The Woodling's Blog

I Cannot Wait to be a Dad!

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:10:54 +0000

Posted by Dad

Hi all. There are no real updates, per se, but I have a feeling the Woodling will make a post sometime in the next few days to say hello and give you some other information about what's going on.

Everything is going well and Alexandra is doing great. She is over the dreaded first trimester and other than getting tired or worn out earlier than usual, it's a lot of fun. We plan to fully enjoy the next 3(ish) months where we can go out to dinner, see some plays and musicals and enjoy our friends without her being as big as a house or having to work out the logistics that come with children.

Roscoe is still his fun, happy-go-lucky self. He has no idea about the change he is going to experience. Roscoe will be out of sorts for a week or 2 (or 3), but he loves children and in the end I know he will be happy to have a new best friend.

As for me, I am so excited! Out of my mind excited. Many of you know how anxious I get when I see presents at Christmas time. One year, I got so excited I literally broke out in hives (I pray the Woodling inherits Alexandra's patience - among other things). Well, take that anticipation and multiply it by 1,000. It feels as though I am bursting at the seams and there is still a little under 6 months to go! As much as I tell myself to savor every moment, I cannot wait for Alexandra to get big, to feel the baby kick, to set up the nursery, and well, to be Dad.

I try to keep myself occupied by reading some new father books. But whenever I get to the point in the book where it advises the reader to express his feelings in a journal, I lose interest. A journal? A diary? I AM A GUY.

Now, I know what most of you clever people are thinking. "You are expressing your feelings in a journal. It's just online and you call it a blog." That's a debate for another post - after I construct an appropriate response. :-)

I will do my best to post a little more to encourage everyone to keep reading. If you want to get more frequent rants and musings, consider following me on Twitter. Go to http://www.twitter.com/kriswood.

Twitter is how I met Ari, the founder of Baveo who hosts this blog. I am constantly emailing and Tweeting him with suggestions on how to make the site, which is still in Alpha, better. If you have any ideas, pass them along to me and I'll make sure the Baveo team hears about them.

PS: Someone needs to make a child-safe Twitter and chat application where the parents can control who are members of the community. Maybe Baveo will do it and if they don't, maybe I will!

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Sat, 07 Feb 2009 21:59:32 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

Hi everybody! It’s me, the Woodling. I haven’t written in a while because nothing exciting has been going on. I have been hanging out with Mom and developing just like I should. We go to the doctor on Wednesday for a check up and I’ll be sure to report back with any news.

Mom has been sick for a few days. Dad caught a little cold and was fine in day or two. But then Mom got it and has been feeling awful and coughing all night. That always happens – Dad gets the sniffles and Mom bears the brunt of it. It’s a little worse now because I need a lot of her resources and energy that would usually be used to fight the virus. The three of us were going to buy my nursery furniture today and see South Pacific on Broadway tonight but Mom and I are going to stay home. She says it isn’t fair. Sorry, Mom. I’ll be sure to tell all of you about my sweet crib once Mom and Dad place the order.

I am starting to make Mom’s belly come out a little bit! You wouldn’t know it if you didn’t know Mom was pregnant, but all of you may be able to tell. Dad can tell and he’s very excited. He wanted to take a picture of Mom for this post but she said no. Dad asked again and Mom said that one is not supposed to take photos of someone who is sick and doesn’t feel pretty. Then Dad tried one more time and said that Mom always looks pretty but she didn’t buy it so you’ll have to wait a bit to see how my Mom looks.

Mom and Dad have been doing a lot of thinking about what name I am going to have. I’m most likely going to have it for life, so it’s a big decision! If I’m a girl, I am going to be named Naomi. All three of us think that Naomi Eyre Wood is a beautiful name. Plus, Naomi was Mom’s grandmother’s name so that makes it extra special.

They haven’t picked out a name for me if I’m a boy, but Ethan, Nathan and Derek are the three contenders so far. I may get one of those names or it may be something completely different. You never know with Mom and Dad…

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Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:00:51 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

So things have been really busy! I have been moving around Mom’s belly a lot lately; but yesterday, I kicked so hard that Dad felt it! Dad was so excited and he said that he is really proud of Mom and me. We all had a great time. Sometimes, Dad tries to rub Mom’s belly to make me kick again, but then Mom gets tired of it and makes him stop.

