# big day tomorrow...



## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Big delivery coming tomorrow... the delivery man should bring my new son into the world about 10 am 

Joseph Coholic (named after my father - which is also very special to me, and my wife agreed to let me pick the name) is mine and my wife's first child. Excitement cannot really put things into perspective for me. She is much more noticably "excited"... but although I am generally reserved and laid back, I have waited for this for a long time.

I am going to be a dad! Thats crazy!  I hope I can get some sleep tonight, tomorrow is going to be a wild day.

AJC


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I got the cigar ready ... life as you know will change... it isn't a bad thing...


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Wild day? I think it's just the beginning of the wild ride of your life. Congrats!


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Congrats....fun times ahead!!


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

This could be one of the best things you ever built. Congrats! An easy delivery to one and all.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

It's been awhile since I had that joy. It's one you'll never forget. It's a miracle that happens before your very eyes. Congratulations.


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## Guest (Apr 6, 2011)

That is awesome. We will miss you around here.  (notice my posting rate dropped dramatically after the birth of my second son last March) (and dear god it's a little mentally jarring to write the words "my second son" - who they hell let me clone myself twice???)


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## ThePass (Aug 10, 2007)

Wow man that's great news.

When I first started reading your thread I assumed you ordered some new gear, LMFAO........

Guess in a way you did!

Like Steadfastly said ~ you'll never forget this feeling......I know I never will.

Hope it goes well.......Congrats.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Good vibes your way!


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## doriangrey (Mar 29, 2011)

many big congrats!!! Very nice that you're naming after your father - that is very cool...and now you're gonna be one ) Sending good thoughts your way for a smooth delivery =o)


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## urko99 (Mar 30, 2009)

Cherrish this day because it will go by like a blur, however, one you'll never forget!


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## Todd68 (Mar 7, 2008)

Being a dad is great! Congratulations!


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## starjag (Jan 30, 2008)

Big day indeed. Congratulations to you and your wife!


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

Congrats! You are entering the most Exciting, Scary, Fulfilling and Frustrating time of your life! What a Blast you're going to have. Write everything down!


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Ironically (and naively), I had always thought the "coholic" part of your ID was a joke of some kind, like choco-holic or work-o-holic. I just figured it was some other sort of "oholic" that had a personal meaning, never realizing it was actually a name (Serbian derivation, I presume?). Good on you for naming your child after someone. A good tradition to maintain.

Despite having a Ph.D. in this stuff (well, development across the entire lifespan, cradle-to-grave, actually, but infancy and childhood is part of it), I have but 2-3 tips to provide to new parents:

1) Around age 6-8 months, they will be interested in looking at more than the ceiling at Loblaws or Food Basics, but won't have the back muscle strength to stay upright the shopping cart. The welding joints on those carts are not always properly smoothed down, and even if they are, banging your gums on them is no treat. When you go in the store, go right away to the paper-goods section, snag a pair of appropriately-sized packages of toilet paper, napkins or paper towels, and shove one on each side of the child. That will gently prop them up so they can see stuff and see you without being at risk of falling over. When done shopping, wipe the slobber off and reshelve (unless you need them).

2) Around age 2-4, children will assume that the greatest meaning in any human utterance is contained at the end of the utterance. It's a naturally-occurring strategy observed by child language researchers. If you find yourself compelled to swear (noting that setting one's potty-mouth aside for a dozen years pays very big dividends in terms of child success), perhaps by the misplacement of a mallet blow or other heavy object, make sure the swear-words are NEVER at the end of the sentence/utterance. Always immediately extend the utterance so that the child treats the swearing as something incidental, and passed on the way to the _important_ part of the sentence. It'll be like you never swore at all.

3) Around age 3 or so, at some point, the child will be making an absolute royal P.I.T.A. of themselves at a family or other semi-formal dinner gathering. Get the shiniest soup spoon you can find. Let them see their reflection on the back of the spoon, and on the other side. Having no training in physics of light, they will become intrigued by the inversion of the image, and will spend the next 15 minutes desperately trying to fake out the spoon, by turning the handle in various ways, or trying to flip it around fast enough to trick the spoon. It's something that will keep them rivetted to the spot and preoccupied so they stop figiting/whining/etc. It works extremely well, but it only works ONCE, so use it wisely.

Baby smiles are nature's ace-in-the-hole. Those first 4 months will be sleep-, sex-, food-, sanitation-, privacy-deprived, and just when you reach the point of maximum risk for infanticide, they pull out that ace, and everything else recedes into the background. I found my capacity for mercy greatly magnified by parenthood.

And of course, nothing in life truly prepares you for the love and depth of emotion you'll feel. Certainly one's upbringing assists or impedes in being empathic, or prone to restraining or letting out feelings, and people do have to get comfortable with love and closeness across their lives. But babies are designed by evolution to be absolutely compelling to us. It's like this sport you never read about or played before in your life, and suddenly you walk onto the field, track, rink, and you find yourself hopelessly engrossed in it, and obsessed by every little detail. Let it happen, and revel in it. Your species' special gift to you.


