Baby Laughs, Snowmen, and Getting Our LEGO On

This girl loves her some snow.

This girl loves her some snow.

For us in the northeast, this winter has been brutal. What, you didn’t know that?? You haven’t seen it plastered all over the news and the interwebs? Weird. All the snow has provided me with many, many, MANY opportunities to take Sophia out back to build a snowman (Do you wanna build a SNOWWWWMAAAAAAAN?!!!), slide down the hill in the greatest makeshift sled of all time, and teach her how to throw snowballs like a boss.

They’ve been fun. They’ve also given us insane cabin fever. But, the best part of all this snow has been Sophia’s reactions when she looks out of our bedroom window in the morning and sees the beautiful white snow covering the ground… “It’s snowing!” or “It snowed!!!!” and her eyes get so wide and her jaw drops. It takes me back to my days as a kid. Back when I loved the snow. Back when I didn’t moan and groan about yet another storm. I miss the days when snow was the best thing ever. It makes me so happy for her to love snow that much, just like I did. Continue reading

Feelings of Failed Fatherhood

This was not happening last weekend

This was not happening last weekend.

Throughout fatherhood, there are going to be times where it feels like you are taking a test. What do I mean? The first night you bring your baby home from the hospital is your first real test as a dad. The first time you feed the baby is another. The first overnight with just you and your first baby. And, the test that I just had last weekend: your first overnight with your toddler and your baby and no spouse. Let’s just say this was the first time that I felt like I was failing as a dad. Continue reading

Dad’s Change Diapers At Restaurants, Too

Photo courtesy of lifewithlevi.com

Photo courtesy of lifewithlevi.com

On the occasion that Sarah and I go out to dinner, whether it’s with friends, or just as a family, there comes a time or two or three where one of us will need to take Maddie or Sophia to the bathroom for a diaper change. BUT, all-too-many times, after we’ve gone to the bathrooms on our own, we have discovered that there are only changing tables in the women’s restroom. None in the men’s restroom. This makes it difficult for me to change a diaper. And it doesn’t seem to make sense. Afterall, there are plenty of dads out there that takes their kids out to eat, ya know, without a mom present. Continue reading

Episode 2 of the Poppin’ Bottles Dad-Cast is Live!

Tune in to hear some funny and horrifying stories of Adventures in baby poop and Halloween screams. Also, keep your hands off the baby bumps, weirdos! Listen to episode 2 now!

ImageAnd while you’re at it, follow us on Twitter and Facebook and you can check us out on Instagram @PBDadCast. Let us know how you much you enjoyed this week’s episode, or share your constructive criticisms. We want to know your thoughts and get you engaged!

Why Do I Do This?

My daily inspirations

My daily inspirations.

A lot of people have asked me why I write this blog. Usually, it’s with some sort of incredulous tone, like “why would you share all that personal information??” If you want to know my answer, all you have to do is take a look at my header or at the picture to the right. I do this blog for my daughters. Continue reading

When One Becomes Two and Sleep Becomes None

Sophia reading to Maddie while Maddie sleeps.

Sophia reading to Maddie while Maddie sleeps.

The time was 3:01 am this morning and if it weren’t for the extreme exhaustion of the moment, this post would have been written then. This is what was running through my head at the time: “It’s currently 3:01 am, I just finished feeding Maddie and putting her to bed and am now fighting with a half-asleep-I-need-to-sleep-in-your-bed-and-kick-you-over-and-over-in-the-process Sophia and can hear the faint sounds of a breast pump running through the baby monitor.”

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Just Between You and Me: #JBFPhilly Sales Are a Parent Must

The JBF Philly sale at the Greater Reading Expo Center

The JBF Philly sale at the Greater Reading Expo Center.

When it comes to buying clothes, toys, supplies, etc. for your kids, frankly the prices can get out of hand. When it comes to clothes, generally speaking your kids will grow out of them so quickly that you rarely really get your moneys worth with them. Then, what do you once they outgrow those clothes? Donate them? Give them to a friend? Luckily, you have another option when it comes to getting all things kids related. The Just Between Friends Children’s and Maternity Consignment Sales Events! Continue reading

My Last Post As a Dad of One…

trail hiking

As one of our last moments as a one daughter-daddy duo, we went trail hiking

Times, they are a changin’. At this time tomorrow, I’ll be holding my sweet baby girl for the first time. It’s hard to imagine having a second child, as I’ve said before. But, that doesn’t make it any less real. I couldn’t be any more excited than I am right now, and I know that Sarah feels the same way (well, as much as she can while on bed rest for her final day).

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Bed Rest? More Like BORED Rest!

When it comes to pregnancy, you generally tend to expect the unexpected and really prepare yourself for anything. Things can look great one week, only to take a turn the next. Why this happens, I’ll never know. It’s just the way the body works, I suppose. I’ll never understand it, and I’m quite certain I’ll never experience it with my own body. I’m also fairly certain that I’d be a gigantic baby if I were pregnant. I give an amazing amount of respect and admiration to women for going through it.

We had our second hiccup of Sarah’s pregnancy last week. At her regular check-up for 35 weeks, her blood pressure was elevated and her feet were swelling. For those of you who don’t know, we had Sophia 10 days early when Sarah’s blood pressure went up and it looked like preeclampsia was setting in. Obviously, this was a worry for this pregnancy. So, after being monitored at the doctor’s office for about an hour, we checked Sarah into the maternity ward at the hospital to continue to be monitored. What they found was that her potassium levels were critically low and they needed to do an IV to get the levels up to snuff. So, a one night stay in the hospital was on the books and then when she was released she was given two words you would think would be nice… BED REST. Continue reading