Hello Dad - A parenting and lifestyle blog.

Dear Son: Learning to Ride a Bike

Dear Son,

I was in the shower this morning and for some reason started daydreaming about what it might be like to teach you how to ride a bike without training wheels.

Beyond the G.I. Joe airplane that I got for Christmas one year, learning how to ride a bike with no training wheels is one of my earliest childhood memories.

My mother and I lived in a townhome in North Carolina and there was a long grassy hill — not too steep — on the side of our house. That’s where I learned to ride a bike without training wheels.

Depending on who you ask, you might get one of two versions about how this all transpired.

Let the Crib Hunt Begin!

Is it just me or does picking out a baby crib feel like a big deal?

Maybe it’s a first timers anxiety. Who knows.

Not only do I want the crib to be safe for our baby, but I want it to be aesthetically appealing as well.

My wife kicked off the hunt by sending me a photo of the crib and dresser set seen below.

It’s a nice looking crib, but at first glance it felt very bulky.

The Boy or Girl Doctor Visit

It happened today.

We found out if were going to have a boy or girl. And I have to say it was an amazing moment.

This particular doctors visit has been a standout date in my mind. I’m guessing that, other than the obvious, this visit helps calm one small piece of pregnancy related anxiety. Or, at a minimum, it gives you a bit of direction.

My wife was on the doctors table and I was sitting to her left. We both patiently watched as the doctor moved the “magic wand” around her belly taking all of the required photos.

Shopping for Maternity Clothes

Weight gain.

It’s one of the “joys” of pregnancy.

Pre-pregnancy my wife was fit and her body was in all around good shape. Now that she’s growing an alien (as we joke) her body is going through the transformation that pregnant women experience.

This makes the clothes situations tricky, and in some cases, miserable.

She’s taken to a couple pairs of maternity pants (more on that in a second), but tops still prove to be a challenge. She’s at that awkward stage where the belly is getting larger, but you can’t (don’t kill me for saying this) quite tell if she’s pregnant or just gained weight.

Are Dads Accidentally Left Out?

I’m an only child and was raised by a single mother from a very young age.

So, you might say that I really don’t have a model to follow in terms of what it’s like to be a dad, or even, what a dad should do. Although, I do know that I want to be involved in the pregnancy process and I want to be an active father for my child.

What I’ve quickly noticed though is that it’s extremely easy for men to be left out of so many things pregnancy related, and I think this extends beyond the birth of the child. Surely you’ve heard people say that moms do all the work and that dad is hardly ever present. Yes, some dads end up being slack, but I think society accidentally plays a part in this occurrence.

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