MGo First Time Dad

Relax, take pictures (with M gear), and cheer the team on Saturday.

Buck up Daddio, it gets better. For the mean time, find sleep when you can, meditate and have the attitude of gratitude because you have a beautiful little human you made and get to take care of. 

As far as football? Business as usual, man. We are all tired. Just know that us dads stand in solidarity, and many men have made it through those times. Don't be afraid to punt. Not the baby, but other shit. Please don't punt the baby. Congrats brother

Troll

Congrats! I have no advice, but I'll be in your shoes come November, except with twins. 

Enjoy it all, even the stuff that doesn't seem enjoyable because it goes fast and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. Congratulations! Oh, and a dog can take care of a lot of spilled food.

Wiping butts and taking names boyo!  The biggest threat to your personal safety is the "baby headbutt".  I would tell you all about it; but every dad has to take his own path on this!

Congratulations!  

Congrats man!  I’ll be in your shoes in Feb!

young soldiers party and put ammunition in their pockets.  old soldiers sleep and put food in their pockets.

sleep when you can.  be strategic with mgowife about rest and some time off for each of you, as necessary.  babies cry.  no big deal.  roll with it.  sing to them.  carry them.  don't stress on the little stuff like is the house or car as clean as it could be.   you'll be surprised how other things are very quickly less important and child is numero uno.  

congrats.  like arrows in the hand of a mighty warrior, so are the children of one's youth.  happy is the man whose quiver is full, for he shall not be afraid, but shall speak with the enemy at the gate.

congtats

Easily the best thing that will ever happen to you - although it will also bring your worst grief and deepest regrets. Sometimes they all happen together, other times you only have the patience and energy to feel one of these things. Football on a Saturday with a baby in your arms is a great thing though. Start them early. I'll be watching Saturday night with my 10 and 17 y/o's. 

The only real advice is to relax and remember that you will always be learning how to be a better dad, and you will always be learning how to better accept your failures as well.

There is no rush to being a father. Just spend the time.

I became a first time dad 18 months ago and it is the most fulfilling experience of my life (so far). 

The only bit of advice I can give is that do not follow anyone else’s advice. I know it sounds like a circular argument, but you really need to figure stuff out on you own. Humans have been doing it for thousands of years without “advice”. 

As an example, friends swore by the book “Babywise”. So I got it, and it was worthless for my baby. I just had to “listen” to my baby and learn what do to naturally. 

Good luck!

Congratulations....Just wait 20 some years and that kiddo might text you and see if you want to go to the MGoTailgate tonight. Just two alums drinking beer with some BBQ, listening to Brian's predictions. Good times.

Have the baby fall asleep to recordings of the Michigan Marching band and old Bo Schembechler speecbes. 

First of all, congratulations!  I hope the baby and the rest of the family are doing well.

Second, there is no escaping being tired.  Being a parent is exhausting, particularly the first months.  My best advice is to sleep when you can, make sure your significant other gets rest, and try to take turns (if you can) so that each of you gets a break.  If you both try to do everything all the time you'll have a bad time.  

Also, this may sounds stupid, but eat clean and stay hydrated.  Keep a bottle of water at hand all the time.  When you're tired and your priorities have shifted, its easy to lose track of the fact that you need to be fueled up.

Finally, ask for and accept help if you can.  Let someone else cook for you.  Let someone else walk the dog.  Let someone else clean up around the house.  It won't be perfect but it will allow you to focus.

As for football, this will be a great year because the kid will be immobile.  Getting them to sit still for 3.5 hours at a stretch will be tough for a couple of years, but then they become fans and it becomes fun again...

Go to CVS and get yourself a box of 12 hour store brand Sudafed from the pharmacy.  It's a life saving energy booster on days when you're so tired that you fall asleep while eating.

Don't sweat the small stuff.  Kids make messes, they break things and pee on stuff (including your face if you have a boy), so learn to roll with it and don't let it bother you.  Let them be kids.

Make time for your wife  Try to get a sitter at least once a month and take her out.  Even better, get a relative to take the kid overnight so you can have some proper sex and sleep.

Sneak a video of your wife using a breast pump.  It's the funniest damn thing you'll ever see.

Congrats!!  

I will be a first time dad around November 2nd. Little boy is on the way! Already ordered the Michigan onesie for him from the MDen and the Michigan sock monkey!  Also started planning how I can invest and save enough that he'd have a shot at going to UM will little residual financial debt...

Luckily my wife gets 16 weeks of maternity leave and grandma lives down the road if we need someone to watch him. Can't wait to start Saturday traditions of watching the games with him!

Congrats man.  

Some of the greatest times of your life are In the near future. My two girls are 14 and 11.

I miss them being little....It goes fast, enjoy every minute. The sleep thing will pass.

All I can say from experience is relax and enjoy the ride. It goes fast.

When the kid sleeps, you sleep.  The little fella will figure out his/her schedule soon enough, but it will seem like an eternity, when it's really only 2-3 months.  You will adjust your life accordingly and it will all work out just fine.