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Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:14:21 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

My really cool cousin Oliver got me my first present! The Summer Infant Complete Coverage Video Monitor Set is a wireless video monitor that lets my parents see and hear me when I am in my nursery so they can make sure I am OK. The set includes a large 7-inch tabletop unit as well as a smaller handheld unit that can be used in other rooms. Both units have great sound and a color screen during the day. When the lights are off, the camera has night vision so Mom and Dad can even see me in the dark.

It's pretty sweet and will give Mom & Dad peace of mind when I am sleeping without Dad coming into the room and waking me up all the time. Thanks, Ollie!

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Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:15:22 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

Mom and Dad have done an insane amount of research to find the best furniture for me. It’s an important decision because my siblings and I are going to be spending a lot of time in my crib and I am going to use my dresser even when I get a big person’s bed. Here are the things that Mom and Dad thought were important:

Safety: No compromises here, obviously.

Environmental Friendliness: My parents care very much about the kind of planet I inherit.

Quality: We want this furniture to last a long time. Why pay a lot of money for particleboard?

Design: Great products have great design and craftsmanship.

My new furniture is the Karisma collection by Romina, a company in Romania. It’s really great stuff.

For safety, the crib has a single-hand dropside rail, so there is always a free hand ready for me. It takes two steps to lower the rail so I can’t do it accidentally and all of the crib hardware is hidden so I can’t get to it. There are no toxic chemicals in the finishes or glues, including formaldehyde. Did you know that particleboard is held together by formaldehyde?!? Gross. Finally, the dresser has an anti-tilting device so it won’t fall on me.

The last element of safety is assembly. That’s why Mom isn’t going to let Dad anywhere near the furniture until it’s all set up. She doesn’t let Dad anywhere near tools in general.

My furniture is very earth-friendly, too. In addition to the absence of toxic chemicals, everything is made of 100% beech wood. Beech wood is plentiful, durable and regenerates quickly.

100% wood also means high quality. The furniture feels sturdy and solid. The dresser drawers glide very smoothly and have an automatic soft close feature so they won’t slam shut. No one really needs drawers that close by themselves but Dad likes “gadgety” things like that.

Finally, I think the furniture looks great. It’s a simple, classic design complemented by a dark espresso finish that will look nice no matter what color my room is.

I can’t wait for everyone to see me in my sweet crib!

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Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:47:49 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

This is my Mom! Isn’t she beautiful? I think so. She is 19 weeks pregnant with me. You can’t really tell yet but she is getting a little bigger every day. Mom thinks that she’s going to need maternity clothes in a month or so.

Mom and I went to the doctor this week and we are both doing great. My heartbeat was very strong and Mom has gained 10 pounds since becoming pregnant! We don’t need to go to the doctor again for another month. On Friday, we are going to get a new sonogram so be ready to see a new picture of me next weekend!

This is the first and only Valentine’s Day that my parents will spend as a married couple without children, so they are going to make it special. Dad made Mom French toast with challah bread (her favorite) and bacon (his favorite) for breakfast. Even Roscoe got a little. I liked it so much that I did a jig followed by a couple of kicks.

Tonight, my parents are going to enjoy an early dinner followed by a Paul Simon concert. According to books Mom has read, my hearing is well developed so I’ll be able to listen, too. That’s going to be fun.

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Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:00:09 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

Hello! It’s me, the Woodling, in 3-D! Usually, you don’t get 3-D ultrasounds when you are only half-baked in the oven, but the doctors made a special exception for me.

Yesterday, we went to the doctor to get a sonogram. Mom and Dad were anxious to see how much I have grown since the last time and the doctors wanted a good look at me to make sure everything was going well.

There was only one problem. For whatever reason, I simply was not in the mood to have my picture taken. So I curled up in a nice, out of the way spot and refused to come out. Mom tried to shift positions while Dad and the nurse shook Mom’s belly, but to no avail. I outwitted them all! At one point, they were able to catch a glimpse of my hands and I presented all of them with a certain finger gesture. I know it’s not nice, but I was really feeling stubborn (I am my parent’s child, after all).

Well, at that point, the nurse had enough of my antics and pulled out the big gun – the 3-D sonogram. With a 3-D sonogram, the sound waves are sent down at many different angles at once so there is no place for me to hide. Software then assembles the images from all of those angles into a picture of me.

