when used as directed.

- Contains 5% minoxidil, which is the ONLY topical ingredient that is FDA-approved to regrow hair.

- 9 out of 10 men regrew hair when they used ROGAINE Foam twice daily for 16 weeks.

- Can be applied to dry or towel dried hair; follow with the styling products of your choice and can be used on colored or chemically-treated hair.

- Must continue use of Men's ROGAINE Foam to maintain results.

- Suggested Retail Price: $29.99 for a one month supply and $49.99 for a three month supply.

- Hereditary hair loss affects up to 40% of all men, and 66% of men ages 25-34 are extremely likely to use a hair replacement treatment - up from 42% a year ago.

- Available without a prescription.

- ROGAINE is the category leader, with almost 60% share in the marketplace. I am sure you have all heard of them!

Save up to 42% at www.rogaine.com when you sign up to have automatic shipments of ROGAINE Foam delivered to your door for less than $17/month!


To learn more about ROGAINE and hair loss, go to www.rogaine.com.

Testicular Cancer Awareness

I think it's very important to share this message about Testicular Cancer Awareness. Men don't check as often as they should, and it's so simple to do.

Please take a moment to watch this video made by a fellow Dad Blogger's son and friends.

And don't forget to check! It could save your life!

Chicago Parent Magazine

6:51pm



I wanted to let everyone know that I have recently been accepted as a blogger for Chicago Parent Magazine! I am thrilled to be a part of such a great community of parents. I never thought that I would get this far.

So starting this month, you will be able to see some of my posts over on ChicagoParent.com. I will keep blogging here, as well.

Brynlee has been growing so quickly, that I can't even keep up. It's hard for us to tell, because we are around her everyday. I was going through some older pictures of her, and couldn't believe how small she was just a few months ago. Now she looks like a monster!

My wife went back to work December 30th. Luckily, we have great family that can help us with babysitting. They come to our home to watch her, and THEY DON'T CHARGE! How jealous are you, now? We are blessed.

Brit's mom takes Mondays.
I take Tuesdays.
My aunt watches her on Wednesdays.
I have her on Thursdays.
My mom does Fridays.
And then Brit has her on the weekends.

It all works out really well for us. Sometimes my schedule changes so we have to adjust, but it looks like I will be able to keep this setup pretty regularly. We aren't as concerned about how high child care costs are as much as we are about the quality of the care. My aunt spent a LOT of time with me when I was little, so my mom likes to credit her with most of my learning. I am excited for Brynlee to get the same treatment.

My wife surprised me with a fantastic Nikon D5300 (the newest camera they have!) for Christmas. So now I am able to take my photography to a MUCH higher level. Trust me, I have a long way to go, but I have been working on my skills at every chance that I get. (Not as many as I would like. We have a three month old, remember?)

We also bought a new computer, since my laptop that I used to blog from, died. I still have to recover all of the images off of the hard drive, but until then, this new computer is working great. iMac anyone?

I look forward to all of the new adventures that this year should bring! Remember to keep an eye out for me at ChicagoParent.com.

Say Yes To Less - Distractions

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Little Remedies. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Even before Brynlee was born, my wife and I decided that we wanted to keep everything we gave the baby as natural as possible. She was going to breast feed. We would make our own baby food at home. Only natural medicines in our cabinets. The way it should be.

So far, this has all been true. When Brynlee was born, we found a nearby pediatrician who is all about being all-natural, and homeopathic. We aren't "yuppy" or strict about what we eat, but I do believe that all these unnecessary "additives" that we consume are effecting our bodies. Maybe not right away, but down the road this will all catch up. Hormones, pesticides, sweeteners, and other unnatural additions to our food/medicines, are killing us.

When we started going to her, and she explained some of the reasons that she believes that natural is the way to go, we knew that we had to stick to it. We only use organic/natural body wash and shampoo, no more fabric softener, and natural medicines. It is more expensive, but worth it. Good health is key.

This is why we chose to "Say Yes To Less", and we encourage you to, as well.

Now, even after talking about how much we dislike unnatural additives in things that we consume, I actually pledged to Say Yes To Less - Distractions. 