Parenthood breaks down into long days, but short years.  Enjoy every moment when they're a baby, because before you know if that baby will be a walking and talking toddler, and then you'll blink and that toddler will be too big for you to pick up or sit in your lap anymore.  It's a cliche', but kids grow up fast, so savor every minute.

Congrats man.  I just joined the club 13 days ago myself.  I never fully appreciated how much of a miracle childbirth really is.

Relax and do the best you can.  Children are remarkably resilient creatures. And in the immortal words of Petty Officer Watley (no, you shouldn't know who he is): "they don't stay small long."

Follow Michigan football, but be efficient about it.  You don't need to watch every game live; recording it and FFing through the commercials is a great time saver.  You'll also earn karma points with Mom..."You're NOT watching the Michigan game this weekend?"  (Note: this does NOT include the upcoming ND game.)

Dress the kid up in Michigan gear, and teach him/her who the good guys are.  (Note: I'd tell the same thing to a Buckeye or Spartan fan about their teams' gear.)  This is when those "for as long as I remember..." memories get formed.

I have a picture in my office of my 2 month old son wearing a Michigan onesie while we watched his first game at a friend's house, the 1996 Notre Dame game.  He graduated from college this year (Calvin in Grand Rapids), and last fall we went to Ann Arbor for the Minnesota game.

Enjoy it. Every damn dirty, stinky, messy, loud, 3:47 am, WTF?, srsly?, not again!, OMFG, honey where's the ___?! second.

The old saying that "they grow up so fast" is easily the truest of life's truths that I've ever experienced. Sure, it'll test you (actually, that does not end, that's just parenting), but I look at my kids' baby photos with nothing but blissful pride and adoration. When it comes to being a father, the good absolutely destroys anything that could be called bad.

Hell, my son had a potentially deadly bone infection on his 1st birthday (he was in the hospital for days) and I look back on THAT as an experience I'd never trade for the world. Just live it before it's gone.

Mine will be 7 months the day Michigan destroys ND. People are not lying about sleeping when your baby sleeps... DO IT! Except when Michigan is playing. Be as helpful as you can while your wife is on leave. Its more than a full time job for her. And like everyone says, find time for yourself. USE YOUR FAMILY!  Congrats and GO BLUE

Congrats.  The first 13 weeks or so are sleep deprived hell.  Until the kid reaches a certain weight they'll not sleep through the night. 

Go Blue!

Bro, mine is 3.5 months. I'm just now feeling like I'm not a zombie. 

Tag team it, some nights you stay up, some nights she does it. Enjoy it, they grow up quickly... Everything is a milestone. When he starts to get more coordinated, smiles, reacts to different things, find toes, recognizes faces etc. 

Don't tell too loud during the game either! I'm gonna take a bunch of pics before the game, watch parts with him then he might have to go upstairs if it's tight!

Parenting is a hard, non stop, never ending job. Adapt and survive. You've come here for advice, what could go wrong? ? congrats and good luck, and always....... GO BLUE! 

I'll say one more thing, the bigger test for me, personally, was my relationship with my wife. Kids absolutely change that dynamic. Take care of it, don't let your relationship take too much of a backseat, make time to be together. After I had kids, I realized THAT explains all the ritual pomp and circumstance of marriage and weddings and vows... raising children takes some hardcore commitment to each other.

Don't forget the baby is on your lap when you leap up to cheer Michigan touchdowns and sacks on Saturday!

In a few years your kid will start saying things like "I like Ohio State", just to get a rise out of you.

Resist the urge to drown them in a bathtub.  They know not what they do.

Speaking as a loving, caring, father of four kids with the youngest one being less than three weeks old, here is some advice:

-All crying stops eventually. 
-If you are being driven crazy, it is ok to set the kid down and walk out of the room to get a breather. 
-Listen to other's stories and don't be afraid to ask advice (like with this post!). 
-It is rough at times, especially with your first and when the kids are young. 
-There are a few ages where they require a lot less monitoring:  around age 2, age 3, and especially age 5.  
-I'm sure this isn't high on your list of things to think about right now but it DOES get much easier with each child.  My kids are 8, 6, 3, and 0 years old and it is incredible how much the older ones want to help out.  (They also are decidedly NOT helpful sometimes but that comes with the territory).  
-Speaking of helping out, let them watch you and try to engage them in whatever activity it is you are doing.  They may be lousy at trimming the bushes or cutting the grass (mine have been known to do so with scissors while I actually mowed) but before long they will actually be useful & then will want to help out around the house.
-According to some studies (or so my wife tells me) it is almost impossible to give them too much affection, especially before the age of six.  Sometimes I really want to tell them to "suck it up, buttercup!" but then realize saying "I'm sorry you have a boo-boo" and putting a band aid on it gets them on a much better path & probably has far less crying involved.
-At two years old, they don't need career advice.  If they tell you they will be a ninja when they grow up, tell them they'll be the best ninja in the world.  They'll (probably) forget about that eventually but don't forget you believed in them.
-Take care of your baby mamma.  There is a difference between asking "how was your day?" and "how are you doing?"  Make sure to ask her both questions regularly.  
-Enjoy!!!  Your kids can be an incredible amount of fun and so much of parenting is you being along for the ride as they learn about the world.  Encourage them and believe in them every step of the way.