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...

Italio - Orland Park, IL - FREE FOOD DAY Jan 28th!

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% true and my own!

Alright, this almost sounds too good to be true... But, it's not!

Think of if Subway and Chipotle combined to an Italian theme. That's what Italio is like. 

Walk in and down the line to form your own Italian creation.

Begin by choosing a Pasta Bowl, a Piadina (Italian wrap), or a Salad Bowl.

Then add your entree, sauce, toppings, and extras. (Don't forget to try an order of their famous Cannoli chips!)

Here's a sample of their menu - 

They have been very successful at their few locations currently in Florida. But that isn't enough. Chicagoland is getting their share! Italio is opening it's first location outside of Florida, in Orland Park, Illinois. Which just happens to be about 25 minutes from me! I am extremely excited, because I love the concept, and who doesn't like quick Italian food?

They will be giving out FREE FOOD to anyone and everyone on Tuesday January 28th, beginning at 10:45am! One complimentary entree per person will be given free. No gimmicks, just free food. It's their "welcome to the neighborhood". 

15139 S LaGrange Rd. Orland Park, IL is the location, and they will be open every day until 10pm. I hope everyone can make it out to the FREE FOOD day, but if not be sure to stop by any time! The prices are low, and the food is fresh!

Thanks to Italio Kitchen for allowing me to be a part of this special Grand Opening!

Mangiamo!

image via UrbanSpoon.com

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.

 

Day 7 - Baby Model

3:21pm

Little B got a bath last night. Well, she was washed. Until her umbilical cord falls off, she can't be submerged in water. So she has to be sponge bathed. I love when her hair is clean because it's so soft and silky. 

We really buckled down and sorted the whole house last night. We had purchased a few storage bins the day before she went into labor. So they have been sitting around and we finally filled them up last night and stacked them in the garage. Brynlee came outside in her stroller and watched me reorganize our storage in the garage. It was pretty chilly out last night. She had lots of blankets on. 

The real reason we got the house sparkling clean is because Brynlee was a baby model this morning. A photographer was looking for a newborn to model a company's baby headbands. I'm sure you can guess who was chosen to do so....

The lady came to our house this morning to get the photos of Brynlee modeling the headbands and outfits. We get free professional pictures out of the deal, which most people know, are NOT cheap. 

My wife's family is over right now. Her aunt and grandma haven't met B yet. I guess her grandma didn't want to pass Brynlee off for someone else to hold. Too funny!

Here's a few pictures from yesterday. 

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!

Facebook - www.facebook.com/pregoformen

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Week 35 Day 2 - ManHands Soap Co.

1:34pm


My wife called me earlier and said she is having pains in her stomach area, she thinks they might be contractions. Most likely Braxton-Hicks, but you never really know. We could technically have the baby anyday. Hopefully not, because it's a little early, and we aren't quite ready for her yet! At least wait until after the baby shower, little one.

I got up early and washed my car, brought it home and waxed it, too. I know that most men would like a son to be able to teach this type of stuff to, but I am just as excited to teach my daughter how to do these things. She will know how to wax a car, and how to change the oil. If we have a son later on down the road, he will learn too. I am not real knowledgable when it comes to all that car stuff, but I know enough, and it all comes in handy.

Man Hands Soap Company

www.manhandssoap.com

Manly Scented Soap

This one is for the guys! I had the opportunity to sample a few of these soaps from Man Hands Soap Company. As soon as I saw their website, I instantly thought - HOW COOL!


What is better than smelling like your favorite manly thing? Want to smell like money? They have a Cash-scented soap.

Want to smell like the race track? Sure, they have that one too.

How about a nice sweet cigar? Got you covered.



Tell me that is not the coolest thing since sliced bread? Check out what I got in the mail!

Quality packaging, neatly organized.

A magnet for the fridge! Check them out!

Legit stuff, love the coconut oil!

It's funny because it really does smell like cash! Still smells great on the body, too.

Scent is spot-on! But still smells good!

This one is something I couldn't use everyday. But hey, it smells like it's supposed to!

All of these are made by hand. The packaging is superb, they look like something you would find at your local store.

Make sure to check out their website for all of the different scents. Some are really "interesting".

These would make great gifts for the dad, or any man in your life.

They are around 7 dollars each. I think the value is worth it just for the uniqueness, and the laughs you will get as you give these as a gift. But, they are fully functional too!


Some scents available include dill pickle, democrat, beer, margarita, baseball glove, fresh cut grass, new car scent, pizza, spring break, summer citronella, top soil, and tons more.


Thanks, Man Hands!

Man Hands Soap Company
www.manhandssoap.com
Twitter - @ManHandsSoap
Facebook - ManHandsSoap





*Disclaimer: I received free product in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I do not endorse products that I do not believe in.