Once they got the pictures, I was glad they did it. The doctors said everything looked great. They even know my gender, although they didn’t tell Mom and Dad. They were ever so tempted to find out but realized they would then be disappointed in not having a surprise. Besides, I want to be the one to show them!

Touché, adults. You have won this battle.

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Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:13:25 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

I know that most of you are not going to find a post about a gliding chair for the nursery all that exciting. However, the most common thing Mom and Dad have heard from other new parents is that a good nursery chair is one of the most important pieces of furniture to get right. All of us, especially Mom, Roscoe and me, will be spending a lot of time, at all sorts of hours, in this chair.

Mom and Dad wanted something roomy and comfortable, but it was also important for the chair have a modern look and not take up too much space. The Adagio Glider from Dutailier fit the bill nicely. Mom and I love that the gliding motion is very smooth and soothing. Dad really likes that that chair is also a recliner and has an extra flip-up footrest.

We also think the chair looks great. It will coordinate with rest of the furniture in my room but could be used somewhere else in the house later. We picked out chocolate leather, like the picture, with blonde legs.

As an added bonus, Dutailier happens to be a Canadian company so Mom likes that. I have a feeling that all of us, Roscoe included, will have many happy naps on my new chair.

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Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:12:52 +0000

Posted by Dad

I read a very sad article today in the online version of the UK’s Daily Telegraph. It mentioned that a survey of British parents indicated that 75% of parents were too busy to read to their children consistently. Even more alarming is that only 3% of fathers read to their children at all. 3%!

That is inexcusable.

Alexandra and I feel very strongly that one of the greatest gifts a parent can give their child is a love of books. It doesn’t matter if you read from old-fashioned paper books or from an e-book reader like the Kindle. Most of you know that I prefer the Kindle for its smaller environmental impact, cheaper price per book and the potential it has to give many writers the ability to distribute their work without a publisher to act as a gatekeeper. When appropriate, I will certainly encourage the Woodling to go the e-book route. But more important than how my child reads is whether my child reads. It is an appreciation that I intend to help foster at an early age.

Other sources of stimulation, be it a computer, the Internet (protected, child-safe sites of course) and even limited access to television, are important and have their place. Used properly, all of those sources can be great tools for learning and discovery. Here is a great example of a site that a friend of mine is building which uses the power of the Internet and community encourage the growth of young girls.

But it all begins with reading. Books stimulate the imagination and encourage cognitive thinking. Books teach you to appreciate the patience of following a story from beginning to end, rather than relying on the instant gratification of a website or a 2-minute video clip. Books can tell you answers, but, more importantly, help you discover how to ask the right questions.

I also look forward to reading to my children because it will be a great way to spend quality time with them. Sadly, reality demands that I have limited time with my kids during the work week so I want to make the most of what time I get. I know that finding time to read to the Woodling will be difficult for me, just as I am sure it is challenging for all parents to read to their children. We all have to cram in what seems like 40 hours of work, family, community and social responsibilities into a 24-hour day and still find time to sleep so we can do it again tomorrow. But experience has taught me that we find ways to accomplish those responsibilities we think are most important - those we consider a priority.

Well, there are few things this parent will prioritize more than reading to his child every night.

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Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:01:04 +0000

Posted by Dad

Now that our big furniture pieces are purchased and we have narrowed our stroller decisions down (more on that in a future post), my attention has turned to the "little" things that make everyday life what it is for us - whether it is prints for the room, sheets for the crib, or clothes to wear.

I try to support the entrepreneur whenever I can. I have a lot of respect for the person who has the courage and conviction to put up her own shingle and build a business selling products they are passionate about. If the quality is there and the price makes sense, count me as a customer.

I discovered Dylbug, a maker of really cool onsies, through Petit Elefant, a great parenting blog that I got introduced to on Twitter (I love the Internet). I have since learned that the founder of Dylbug is herself a mother of three, meaning that she has two of the world's hardest jobs (being a mother and starting a business). Dylbug's onesies look great (and can be personalized!), are not that expensive (a personalized 3-pack goes for $33) and are very high quality.

My only gripe is that there aren't many gender neutral designs, so I can't order any before the Woodling is born! Leslie, if you can help out there, that would be great. Until then, keep up the good work.