Today, you cannot go anywhere without seeing a smartphone in someone's hand. This includes my family. I am the biggest culprit. I will have a laptop, iPad, and iPhone all going at the same time. What's wrong with that? Well, they are distractions. Distracting us from the world around us. Our growing family, world affairs, and immediate surroundings are all sidelined by "updates" and "notifications" from electronic devices. These are times that we need to cherish. Our baby is growing and changing quickly and these are the moments that we can never get back. Like they say, "Don't blink, because life will pass you by." 

We are going to work on spending less time on electronics so that we can spend more time with our family. As you have noticed, I have recently slowed down my blog postings because of this reason. Too much time is spent on the computer and not enough with my little girl, who won't be so little before we know it. 

We actually haven't used any medicine with Bryn yet, but we have a full Little Remedies line-up on hand, just in case. They don't use any unnecessary products in the ingredients, and that is important to us. We have tried gripe water with her to help when she is gassy. And it seems to work pretty well. 

We make sure to use hand sanitizer before we touch her face, and I am really weird about making sure to use antibacterial sanitizer on just about every surface in the house. It must be working. We need to get our flu shots, but I have heard mixed reviews. I have never had one, because I have never really been affected by the flu. For Brynlee's sake, it's probably best that we are immunized, though. 

PregoForMen Top Halloween Movies 2013

It's that time of the year again. One of my favorites, actually. 

Spooky costumes, scary movies, and LOTS of candy!

I'm already in trouble for eating half of the trick-or-treat candy that we bought last week. It's so delicious. And available. It's my wife's fault for putting it out in a bowl already. What do you expect?

(Not so much the scary movie part, I'm a wuss when it comes to scary movies, and haunted houses. I once watched "The Ring" on mute.)

This reminds me that I need to start skimming through the movie channels for some of my favorite Halloween movies. Here's my top 5, not necessarily in order. 

1. Hocus Pocus

-After 300 years, three sister witches are resurrected in Salem Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it us up to two teenagers, a young girl, and an immortal cat to put an end to the witches reign of terror once and for all.

2. Scary Movie 2

-Four teens are tricked by their professor into visiting a haunted house for a school project.

3. Friday the 13th

-Camp counselors are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to reopen a summer camp that was the site of a child's drowning.

4. Halloween

-A psychotic murderer institutionalized since childhood for the murder of his sister, escapes and stalks a bookish teenage girl and her friends while his doctor chases him through the streets.

5. The Nightmare Before Christmas

-Jack Skellington, king of Halloweentown, discovers Christmas Town, but doesn't quite understand the concept.

All images and descriptions via IMDB.com

Day 20 - Work Vs. Family

10:08pm




I really don't have much to say. I haven't really been home lately. Last night I was so tired that I fell asleep without setting my alarm on my phone. So I woke up a little late, and made it to work about fifteen minutes after I was scheduled to start. I have a lot of overtime this week, and it will help to offset the fact that my wife is off of work. But at the same time, I am missing out on a lot of time with our new baby.



Is it worth it?


The question is hard to answer. We could use the extra money, but is it worth missing the first few weeks of her life? I am barely ever home. Just enough to eat and sleep.

This is probably the most time we will be able to spend together, as a family, in a long time. When is the next time my wife will have eight weeks off of work? I only get three weeks total, each year, for vacation time. I think she gets two. So is the extra few hundred dollars worth all this bonding time that we could be having with our new daughter?

The United States needs to give fathers paternity leave. Even if it's for a week or two, that's better than nothing. I, like most dads, need to work while our wives are on maternity leave, because there aren't many Americans that can afford to both take off.

So I will continue to miss out on my daughter's life. I don't really have a choice. It's a shame, really. But what choice is there? Win the lottery? I would have to play for that to happen...

Sign up with womensforum.com for a chance to win a nursery! (this one's for you, moms!)

*This blog contains affiliate links. All opinions are 100% my own.

Day 16 - How Long Until We Can Eat A Normal Dinner Again?

10:06pm



How long until we can eat a normal dinner again?

Brynlee likes to interrupt our mealtimes, as if she knows what she is doing. Like she doesn't want us to eat. It's all about her now. If we are doing something, she wants the attention. She makes sure that she eats first. She is so spoiled.

Tonight, for example.

I brought home a few strip steaks for dinner. My wife started cooking them shortly after I got home. I was watching the first Blackhawks game of the season, with little B. Well, she wasn't really watching, but she was with me. So when dinner was ready, she brought it out in to the living room, so that we could eat while watching the game. Right away Brynlee starts crying for food. So my wife has to let her food sit to feed her.

