Daddy’s Little Helper

Posted on June 20th, 2011

Alex decided to help Daddy with revising his novel today.  He’s giving a ton of great advice!

Cool to have a little writer helping me out.

That’s it. I’ve had it!

Posted on June 16th, 2011

Alex reached his limit today.  Enjoy!

Starring: Alexander as Mount Vesuvius

Posted on June 14th, 2011

Today we took my newborn son Alex to visit our local writers group.  Unfortunately, this visit interrupted his feeding schedule, so by the time we got home, he was ready to eat.

I changed his diaper while my wife got ready to feed him.  His stomach was a little hard, so I decided to give it a rub as I usually do to help his bowels push everything out.

He let out a few toots, and I figured that was it.  I wiped him off and reached for the other diaper.

That’s when he erupted.

A mixture of poo and water shot out like water from a fire hose.  Four feet away, the white wall splattered with yellow excrement.

I had no idea a baby could poop with such force, or that my son had such artistic aspirations.

“A little help!” I called.  My wife came running down the hall.

When Brenda entered the room, she burst into laughter. “So the crap really hit the fan, huh?”

His changing table, both diapers, and the wall were covered in poo.  Somehow, through the carnage, I escaped any serious wounds.

Ten minutes and a whole lot of paper towels later, the nursery was back in order.

My son is teaching us every day that we should approach life with laughter and enjoyment.  We’re so lucky to have him in our lives.

Even on a crappy day.

Alexander Theodore Kalmbach has arrived!

Posted on June 10th, 2011

Our little one, Alexander Theodore, arrived on 6/9/11 at 11:57am.  He has a full head of hair, weighed in at 7lbs, 5ozs, and measured at 19 inches.

Those local to Rochester are welcome to visit us today at OMC Hospital, in room 274.  Please make sure to knock in case Alex is eating so we can make sure he and Mom are ready to see you.

I’ve included our favorite picture so far of Mom and Alex.  Thanks everyone for your good wishes!

Last post as a daddy-to-be

Posted on June 9th, 2011

Just a quick note to say that Brenda and I are in the hospital and about to deliver our first child into this world.  We’re so excited that we’re going to blessed with a little baby.

Here’s Brenda just after we arrived:

And here she is just before we start pushing.

And here’s me, excited about the next step in our lives!

Now I’m off to become a daddy.  See you all on the other side!

Big announcement: I can’t wait

Posted on November 13th, 2010

My wife and I attended our first prenatal appointment yesterday.  After receiving our first positive pregnancy test almost six weeks ago, we couldn’t wait to find out more.

Stacks of literature were dumped on our laps to prepare us for what to expect–and most of it is what you’d expect: symptoms, growth charts, tips for dealing with anxiety, etc.

More importantly, we were able to share two life-changing moments:  the first time we’ve heard our baby’s heartbeat, and our first hint at what our baby looks like.

The doctor warned us that it was still early, so we might not be able to hear anything.  As she took her fetal pulse monitor and placed it on Brenda’s belly, we listened.  I held my breath as I sorted through the sounds we heard–the static, squishy noises (I assume they must have been Brenda’s digestive tract), and a couple of faint sounds that might have been the liquid thumping of a tiny heartbeat.

Then the doctor found the right spot.  Strong and clear, we heard our tiny offspring (or is it still in-spring?) beating away, growing in Brenda’s uterus.

For the ultrasound, at ten weeks pregnant there wasn’t much to see except for the baby’s heart beating.  However, we could see the faint outline of a tiny body resting at the bottom of the screen, with a heart flashing a bright white.

Outside the womb, Brenda and I smiled at each other. A moment of pure joy.

For her, it crystallizes the first time that she could prove she was pregnant.  Without hearing the heartbeat, she would have been disappointed until our next appointment, and somewhat adrift until she could “feel” pregnant.  She’s been one of the lucky ones who hasn’t had much nausea or other symptoms typical of pregnancy.

Except, as her husband points out, extreme fatigue and sleeping all the time.

For me, it’s a precious milestone on our road to becoming parents. I’ve always loved helping kids become whoever they’re going to be.  Now I’ll be able to pour my energy into my own child and his or her (or, eek! their) friends.  That doesn’t mean I’ll stop doing other things, just changing my focus.

As my wife will rapidly point out, only one heartbeat showed up on the ultrasound, so we’re pretty sure there’s only one in there.

Unless, my devious writer mind fishes up, multiple heartbeats were perfectly in sync.  Or the doctor stopped looking once we found the first.

But we’re pretty certain it’s just one.  Really.  And one will be plenty of responsibility to handle at one time.

As I mentioned to the doctor when we arrived, “we’re thinking of becoming parents.”  At ten weeks along, we’re heading in the right direction.

I can’t wait.  🙂