Monthly Archives: December 2007

Caitlin has just celebrated her 3rd birthday only a few weeks ago. Effectively that makes me a parent for just over 3 years (I am counting the months leading to her birth- after all the responsibilities start then..)

Taking JoJo’s cue: So, what have you learned, Daddee?

If Mummee asks you to watch her pregnant tummy move, you watch her pregnant tummy move! Even if the tv is showing this year’s Victoria Secret runway show. Actually, especially if the tv is showing this year’s Victoria Secret runway show. You can always try and find it again on the net (Someone send me the link please).

Don’t assume the obstetrician is rude if he doesn’t respond to you much. You are not his patient- he doesn’t have to put you at ease.

A cross-eyed obstetrician will still sew straight. Not to worry. (No, I already said he’s not rude! I do like him!)

Accidentally giving a toddler spicy food is not funny. There is nothing more helpless than watching the desperation of a toddler doing all of the following at the same time:

• Grabbing at her tongue trying to remove it from her skull
• “nnnggggghhhhffffffffff…… NNNGGGGGGGHHHHHHFFFFFFFFFFF!!”
• Jumping up & down on her high chair, without using her legs
• Trying to tell you “IT’S HOT IT’S HOT” without the control of her tongue

Children’s entertainment is no longer just playing with marbles or Casio LCD games. Computer generated animation does not always mean quality viewing.

You can forget about following the latest season of CSI. You no longer own your tv. On the brighter side, you can chat with your toddler about her favourite characters & why when Pocoyo didn’t share his bubbles with Ellie, Lula ended up being the victim also. Just follow the trail of events / evidence.

You’ll find yourself humming the theme songs of children’s shows.

Some of the songs in these shows are actually better written than what’s on the top 40.

Children can be reasoned with- they already seem to understand you around the same time they start teething.

If Mummee required epidural, & if you can stomach it, give her encouragement during delivery, even if it is visual (like thumbs up from the end of the bed). She cannot feel if she is even pushing at all.

Making an infant giggle is no easy task. But it does seem to build rapport.

Eye contact with your chilld is indescribable. Looking up at you squarely & grinning at you at their achievements is even better.

By all accounts we are not broke. But we may as well be because not only can’t we spend that savings, it’s still not going to be enough!

Mummies like to see the baby / toddler carseat left on your backseat. It means you are beyond just married.

Your waistline tends to increase at the same rate as their age. But you are actually not as fussed about it as you were when you were single. Except the need to shop for new pants.

It didn’t come with instructions, but somehow you do get it done.

Morning bad breath already starts at toddler-hood.

As soon as they start running, get a good pair of shoes. Get them a pair too.

Sometimes you pine for some alone time. When you are alone you wonder what they are doing & wished you could take them out to see the X’mas decor in the shopping centres.

Positive reinforcements is the best way to teach & influence a toddler, & builds confidence & self esteem.

Be cordial to your spouse. You are their model of couplehood.

They watch everything you do & say, & store it away to ask you later.

And they ask, and ask, and ask, and ask, and ask, and ask, and ask….

What are the first things you recall about first being a parent?

As a few of you guys are recent dads, I thought I’d share a couple of posts I’d come across today.

• Inside Fatherhood shares some tips on how to photograph the kiddies in low light
• From there, there is a link to a link to Digital Photography School’s 10 Tips for Photographing Babies.
• The second post mentioned shooting in continuous mode, which is a great tip because I did this & I am still very happy with the results. I am still doing this now with my now-3yr-old Caitlin.

I’d also like to share the following few shots I took. As you can see my attempts have not been .. er.. “keepers”, per se. But these are the only ones I have of Caitlin only days after her birth, and with an ageing (even by those days’ standards) Canon ixus. Yes I am blaming my tools!

The only thing I could adjust then was the “exposure” setting- no aperture nor speed settings.

There were still a few which I took that turned out ok, but these were in better lighting conditions and the camera set to timer, left sitting on the cot, snapping a sleeping (a la motionless) baby.

Above all, like Inside Fatherhood advocates, keep snapping away at the kiddies, for they grow so fast, once.

PS: Sorry for the poor layout of the pics & texts. I have actually been contemplating changing the theme of this blog lately…

We are watching TV.

Caitlin asks, “What is he doing?”

“He’s tapping to the rhythm”

“The what?”

“Ree-them”

“Ree-ver”

“Ree-them”

“Ree-ver”

“Ree-them”

“… yeah, like that”

~~~~~

Daddee says, “It’s not hard- you can do it!”

“No I cannot!”

“Yes you can!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“Yes!” [Hey, isn't this a scene with Elmer & Bugs?]

“Up to yooooooooouuuuuuuu…”

Now, that’s new.