I get about halfway done with my food, and my wife hasn't even touched hers yet. I get up to use the restroom, during a pause in the game. I hear an "Oh my God!" from the living room, followed shortly by a "Kevin, I need your help!".

I come out to find that Brynlee decided to poop out the top of the back of her diaper. Soaked her onesie, and made a mess of herself. Great! Now we both have to stop eating to get her all cleaned up and redressed. Needless to say, the steaks still tasted good. But yes, everything was cold by the time we were able to eat. This happens regularly I'd say.


We both love her so much. We don't know what we would do without her. It's hard to imagine that we didn't have her before. It's awesome to be a dad. Very tough, especially for mom, but totally worth it.


Can I get a warm steak now, please?





Little B couldn't handle the hockey game, she passed out (for a few minutes, until dinner was done) after the first period.

 

Week 38 Day 7 - Packing Hospital Bags

8:48pm

More organizing of the baby's room. Your probably wondering why it needs to be reorganized every day. I was, too. But every time we see someone, or go somewhere, we end up with more stuff for her. We are running out of room! 

It actually looks really good in there at the moment. Everything found a place and we even had the Scentsy thing going, except now the whole house smells like baby powder. I'm not a fan of that scent. 

This is her Scentsy warmer. If you aren't familiar with Scentsy, it is like a potpourri kind of deal, but the warmer melts scented wax. They work really well. You can buy all different kinds through your local Scentsy consultant.

Her changing table - 

And we are packing bags tonight, too. Here is a list of things we are bringing for the baby. 

If we forgot anything, or you have any suggestions on what to bring, or what not to bring to the hospital, let us know!

Week 38 Day 6 - Finishing Touches

11:29pm

This baby sure is kicking a lot. Now when she moves, the belly really stretches. I'm waiting for a foot to show through the skin or something. Pretty wild. 

We finally got baby's bedding and it all set up in her crib. Tell me what you think, my wife picked it out. 

And of course, my favorite part...

Her sign that says "I have found my Prince, I call him daddy".

The bedding is handmade and took ten weeks to receive. Seemed like forever, but her room is finally ready. We also got a changing table, too!

It was my mom's birthday yesterday so we surprised her tonight with a cake!

*This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are 100% my own.

Week 38 Day 4 - Relax!

8:12pm



INJURY REPORT! -



As you all know, I am an apprentice butcher. What that means, is that I am learning all of the cuts of meat, and how to fabricate them. We use machines such as tying machines, meat cubers, grinders, and band saws. The saw is very dangerous, and has no mercy. I have seen some pretty battered up hands after an encounter with the saw.


So now that you understand that, I cut the tip of my finger off at work today. You might not want to look at this picture if you are sensitive to blood.

I'm just kidding. It was pretty much nothing. And it wasn't from the saw, or even a knife. Somehow pulled the skin up after my fingernail. Sorry, I thought it was funny.

My wife is just finishing up the Thank You cards. I should write her a Thank You card for doing them all. What a job that is. Holy crap.

Other than that, today is one of our first "Relax" days. I can't even tell you the last time that we sat down and didn't do anything. There is ALWAYS something to do around here. It really takes a lot of energy out of you. She can't even come home after work without falling asleep.

We need to catch up on as much as we can now, because when the baby is here, we are on her schedule.



Be sure to check out the new "Coupons" page. There are some great offers that I think many of you could benefit from. Lots of diaper coupons, and we already know, that diapers are NOT CHEAP!

Week 38 Day 1 - Get Out The Dreft

9:37pm

I met my wife at my parents house, after work. Some of my family was over swimming. When I got there, we started grilling out. Burgers, chicken kabobs, and sausages. They like when I cook, since I am the "culinary-inclined" one in the family. 

One of the friends of the family has a newborn, and two other small kids. So we were able to have a little taste of what we will be experiencing shortly. I didn't hold him, but my wife did for a while. She likes that kind of stuff, but I am still a little shy with babies. I'm sure it will be different with my own. 

Right now we are in the babies room sorting some more of her stuff. Also putting together a pile of her clothes, and blankets, etc, that needs to get washed. We bought a big bottle of Dreft laundry soap. I never realized that babies have different laundry detergent than us. I have learned quite a bit about newborns and being a father already, seems like something new every day. And she isn't even here yet. 

