Before you go to the hospital for the birth of your child you are supposed to take a tour of the hospital. Why? I am not exactly sure and after our "tour" I still haven't figured out why.
We arrive at the hospital and are sitting in the lobby waiting for our tour guide to come get us. Well while we are sitting there two more couples come to the lobby to wait for the tour guide as well. One is a Mexican couple and we later find out that they don't speak any English because when the tour guide ask them what they are having the guy nods his head and says, "Si." The other couple, who just so happened to sit across from us in the lobby, decides she wants to try and talk to Ashley. The problem is she talks like she has rocks in her mouth and she was very hard to understand. I was reading a magazine at the time she spoke and I decided to bury my face into the magazine to stop from laughing. I'm not trying to be mean but do you know what it is like to try to talk to someone when you don't have the slightest clue as to what they are saying. If you don't just ask Ashley because she now knows what it's like.
The magazine I was reading was Popular Science and the article I was reading about is how we, humans, use good memories and thoughts to predict the future when making decisions. Meaning when we are faced with a decision in life we tend to think about what good has happened or what good can happen before deciding. We tend to block out the negative that we know or think could happen and weigh the positive much more than the negative, helping us make our decision. So we tend to think the positive prediction will be the result of our decision. So here I am sitting there reading this article and I started to think, maybe God is trying to give me a sign. When Ashley and I decided to try for a baby I was all for it. I helped raise my niece and have seen a child grow up, and it is an amazing and unforgettable journey. I remember when she first started to roll over, or crawl, or walk, talk, laugh, cry, show her personality, I remember everything! Or at least I thought I did. While reading this article it made me think about those years that my niece was growing up, and it made me think deeper, and then it hit me. When talking to Ashley about trying for a baby I was all for it because those things I just listed along with others is what all I thought about and those are the things that I wanted to cherish with a child of my own. I didn't think about the crying in the middle of the night, the temper tantrums, the crying for hours and you don't know why, the spills, the stains, the puke, or the poop along with many, many other things. I felt like God was talking to me throughout that article. But before I could get down on my knees and start talking to him, begging him for my child to have nothing but good memories, the tour guide arrived.
As we start to walk around the hotel with the tour guide she would ask a question to the group but Ashley and I were the only ones that responded. So from then on she just decided to talk to only us since we appeared to be the only normal couple in the group. I had asked Ashley if she signed us up for the handicap tour and then received a backhand to the chest. The tour guide took us to the delivery and post-partum room where I first checked out the TVs in each room. I calculated the size, looked at the wall mount and if it was on a swivel, checked out the lighting in the room, and decided where I would be sitting to get the best viewing experience. I then leaned over and asked Ashley, "Do you think they have NFL Sunday Ticket here?" and again received another backhand to the chest. How could you blame me? Ashley's due date is on a Sunday, one month into the football season, I can't miss my fantasy players games that day!
So after the completion of the tour we got to see every room that Ashley and Kherington will be in along with instructions and directions around the hospital. Now do they really think I or any other man will be able to remember all the things they just told us? Do you understand how big this hospital is? Every hallway and door looks the same, it's like she was giving birth inside one of those carnival fun houses with all the mirrors. Just tell me what to do and where to go when I get there. Thanks.
Tip #31: Be the guy who brings a notepad and paper to the tour. I really wish I did.
And this is when I realized that right before my plane is scheduled to land, all hell is going to break loose on my journey to, destination... dad.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
The Cousin: July 29th, 2011
While at my softball games, Ashley receives a phone call from her sister Amanda, (Jonny's mom). Amanda asks Ashley if she knows what today is, Ashley had a dumbfounded look on her face and I shouted out, "It's her birthday!" I don't know when Amanda's birthday is I was just guessing but Ashley was quick to correct me. Ashley then says in a very curious voice, "I don't know, what is today?" Then all of a sudden I see Ashley grin from ear to ear and shout, "Oh my God!!! I knew it!!! I knew something was going on when you called me!!!" Amanda had just told Ashley that she was pregnant. She stated that it was still early but she couldn't wait to share the good news.