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Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:13:17 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

This is my Mom 4 weeks after the last picture everybody saw. Doesn't she look so beautiful? I know I may be biased but Dad agrees with me so it must be true. :-)

Everything is going very well. We all went to the doctor this week and heard my heart beat. It's really strong! The doctor said everything is great and we don't go back for another month when Mom will take a glucose test. I have been quite active moving around in Mom's belly. Dad can even SEE it sometimes and then he gets all excited until Mom calms him down.

Now that all the big furniture items are purchased, Mom & Dad are putting together a list of all of the other things I need. There is A LOT of stuff out there and they are busy figuring out what things are most important and, of those, what items are the best. It's more work than you think!

Our great friends, Aunt Patricia and Uncle Ronnie, gave me the bassinet their babies used to sleep in so I can stay in Mom & Dad's room for the first few weeks. That's great because Dad wasn't too keen on buying something that would only be used for a very short while. Thank you Patricia, Ronnie, Francisco & Alejandro!

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Fri, 27 Mar 2009 01:14:35 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

Hi everyone. I wanted to share some big news. Mom & Dad have picked out a name for me if I’m a boy! It is completely different than the names that were originally in contention, just like I thought would happen.

If I am a boy, my name is going to be Spencer Eyre Wood. I really like it. You can call me “Spencer” or “Spence.” It’s a great name for a kid and a great name for an adult. Dad thinks that Mom will definitely call me Spencer, but Dad will probably call me Spence, eventually. If I ever have a brother, we may use the name Nathan or Ethan and we may use the name Ella if I ever have a sister.

So it’s Naomi if I am a girl and Spencer if I am a boy. But until we know for sure, you can still call me the Woodling.

Dear Woodling,

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:19:17 +0000

Your Mom and I had our monthly doctor’s visit and I am pleased to report that you are doing great. I cannot tell you how special it is to hear your tiny beating heart. We go back to the doctor in three weeks and then every two weeks after that. I can’t believe how fast things are moving!

You are getting so big that I can actually see you moving in Mom’s belly. Sometimes, when I see you move around, I tap Mom’s belly and it’s amazing because I am playing with you for the first time. It makes me think of all the games we are going to play and the fun things we are going to do together. I think you will be teaching me as much as I hope to teach you. You already are.

We need to take it easy, though. Mom can get VERY tired VERY quickly. It comes out of the blue. She is using up a lot of her energy to nurture you. Your Mom loves you very much.

When people find out that Mom and I are having a baby, they always ask two questions. The first question is whether we are having a girl or a boy. When we tell them that we do not know and plan to wait until you are born to find out, they usually ask why. The answer is easy – we want you to tell us.

Love,

Dad

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Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:20:06 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

Hi. I am the soon-to-be baby of Alexandra & Kris. I can't wait to come into the world, but I have to grow and develop first so I'm not going to come until July 8 or so. Here I am on December 30, 2008 - Week 13. Looking pretty good, huh? Mom and Dad don't want to know what gender I will be so if you can figure it out, please don't tell Mom and Dad!

I had some genetic tests done and so far, everything is as good as it can be! Mom doesn't need to see the doctor again until mid-February so until then the two of us are going to eat right, exercise and make Dad take really good care of us!

Dad wants me to be current on technology and social media so I guess it's never to early to start a blog. It's a great way to keep everyone updated on how I and my family are doing during this very exciting time. Occasionally, I'll be making posts about my progress and what Mom & Dad are deciding about my name, my nursery and all kinds of other stuff.

It will be even better if you provide comments. Since Mom and Dad are new parents, any advice or well wishes would be great.

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Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:05:54 +0000

Posted by The Woodling

This is my Mom, again. This is only 4 weeks after the last picture you saw. She looks a lot different than she did here or here! My Mom is the prettiest Mom ever.

The whole family is getting very excited. I am supposed to make my world debut in only 3 months! My furniture came so Mom & Dad are busy getting the nursery ready. Dad moved everything out of what was once the home office and Mom is going to paint my room this week. Dad would help but Mom said that it would not do anybody any good to have Dad anywhere near a paintbrush.

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Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:23:59 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

Hi everyone. I'm very excited because my nursery is coming along quite nicely. Mom painted the room this week with a very nice yellow color. We lucked out because the guy at the paint store mixed the paint incorrectly, but we liked that yellow better than the shade we originally wanted.

Dad found this really cool poster that is going to go in my room. It is a map of Manhattan, because I'm a proud New Yorker! I like it a lot.