Week 37 Day 4 - Why Was PregoForMen Created?

7:52pm




Here's a question that I have never had to answer.


Why did I start writing this blog?


To be honest, I am not even sure. As soon as I found out my wife was pregnant, I decided that I wanted to keep some sort of journal. I had seen links to other blogs online, and I thought to myself, I am much better at typing than I am at handwriting. I like hobbies, and I think writing is a healthy one. Since it only took about 30 minutes out of the day to write about what the following day consisted of, it wasn't too time consuming, either. So I did a little research about the different blogging platforms available, and I chose to use Blogger, and got to writing.


At first I was updating a few times throughout the day, but that got tedious. I also realized that people probably don't care about how much I eat during the day, or what happens at work. I wanted to focus more on pregnancy. So I'm trying my best to keep to the subject, but the truth is, pregnancy isn't all that exciting on a daily basis. There's only so many times you can watch the baby move in her stomach, before it's not much to see anymore. Don't take it the wrong way, I love seeing her move, but I don't feel the need to stare for hours at her belly. I do like to take an occasional headrest on there, usually to get booted off by the baby. I don't think she likes when my head squishes her.

I write a new post every day, and haven't missed one since I started. But I'm thinking that I won't be able to update daily after she is born. I already know that I won't have the time, and there are going to be things to do that are far more important than sitting down to write. However, I plan on doing my best. I think it is important to create a sort of memoir that we all can look back on. Plus, it's an easy way for our families to keep up to date with what's going on, without having to call.

Pregnancy From A Guy's Perspective has evolved from a simple blog, to an active Facebook page, a daily Google+ page, a unique Tumblr profile, an interactive Instagram account, and a lively Twitter fanbase. PregoForMen has reached over 20,000+ views since inception earlier this year.

I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every minute I have put into this.


And, THAT is why PregoForMen was created.






Want to start from the beginning? Here's the very first post!
February 19, 2013 - Week 10 Day 1

Remember this photo?

Week 35 Day 5 - Chuck Taylor's and Pig's Feet?

9:10pm



Well it's almost baby shower time! I am not looking forward to lugging all the gifts home. I am not even sure where we are going to put it all. We have so much already, from people that have sent the gifts straight to our home. Yikes! Time for a bigger house!


Got my first pair of Chuck Taylors tonight. My wife had to pick up some shoes for the baby shower, so naturally, I get the second pair(because it was buy one, get one half off). Thanks Famous Footwear. Do you know what Chuck Taylors are? Converse!

I am only about 40 years late to that fashion party....

Here is a 34 week photo of the wife, and the spoiled little baby.

I am going to go eat my taco bell. We got some new "products" in at work. Made me crave mexican food. Hope you enjoy your meals after this one!

Mmm, pig's feet!

See, you could have my job. That's what I deal with on a daily basis. And lot's of fish, too. Nothing like smelling like a dirty salmon when you come home from work. Ask my wife, she will tell you. 

Like this blog? Why don't you share us! Remember, there is a new post every day!

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Week 32 Day 6 - Shower Cake

10:42am



Heading out to go to a bakery to pick out a cake style that we like for the baby shower. I am actually off of work for once on a weekend. Had to request it, because they usually aren't freebies. So hopefully we can find a cake flavor that we want, and get that taken care of today.

We also have to stop at the hospital and get her breast pump. We found out that our insurance covers most of the cost, we have to pay up front, but will get reimbursed within the next month. Those things are expensive, so this isn't a bad deal. Make sure to always check with your insurance company to see what they cover. I wouldn't have thought of this but we seen somewhere else that this is possible. We have Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Maybe I will be able to talk to my wife into letting me get some new jeans. I'm going on like 3 years on my current pairs. I'm sure I won't be able to get much of anything after the baby gets here, so time to stock up now!

Not our cake. Just a photo!

Week 32 Day 4 - Don't Take The Girl

9:45am


I heard this old Tim McGraw song on the radio a few days ago. I don't know if it's because I am going to be a father, or because I am older and more mature, but this song really gets to me. I'm pretty sure if anyone listens to the lyrics, it will have them choked up. Especially the end. Great song, though.

Tim McGraw - Don't Take The Girl

Another great song about being a father. Classic Conway Twitty.

Conway Twitty - That's My Job

Tim McGraw has the best father/daughter songs. 