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## Alex Csank (Jul 22, 2010)

Congratulations! Being a Dad has been the best part of my life.


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

And don't forget to keep playing music around the house....babies will sleep through anything once they get used to it.


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## Guest (Apr 6, 2011)

washburned said:


> And don't forget to keep playing music around the house....babies will sleep through anything once they get used to it.


Truth! Acclimatize them young!


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Congratulations! Having the children was the best decision we ever made together as husband and wife. They have been a joy at every age, despite the ups and downs, and we love them unconditionally. You only get one chance to be a parent to each child, do the best you can.

Best of luck and good health!

Peace, Mooh.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Congratulations!!!!! I don't have any tips to give since I'm 27 and we don'T have kids...yet. Maybe someday! 
Enjoy and, seriously, bring him to music as fast as possible!


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

congratulations! yeah, i bet i learned as much from them as they did from me.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Well, its been a long, but great day!

Baby Joe arrived at 9:43 am, I have been hanging out at the hospital most of the day, just got home. WOrds cannot describe how I feel... its amazing! I feel like this is probably one of, of not the best day of my life.

My parents are going to be thrilled he looks like me, and my dad (my father's side of the family has very destinct features).

Woo hoo!! He'll be strumming the guitar in no time 

Thanks everyone for the comments and well wishes. I appreciate it a lot! (and yes my wife Lesley is doing fine, and was already up walking this evening)

Baby Joseph Coholic (ps my last name is Croatian, which of course is very similar to Serbian)


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Congratulations! It hard to believe that my kids were once that small too - it goes by fast. Enjoy the ride!


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I have three of those but there vintage now ... congrats.. get some sleep when ever you can.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Congratulations!


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## simescan (May 15, 2007)

Congrats!, and welcome to the world, baby Joe...


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## ThePass (Aug 10, 2007)

simescan said:


> Congrats!, and welcome to the world, baby Joe...




Ditto.......

Now comes the fun part of your life.

Take it ALL in......it's gonna blow right by my friend.

Buy a camcorder or take lots of vids via anything you got.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

congrats AJ......your best "build" yet!!!!


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Congratulations! 

The birth of a child is truly a miracle.

Best wishes to Mom, Dad and baby Joseph

Dave


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

well, week #1 is almost over, and so far so good 

Here is my baby! He LOVES when I play guitar for him... mostly I have been strumming my Taylor acoustic but he doesnt mind the electric either. Says he prefers the Trinity TC15 over the others 

AJC


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2011)

Awesome. He's a cutie.


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## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

ajcoholic said:


> well, week #1 is almost over, and so far so good
> 
> Here is my baby! He LOVES when I play guitar for him... mostly I have been strumming my Taylor acoustic but he doesnt mind the electric either. Says he prefers the Trinity TC15 over the others
> 
> AJC


What a cute little guy. I know I'm late in saying this but congratulations to you and your wife.


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## Spikezone (Feb 2, 2006)

Congrats, AJ! As the father of three beautiful and inspiring daughters, I can say it's a great life, and I wish you and your wife all the best! And yep, he's a cutie!
-Mikey


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Mazeltov!!

You DO realize that all of your shirts are going to start smelling like yogurt, right? lofu

When I used to teach child development, I would joke with the class that there were 4 stages to infancy recognized by experts: the 66-pack, the 48-pack, the 36-pack, and the 27-pack. All the moms in the class would smile in recognition, but the younger students never really got it.

As much as we all want our kids to grow and thrive, there's a small part of us that hopes and prays they can stick it out with the smaller size juuuuuuuuuuussssstttt a little bit longer, so that we don't have to run to the store quite so often. Sometimes it's a bit like finding out that your car MUST use super-premium unleaded (the most expensive stuff) or it'll break. kqoct

Oh, and another little tip. About 9-10 months from now, if you lose anything that's smaller than a coffee mug, you can probably find it jammed between the cushions, or under the throw pillows, on the sofa. That's their official storage location. Keys, glasses, wallets, health cards, sippy cups, remotes: it all goes there.

I've probably told this story before, but about 4 years ago, I was out in Vancouver to watch some focus-group testing of a survey we were about to conduct. The marketing firm whose facilities we had rented for the occasion was in an office tower downtown. When I hit the can between groups, and washed my hands, the soap smelled sort of familiar and comforting at the same time. As I listened, or rather tired to listen, to the next group, it hit me. The soap smelled EXACTLY like "Baby's Own". And every time my hand came anywhere near my face, like resting my chin on my fist, I was transported away by the aroma to that wonderful period when the boys were young, and that giggle echoing against the bathroom tiles while they had their bath was the most beautiful sound in the world. I have no idea what happened in that focus group because I wasn't paying any attention. I was in a much better place.

You won't notice it right away, but one of these days, a few years from now, you'll smell that smell, and you will be suddenly torn from reality, like a movie edit. Trust me, it'll happen. And when it does, you'll know what a lucky guy you are.


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