Looks like I might have to make another trip to Buil-a-Bear for someone else.
Tip #30: Once your significant other is pregnant you will notice everyone else who is pregnant, and when someone you care about shares news with you that they are now pregnant too, you say to yourself, "Does that guy really knows what he is getting himself into?"
And this is when I started thinking about making business cards on my journey too, destination... dad.
Looks like I might have to make another trip to Buil-a-Bear for someone else.
Tip #30: Once your significant other is pregnant you will notice everyone else who is pregnant, and when someone you care about shares news with you that they are now pregnant too, you say to yourself, "Does that guy really knows what he is getting himself into?"
And this is when I started thinking about making business cards on my journey too, destination... dad.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The Boxer: July 20, 2011
In "The Snoring" I stated that Ashley made me feel like I was sleeping next to Brian Urlacher. Well things have now changed, I now feel like I am sleeping next to Manny Pacquiao, or should I say "Manny Preg-uiao."
The OBGYN recently told Ashley that she has a minor case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. He said that it is not uncommon for pregnant women to get but she needs to be careful with the strain she puts on her wrists. It doesn't help that Ashley sits at a desk in front of a computer all day and types, and it also doesn't help that she sleeps like a cute little angel (she isn't fooling anybody) with her wrist balled up underneath her chin. So what did I do? I bought her two wrist braces to help keep her wrist straight while sleeping. However, she didn't wear them for very long, maybe for like a week or two. I would put them on her before going to bed and she would complain about them being too tight, I told her that they are braces and they are supposed to be tight, well she didn't like that. She would wake up in the middle of the night and all I hear is velcro being pulled apart, she was loosening them up because she claimed her hands were falling asleep. I told her that her hands fell asleep at night before the braces because it's the carpal tunnel that is causing that. Then she would tell me it wasn't comfortable and she didn't like them. So one morning I woke up and they were both laying on the floor. They now are collecting dust on the window sill.
Manny Preg-uiao had a short career.
Tip #29: No matter what you try and tell her, she is going to do what she wants to do. Your job is to just watch and wait for this to all be over with.
And this is when I decided it would be better if I just slept through the flight and stop trying to help on my journey to, destination... dad.
The OBGYN recently told Ashley that she has a minor case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. He said that it is not uncommon for pregnant women to get but she needs to be careful with the strain she puts on her wrists. It doesn't help that Ashley sits at a desk in front of a computer all day and types, and it also doesn't help that she sleeps like a cute little angel (she isn't fooling anybody) with her wrist balled up underneath her chin. So what did I do? I bought her two wrist braces to help keep her wrist straight while sleeping. However, she didn't wear them for very long, maybe for like a week or two. I would put them on her before going to bed and she would complain about them being too tight, I told her that they are braces and they are supposed to be tight, well she didn't like that. She would wake up in the middle of the night and all I hear is velcro being pulled apart, she was loosening them up because she claimed her hands were falling asleep. I told her that her hands fell asleep at night before the braces because it's the carpal tunnel that is causing that. Then she would tell me it wasn't comfortable and she didn't like them. So one morning I woke up and they were both laying on the floor. They now are collecting dust on the window sill.
Manny Preg-uiao had a short career.
Tip #29: No matter what you try and tell her, she is going to do what she wants to do. Your job is to just watch and wait for this to all be over with.
And this is when I decided it would be better if I just slept through the flight and stop trying to help on my journey to, destination... dad.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
The Deal: July 12, 2011
As I stated before in "The Nursery" I am a procrastinator and was probably going to procrastinate more when it came to cleaning out the room for the nursery. So here we are, the nursery is nice and clean and let me tell you why it is done so soon.
At one of my softball games while in the dugout, one of my buddies said we needed to take a trip up to Atlantic City before Kherington is born to celebrate. Kind of like a bachelor's party but for becoming a dad instead of a husband. Before I said anything Ashley says, "If he cleans out the nursery by the middle of July then you can have him and take him wherever you want for a weekend." I like how she made this sound as if I needed to get permission before agreeing to this trip. Needless to say I just went along with it, why not, it makes everything that much easier.