Tim McGraw - My Little Girl

Week 32 Day 3 - Sumo-Baby

9:51am


We finally got a few better pictures yesterday. Still not great. Still not photo-frame worthy. But a better idea of how she looks.

We stopped at my mom's afterwards. My wife and her decided to dig out my old photo albums from when I was a baby, to compare. It is a lot of fun to see old pictures of yourself. I don't remember a lot of them, so it was nice to see them again. Actually, I don't know if I have ever seen some of the newborn photos. Maybe I just don't remember, which happens to me a lot. At first I thought that she looks just like my wife, but after seeing my baby photos, she does look a lot like I did as a baby.

Baby is pretty chunky already. My wife said, about me, to the ultrasound tech, "Look she has your chin!". The ultrasound tech responded, "Which one?". She already has a little double chin! My wife was pretty chunky too when she was born. She looked like a little sumo-wrestler. Don't worry, she will tell you the same thing.


My wife has had a lot more energy lately. Which is good. For a while there, she didn't want to do much of anything. That's changed and she is up to going places, and getting things done.

I think we have some 32 week baby bump stickers around here somewhere. I'll have to get those out so we can take some updated pictures!

Week 32 Day 2 - Am I Ready? Not At All.

2:18pm



32 weeks. Wow. It's coming down to the end of the pregnancy journey. But it's only the beginning of the REAL journey. Fatherhood.

Am I nervous? Absolutely.
Am I ready? Not at all.
Am I excited? You bet.

I think that writing this blog has prepared me a lot more than if I hadn't. I have learned the most from my wife, and doctor's visits. But this blog has "forced" me to read more, and do some extra research on baby-related things that I'm sure I wouldn't have otherwise. Every time my wife says "Come on Kev, your on the computer again?", I know that it's for my own good. It might seem like I spend too much time online, but I really don't. Just enough time to write for the day, maybe check up on my Facebook page, interact with some of my Twitter followers, and possibly upload a picture or two to Instagram. I can do all of that in less than 45 minutes a day. Thanks to technology, I can actually do it all from just my iPhone.

Today, we are going to our last attempt at a good 3d/4d ultrasound face picture. The last two were pretty unsuccessful. If she doesn't want to smile for the camera today, then so be it. You can't force a baby to move inside the womb. We'll see.

Notice the odd shape? That's baby moving!

Just a little movement from the baby!

Seen this cropduster flying over our house today. I have never seen anything like this before. Welcome to the country!

Week 31 Day 1 - Sorry, You're Going To Have To Wait

10:27pm



I promised pictures of the crib. I lied. It's late and we just got home from my parent's house. Sorry, but you're going to have to wait until tomorrow. I am off and will write up a good post with lots of pictures! We had another "re-do" for our original 3d ultrasound today, because the first time she was hiding her little face. This time wasn't much better, unfortunately. She is very stubborn, like her mother. (Shhh....)  Tomorrow I will put up some pictures.


Our crib turned out awesome! I love it. We both love it. She will love it. If she even remembers it. I was thinking about that earlier. I don't remember my crib from when I was little. Does anyone?


Here's a little preview!

Setting up the crib

Week 30 Day 7 - WhirlyBall

8:17pm



So yesterday we finished the baby's room. Or at least got it painted and all of the "storage" stuff out of there. Today I worked all day, and my wife met me at the grocery store when I got off. We picked up a bunch of groceries (not like we don't already have a freezer full). But most of our snack foods were depleted. That's what we eat the most of. Oh, and milk and eggs.

We are probably going to eat a quick dinner and then start setting up her crib tonight. I was planning on doing it Tuesday, my day off, but some circumstances changed at work, and I might have to go in Tuesday night. It would all be overtime so it's hard to pass that opportunity up. Hopefully we can get it done tonight, it says one hour on the box, but I know it's probably going to take just a little longer than that.

Last night we went out for my wife's sister's birthday. She had a party at a "WhirlyBall" place. I'm not too sure if these are worldwide, or how well known this "sport" is, but it was pretty neat. It was our first time there, and their are a few locations around Chicago. Some of my friends have gone there before, and always talked about how much fun it is. It's basically like a large basketball court, but you are in bumper cars, and hold scoops and a ball. You can pass the ball to others, using your "scoop". It reminded me of LaCrosse but on a basketball court, in bumper cars. You can see their website - http://www.whirlyball.com

Stock photo http://www.newhco.com

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