Bobby!

Since you apparently have an answer for everything, it would be only fair if you had a Baby of your own, hiddenmarlin14, so we could actually follow along with the pregnancy and all that other nonsense. I’m not forcing you or anything—I’m just saying it feels like a wasted opportunity given how much you claim to know.

Walter Baker2, what are you waiting for? Find yourself a young partner and we can all follow along on the adventures of the forum's resident dad🍿
while even Josh would be great company for the ride😁 🙂I think it would make for an awesome show😍

Man, if I were ten years younger, that would definitely be a blast. But at my age? I’m pretty sure I’d end up checked into a psych ward just trying to process everything Hans is going through.😲

To be honest, I don't think I could handle a Baby right now, even if I wanted to 🙂 it's just not my stage of life anymore 🕺
My favorite part about being an aunt is getting to snuggle my niece, play around, and then just hand her back 🙂

stormygardener93 said:Walter Baker2, why are you just sitting there? Find yourself a young lady and we can all tag along to follow the adventures of this forum's patriarch.🍿
Even Josue would be a decent addition to the entourage.😁 🙂I honestly think it would make for a fantastic reality show.😍

Look, I’ve already raised three Babies into adulthood; what more do you want from me? Are you trying to work me into an early grave like in the old days?

Walter Baker2 is just sitting there waiting on those grandkids now.🥳

Walter Baker2 said:Look, I’ve already raised three babies, so what more could you possibly want from me? Are you really trying to run me ragged like the old days?

Hey there, old friend! Long time no see.
Look, don't be so hard on him—he’s still young! 🙂

stormygardener93 said:Hey, how’s it going, old man?

napy, grandchildren? Give me a break, don't be like that. Josh is still young enough. 🙂

Look, if I absolutely have to, I'll just make you a baby, but you better plan on raising him yourself. Besides, I only produce boys.

Walter Baker2, you're asking me to babysit? I'm a grown woman! 🕺 Plus, I am constantly surrounded by men. If I were going to watch a child, it would have to be a little girl—and even then, just as a niece, which I already 🎉 (though she lives quite a distance away). Anything else is just too much for me.

I’m asking us retirees to stop cluttering up Baby's thread. Let's keep the focus strictly on him. Where is he? What's he up to? When is his family coming over to pinch and tease him? Has he finally learned how to say Josh yet?☕

stormygardener93 said:Walter Baker2, what am I supposed to do with you? Look, I’m a woman of a certain age🕺 and I’m constantly surrounded by men. What I really need is a girl around—though strictly in a niece capacity, and I already have🎉 (even if she lives quite a distance away). Anything else is just way too much for me to handle.

Maybe a little girl will pop up if you head north; that's the word on the street.

I honestly think those will be his very first words, oh my god.

That might actually be his first word—just how aggressively he keeps searching for more. Even Hans is baffled by how much milk he can actually hold (he’s already gained an extra 1.5 pounds since birth 🙂).

One downside—the crying—has hit a new peak now that his appetite is up and the colic is kicking in. I was a total wreck yesterday, just crying my eyes out because he was so fussy and inconsolable for two hours straight. We’re spending most of our time rocking him after every single feed now, just trying to preempt the screaming caused by those cramps. We're really hoping these drops help get his digestion moving.
Now that I have a tiny bit of experience under my belt, I’m noticing how little people talk about certain things. His screaming during diaper changes totally spooked me at first; I was terrified he was in pain or that he'd gotten a diaper rash... but my pediatrician explained that for newborns, being undressed feels "new, unfamiliar, and unsettling," which is why they freak out. Then two friends of mine shared similar stories, and one's situation sounded even worse: her baby would actually hold their breath while being changed, almost turning blue. After hearing that, Baby's outbursts seem a little less terrifying, and not every change is a disaster, but I still need time to find my balance when things get stressful.

Thanks for listening.