So the last time I checked, July had 31 days in the month, which means that the middle of July would be noon on the 15th. Sounds to me like I didn't procrastinate on the nursery this time because I still had three days to spare, Atlantic City here I come!
Tip #28: Deals are always a win/win scenario.
And this is when I realized that I would be having an unexpected layover in Atlantic City for a weekend on my journey to, destination... dad.
At one of my softball games while in the dugout, one of my buddies said we needed to take a trip up to Atlantic City before Kherington is born to celebrate. Kind of like a bachelor's party but for becoming a dad instead of a husband. Before I said anything Ashley says, "If he cleans out the nursery by the middle of July then you can have him and take him wherever you want for a weekend." I like how she made this sound as if I needed to get permission before agreeing to this trip. Needless to say I just went along with it, why not, it makes everything that much easier.
So the last time I checked, July had 31 days in the month, which means that the middle of July would be noon on the 15th. Sounds to me like I didn't procrastinate on the nursery this time because I still had three days to spare, Atlantic City here I come!
Tip #28: Deals are always a win/win scenario.
And this is when I realized that I would be having an unexpected layover in Atlantic City for a weekend on my journey to, destination... dad.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The Bear: July 9th, 2011
As I have discussed in previous posts, the unfortunate tragedy of Ashley's nephew, is starting to weigh on me more and more everyday, but not like it has been and will weigh on Ashley (no pun intended). It will weigh on Ashley after Kherington is born and when she is sleeping because she will worry about the same thing happening to her that did Jonny. Which is the reason I am leaving the couch in the nursery, that way Ashley can sleep in the room when she wants too. But all of this is weighing on me now. I started thinking how can Kherington learn about her cousin Jonny other than what we will tell her? How can she start loving her cousin that she will never meet from the moment she is first born? I am a very big family person and these things bother me. Kherington will have two older cousins on my side of the family but I don't want her to think that they are the only cousins she has. Just because Jonny is no longer with us doesn't mean she can't love him just as much if not more. So I started to think of different ideas, ways that would get Kherington's attention and help her grow that affection towards Jonny that I want her to have. And then it hit me.
So this morning I told Ashley to get dressed because I needed to take her somewhere. She asked where and I told her it was a surprise and to not ask questions. I had just recently started a new job and was obsessed with buying new clothes for work. So when we pulled up to the mall and I parked in Macy's, Ashley looks at me and says, "I swear to God if your idea of a surprise is to bring me to Macy's so you can go shopping I am going to walk home." I laughed and told her we were here for something else but that was a good idea on how to trick you for future reference. I told her to just follow me and to continue to not ask questions. We walk through the mall and of course Ashley keeps asking questions. I grab her hand and pull her into Build-A-Bear.
My thinking was that all kids love stuffed animals, and usually if you introduce a child to one animal at a young age then they will have a special connection with that one specific stuffed animal forever. It becomes the stuffed animal that they can't go to sleep without or the stuffed animal that has to have its own seat at the dinner table, and then becomes the stuffed animal your parents put into a shadow box for you when you graduate from high school. Every kid had either a stuffed animal or a blanket when growing up, and what better way to establish an emotional connection to Jonny then to create a bear in his memory, get a birth certificate with his name on it and have him waiting in Kherington's room for her to arrive.
Right now Jonny bear is sitting in Kherington's room protecting it for when she comes home. He is currently filling her room with his love so when we take her in their for the first time she will know that her big cousin will always be watching over her, for the rest of her life.
Tip #27: Make everything you do about love, because in the end he or she will be able to feel the love that you put into the place that he or she now calls home.
And this is when I started picking up gifts for the family during my layovers on my journey to, destination... dad.
So this morning I told Ashley to get dressed because I needed to take her somewhere. She asked where and I told her it was a surprise and to not ask questions. I had just recently started a new job and was obsessed with buying new clothes for work. So when we pulled up to the mall and I parked in Macy's, Ashley looks at me and says, "I swear to God if your idea of a surprise is to bring me to Macy's so you can go shopping I am going to walk home." I laughed and told her we were here for something else but that was a good idea on how to trick you for future reference. I told her to just follow me and to continue to not ask questions. We walk through the mall and of course Ashley keeps asking questions. I grab her hand and pull her into Build-A-Bear.
