Being a dad - six months on!

SO it’s been six months since we became parents. And the good news is we haven’t damaged Jacob in anyway! I’m sure I wasn't alone in thinking in the delivery room, what if I break him?

But, as with most things in fatherhood you soon realise your worries are just frankly ridiculous!

What it has been has been a voyage of discovery and learning, of sleepless nights and fun-filled days.

Nothing in life can prepare you for the actual job of fatherhood, you can learn lots about babycare but nothing prepares you for the emotional hit of holding your own child.

What have I learned? A load, both about myself, about patience and the joy of baby watching. Come on dads, we have all done it, just stopped and watched how our little ones go about their day.

Jacob is just a delight, especially now at six months where he is babbling away and developing a really funny personality. His favourite trick at the moment appears to be looking all sad at either me or his mum.

When he inevitably gets out attention, the cheeky little scamp either smiles so warmly or turns away quickly with a sudden bout of ‘shyness’.

I’ve also learned nothing really matters, a bad day at work can be resolved the moment you walk through the door.

I have been so blessed that as well as a healthy baby, I have the most fabulous wife, a woman born to be a mother and a true natural. But then again I am biased!!!

From the early days of neither of us knowing what the heck we were doing to now, it’s been a wonderful journey so far, long may it continue.

So for those dads to be, let me share some wisdom. Firstly, be there for the birth and see what you want to see, those precious first seconds will be burned on your memory forever

Secondly, get involved in feeding and nappies: Jacob weed on me not once but twice on his first day in the world,  a badge of honour!

Thirdly, during your paternity leave, make sure you do as much round the house as you can, it’s a good chance to learn something new!

And finally, when your baby and your partner/wife sleep, make sure you do as well or at least chill out on the sofa!

Thank you for the memories son, here’s to so many more

 

REVIEW: 90:10 Hoodie

BEING a big fan of hoodies I was delighted to receive an offer to review one from the guys at 90:10 given I’m also 90 per cent grown up, 10 per cent not!

When you become a dad, you find yourself wondering whether you should grow up now and act responsible. But pretty soon you realise you can still have fun and enjoy yourself, just because I’m a dad and in my 30s it doesn’t mean I’m past it, no sir!

I decided to give my 90:10 hoodie the biggest challenge and put it on straight after a shower and straight away I loved the close feel and it certainly kept the heat in.

I liked the look of it immediately, really nice and attractive branding yet not too obvious and off putting for the 90 per cent of me that is grown up!

Comfy to drive in and lark about in, the 90:10 hoodie is well made and stands up to any challenge thrown at it, especially if you always on the go.

One of the first comments from my wife was I looked slimmer in it, so if you’re trying to hide a few pounds lads you know where to look!

While it certainly keeps the heat in during this current cold spell, I imagine it will also be perfect for the spring and summer months.

I went bowling with the guys from work on Friday night and decided to throw it back on as the navy blue looks great with jeans.

The design looks both smart and casual, something which is not always the case with some of the more well-known brands.

I tend to throw on hoodies during the colder months and rely on longer sleeve shirts in the spring and summer.

However, I can easily see me reaching for this on a summer’s evening perhaps when the heat of the day has gone and it’s just a bit nippy. Hopefully I’ll be in a beer garden at the time!

90 per cent grown up is enough for me so it’s refreshing to know others feel the same, so much so they’ve put it on a hoodie!

90 per cent grown up, 10 per cent not = 100 per cent satisfied!

Visit www.9010man.com for more about the range, including a ‘headphone’ hoodie, yes guys now your iPhone has a real home!

Labour's paternity plan is great, but it has to be worthwhile.

THE news this morning that Labour would give new dads four weeks off work after the birth of their baby is very welcome.

Having agonisingly crawled to work two weeks after Jacob was born I would have welcomed another two weeks off, if not just to try and build up the courage to tear myself away from him!

But as many things in politics, a welcome announcement on the surface often becomes less so when you dig down to what we call 'reality'.

Paternity leave is wonderful; two weeks off, the Government pay for it, your annual leave is untouched. Your first two weeks as a daddy are taken care of....

However, when you actually look at what is offered, £138, you soon realise that the devil is indeed in the detail.

I earn roughly £300 a week, meaning had I had two weeks off I would have lost over a week's salary! I'm sure that wasn't the intention when paternity leave was created.

This is not a whinge, far from it, the fact that paternity leave even exists is great and that any contribution from the Government is welcome.

But the moment that little bundle arrives, you immediately think about protecting them and keeping them safe and losing money which could be spent on nappies and the like in the first month is a worry you just don't need.

We are lucky in this country to have fathers of relitavely young children in charge of all three parties, so parenting should remain on the agenda.

Labour have a great idea, it would be great now to see it worked through to ensure new dads aren't forced to use their annual leave.

I don't have the answer, I can only speak as a dad who took one week off the state and one week's annual leave when J was born.

Over to you Mr Miliband!