My furniture comes on Tuesday! Woo-hoo. Then Mom & Dad can start buying clothes and things to fill up the dresser. Dad bought me a pink (if I am Naomi) and Blue (if I am Spencer) Yankees shirt, but the way the Yankees are playing, he might not let me wear them.

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Wed, 20 May 2009 00:12:09 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

My nursery is really starting to come together and I think that I am going to enjoy spending so much time there! Mom & Dad put up a really neat safari scene right above my crib so I will have something to explore as I try to fall asleep. There are lots of giraffes, zebras and trees and there is even a lion! Dad likes the sun because it is a bright color. It looks so nice because Mom put it up without Dad’s help.

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Tue, 19 May 2009 14:34:34 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

Dad is very sorry for the lack of updates. He and Mom have been very busy getting ready for me. My nursery is coming along and I hear Mom & Dad talking about how nice it is going to look. We’ll take some pictures soon and share them with you. Dad also needs to take another picture of Mom and me! We’re both getting pretty big and my kicks are getting very strong.

My Grandma Wood gave me this really cool Graco SnugRider car seat and stroller. It has a plush red interior so I can travel in comfort and style. Even better, the car seat snaps into a very light stroller frame that folds and un-folds super-quickly. It’s the perfect way to get me in and out of taxis, subways and airplanes, which means I can go anywhere with Mom & Dad. Thanks Grandma! I’ll think of you every time I use it!

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Tue, 26 May 2009 15:12:57 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

Hey guys,

If you're around in NYC on June 20th, come over to my place for a cocktail party. I'll be there, although you won't be able to see me because I will still be inside Mom's belly. You can even see my new room before I do!

It's going to be a great time and Dad is going to break out some good wine (but Mom can't have any because she feeds me and I am not old enough to drink yet).

You can see the invitation here. If Dad forgot to include you, please let him know! It wasn't on purpose, I promise!

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Sun, 31 May 2009 16:20:50 +0000

Posted by the Woodling

Hi everyone! Here is a new picture of me and my Mom! I think she is the most beautiful person in the world and Dad agrees with me. I am getting very big and so is she! My moving around is starting to make Mom a bit uncomfortable, especially when she tries to sleep. I can't help it. I am so excited to be born! As a bonus, there is also a picture of me, Mom & Dad in Florida last week. It rained a lot (like it always does whenever Mom & Dad go away) but we all a great time and ate lots of fish.

We went to the doctor and everything is going very well. Mom & Dad took an infant and child CPR class this week so they will know how to take care of me in case of an emergency. They also figured out how to put my car seat in the car (which is no easy feat, by the way). Dad says that they need to learn how to do it really fast or the taxi drivers will get agitated, whatever that means.

My Mom's mum, my Patti, is visiting us this week and we are all very excited to see her. Roscoe will be the most excited because he will think she is coming just for him, but he is going to have to learn to share.

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Mon, 15 Jun 2009 01:03:01 +0000

Posted by Dad

I love my wife & dog!

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Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:32:17 +0000

Posted by Roscoe

Hey everyone! This is my first blog post so let me start by saying hello.

Many of you have expressed concerns about how I am going to react when the Woodling comes home. You are worried that since my world is going to change, I will be a bit of out of sorts. Since Mom & Dad’s attention will be focused on the new baby, I may even feel neglected.

While I appreciate all of your concerns, let me say that I am going to be just fine. I cannot wait for the Woodling to hatch and to meet my new best friend. When the baby is up for it, we are going to play a lot together and I am excited that the Woodling will share all the great baby toys we are getting. We will also have lots of snuggles and I hear that babies love to throw food, for which I am a most willing recipient.

I know that Mom & Dad will be busy, but I also know that they will continue to love me and take great care of me. I will still go out on my special walks, play ball and sleep with them in the bed. Plus, I am going to have lots of visitors so there will be extra love and attention thrown my way to help me adjust.

So even though everyone (except Dad) thinks I am going to have a tough adjustment, please don’t worry about me. I’m going to be great. If you are concerned, there is something you can do. Give me treats. Nothing makes me feel better than a nice piece of dehydrated chicken, rawhide, or beef chews. Come to think of it, maybe I am feeling a bit down and left out. Boy, a treat would sure help!

I ruff you all, Roscoe