My thinking was that all kids love stuffed animals, and usually if you introduce a child to one animal at a young age then they will have a special connection with that one specific stuffed animal forever. It becomes the stuffed animal that they can't go to sleep without or the stuffed animal that has to have its own seat at the dinner table, and then becomes the stuffed animal your parents put into a shadow box for you when you graduate from high school. Every kid had either a stuffed animal or a blanket when growing up, and what better way to establish an emotional connection to Jonny then to create a bear in his memory, get a birth certificate with his name on it and have him waiting in Kherington's room for her to arrive.
Right now Jonny bear is sitting in Kherington's room protecting it for when she comes home. He is currently filling her room with his love so when we take her in their for the first time she will know that her big cousin will always be watching over her, for the rest of her life.
Tip #27: Make everything you do about love, because in the end he or she will be able to feel the love that you put into the place that he or she now calls home.
And this is when I started picking up gifts for the family during my layovers on my journey to, destination... dad.
Friday, July 1, 2011
The Exercise: July 1st, 2011
As stated in the previous post Ashley is worried about getting back to her pre-pregnancy body. She knows that it's going to take some time and a lot of hard work. I told her that I will do whatever I have to do to help her. Whether it's eat healthier or watch the baby after work so she can go run or go to the gym. Whatever she needs from me for her to make her feel better about herself I told her she has my support.
For Christmas I bought her the Xbox Kinect. Everybody thought I really bought it for myself but played it off on buying it for her, but I really did buy it for her. Ashley told me that she wanted to exercise but she hates running (this was BK, before Kherington). So when the Kinect came out, I saw this as a perfect opportunity for her to work out at home. So I bought her the Kinect and the Your Shape video game. Your Shape is basically your own personal trainer. It tells you whether you are doing it right or wrong and if you need to squat lower or rotate more. It is really awesome. Ashley worked out for three days and hasn't turned the game on at all in the year 2011. The game has a post pregnancy workout, and hopefully by the middle of 2012 the game won't play anymore from being worn out.
Now I know I am not the skinniest person. Hell the word skinny hasn't been used to describe me since I was two years old. But like I tell Ashley, when she looked at the "Rickey Brochure" this is what she saw, and evidently she liked what she saw. She can not complain about something if it is what it was when she looked at the brochure. She knew what she was getting when she signed up. You can't buy a car and then take it back and say I don't like that it is blue, because when you looked at the brochure and test drove it, you already knew that it was blue.
Tip #26: Whatever she needs to drop the baby weight, help her and support her. Because in the end both of you will be very happy.
And this is when I found out more details about my future expedition on my journey to, destination... dad.
For Christmas I bought her the Xbox Kinect. Everybody thought I really bought it for myself but played it off on buying it for her, but I really did buy it for her. Ashley told me that she wanted to exercise but she hates running (this was BK, before Kherington). So when the Kinect came out, I saw this as a perfect opportunity for her to work out at home. So I bought her the Kinect and the Your Shape video game. Your Shape is basically your own personal trainer. It tells you whether you are doing it right or wrong and if you need to squat lower or rotate more. It is really awesome. Ashley worked out for three days and hasn't turned the game on at all in the year 2011. The game has a post pregnancy workout, and hopefully by the middle of 2012 the game won't play anymore from being worn out.
Now I know I am not the skinniest person. Hell the word skinny hasn't been used to describe me since I was two years old. But like I tell Ashley, when she looked at the "Rickey Brochure" this is what she saw, and evidently she liked what she saw. She can not complain about something if it is what it was when she looked at the brochure. She knew what she was getting when she signed up. You can't buy a car and then take it back and say I don't like that it is blue, because when you looked at the brochure and test drove it, you already knew that it was blue.
Tip #26: Whatever she needs to drop the baby weight, help her and support her. Because in the end both of you will be very happy.
And this is when I found out more details about my future expedition on my journey to, destination... dad.
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