The more you carry him around, the more he’s going to expect it; before you know it, he won't want to spend a single second alone in his crib. There's a little trick I learned: once he’s finished eating, just rest him against your shoulder with his head tilted back so he can burp. If you don't get that air out, he’ll end up throwing everything back up. Just throw a burp cloth over your shoulder

A dad I know used to tell us that they’d put classical music on for the baby during diaper changes, and it made the whole process so much smoother 🤔 Honestly, they aren't even musicians, let alone classical ones 🤔

Grace Anderson3 said:It might actually be his first word, honestly, seeing how he keeps demanding more. Hans is probably wondering how on earth he fits so much milk in there (he's already gained 700 grams since birth 🙂).

One downside—the crying—has hit a new peak now that his appetite is up and the colic is kicking in. I was literally in tears yesterday because he was just fussy and inconsolable for two hours straight. Now we spend most of our time holding him after every feeding just to keep the cramps from making him cry even more. We’re hoping those drops help get his digestion moving.
Now that I have a little experience under my belt, I’m noticing how some things don't get talked about enough. His screaming during diaper changes really spooked me at first; I was terrified he was in pain or had something like reflux. But my nurse explained that being undressed is just "new, unknown, and overwhelming" for newborns, which is why he freaks out. A couple of friends told me similar stories, though one's situation sounded way worse: her baby would actually hold his breath while being changed, sometimes even turning blue. After hearing that, Baby's screaming doesn't seem quite as scary, and not every change is a meltdown, but I still need time to get my nerves steady during those rough moments.

Thanks for listening.

Don't sweat it. I used to scream whenever my mother dressed me, even back in high school. To this day, she tells stories about when I was five and she tried to put on these pants my grandpa had sewn for me. Just non-stop screaming. Basically, Baby isn't a fan of the outfit choices and that's that. He'll be fine by the time he hits 40!👍

Walter Baker2 said:The more you hold him, the more he's going to demand it. He won't want to be left alone in the playpen. There's one trick: once he's full, put him over your shoulder with his head tilted back so he can burp. Otherwise, he'll just keep throwing up until he does. Just keep a burp cloth on your shoulder

We have at least two of those cloths in every room. He hasn't thrown up on me yet.

hiddenmarlin14 said:A dad told us about how they used to put classical music headphones on their baby during diaper changes, and it made the whole process way easier 🤔—and they aren't even musicians, let alone classical ones 🤔

With some babies, it isn't even about the music. It’s just finding any sound that happens to soothe them 🤔 One woman I knew actually recorded the sound of a hairdryer and played it whenever she needed to calm her baby down 🤔

Grace Sanders24 said:Don't sweat it. I was screaming every time my mother changed my clothes, even in high school...

🤣 🤣
Your mother probably earned her retirement through you. 🙂

Grace Sanders24 said:Basically, Baby's just unhappy with his outfit choice, and that's that...

Next time I'll dress him in this.

Josh, I really value your advice. I honestly wish I had seen it sooner! 🙂

I know one kid who practically passed out during the first few bars of the Grdović concert, and just a second before that, he was on the verge of a total meltdown. 🤣

Grace Anderson3 said:We’ve got at least two little troublemakers like that in every room we walk into. So far, nobody's thrown up yet, though.

Some babies just react to things that aren't even music; it's more about a specific frequency or noise that somehow hits the spot. 🤔 I heard about this one woman who recorded the sound of a hairdryer and played it on loop whenever she needed to soothe her infant. 🤔

🤣 🤣
That mother deserves a full pension just for dealing with you. 🙂

Next time I'll just dress him in this.

And do you hold him against your shoulder after he eats?

stormygardener93 said:Josh, I absolutely live for your advice. Honestly, it’s such a shame I didn't get my act together and listen to you sooner.🙂

I know this one kid who practically slipped into a coma during the very first bars of a Grdović track; a split second before that, he was just having a massive meltdown.🤣

I mean, let’s be real—who wouldn't go into a total trance listening to Grdović's rhythms?