Surly Dad Thread

[Modessit 5599]

Wife had a positive pregnancy test yesterday.  We're on our 4th try at IVF and haven't gotten this far before.  Long ways to go, but I cried for the first time in a long time yesterday, and for good reasons.
Second blood draw tomorrow to ensure that hormones levels are going the right direction.

Fingers crossed. We did 8 IUIs and had 3 positives before our first kid stuck. Hope everything goes well for you.

The good thing is that if you try for another kid later after a successful fertility treatment birth, the process if giving birth sometimes unlocks whatever issue was keeping it from happening naturally. Our second kid happened on our first real try when we decided to not spend the money again and just use some leftover ovulation test strips to get the timing right.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

Wife had a positive pregnancy test yesterday.  We're on our 4th try at IVF and haven't gotten this far before.  Long ways to go, but I cried for the first time in a long time yesterday, and for good reasons.
Second blood draw tomorrow to ensure that hormones levels are going the right direction.

Good luck friend.


Youre about to enter a universe of shit with things you've never even thought of before. Hope all goes smooth...but IMO docs know too much with pregnancies and if they spot something its a whole new level of stress

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Fingers crossed. We did 8 IUIs and had 3 positives before our first kid stuck. Hope everything goes well for you.

The good thing is that if you try for another kid later after a successful fertility treatment birth, the process if giving birth sometimes unlocks whatever issue was keeping it from happening naturally. Our second kid happened on our first real try when we decided to not spend the money again and just use some leftover ovulation test strips to get the timing right.

Yep. Gabi was IVF and Amelia was a surprise. First pregnancy must have knocked all the tumblers into place.

[Al_4_ISU 12457]

23 minutes ago, Modessit said:

Fingers crossed. We did 8 IUIs and had 3 positives before our first kid stuck. Hope everything goes well for you.

The good thing is that if you try for another kid later after a successful fertility treatment birth, the process if giving birth sometimes unlocks whatever issue was keeping it from happening naturally. Our second kid happened on our first real try when we decided to not spend the money again and just use some leftover ovulation test strips to get the timing right.

Same exact thing happened to a friend of mine from college.

 

Thanks for the well wishes guys!  I'm wound up like a cat shitting razor blades to say the least.

[Al_4_ISU 12457]

23 minutes ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

Good luck friend.


Youre about to enter a universe of shit with things you've never even thought of before. Hope all goes smooth...but IMO docs know too much with pregnancies and if they spot something its a whole new level of stress

Yeah, I hope like hell that doesn't happen, but nothing has been smooth about this process thus far.  We've been going to Mayo (it's only an hour away) and they have yet to been able to pin point much of why we were unable to conceive.  My boys are numerous and capable, her eggs appear fine, and no endometrial issues either. 

[SydneyCarton 48076]

1 minute ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Yeah, I hope like hell that doesn't happen, but nothing has been smooth about this process thus far.  We've been going to Mayo (it's only an hour away) and they have yet to been able to pin point much of why we were unable to conceive.  My boys are numerous and capable, her eggs appear fine, and no endometrial issues either. 

Good luck dude. Wife and I struggled for a long time before we were blessed with my giant monster child. 

[BabaYaga 15290]

1 hour ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

Youre about to enter a universe of shit with things you've never even thought of before

Here's one.  Son still a toddler.  Eating "food", but still mixing in formula and other assorted baby stuff.  So he'd been eating red grapes we'd cut up (don't give your kid a whole grape - choking hazard).

We're upstairs in the rocker, reading a book or something and that little shit starts to cough, then puke.  think Exorcist baby puking formula and red grape chunks!  He's facing outward, so of course I hold him up and run to the bathroom, leaving a lovely puke trail on the carpet.

What was wife pissed about, you may ask?  That I help the baby up and out vs "taking the puke" on my shirt and chest and saving the carpet.  

YOU TAKE THE PUKE!  LOOK AT THIS CARPET!   Ahhhhhhhhhh!

So the opposite of this, kid facing outward running to the bathroom...*and fuck taking a face/chest worth of puke.  Called carpet guy.  Problem solved.  

[next2naus 439]

On 10/4/2019 at 8:33 AM, next2naus said:

I'm in the waiting cycle of this right now, coughs and ear infections for both kids a week apart along with Mom getting a nasty virus, tick tock, tick tock....

so the kids got past their ear infections and Mom is done with her viral infection and then....girl get a stomach bug on Monday and come Wednesday night, son has it. good times. I know baby puke. 

[EE2B 1565]

The fun never ends!

[High Plains Drifter 11035]

On 9/2/2019 at 9:37 PM, Lobo said:

That's a great pic, reminds me that I need some advice from y'all here in Austin on some swim teachers for the oldest, she's 4.  

We have tried Emler, neighbor's pool with private lessons, me teaching her (I was 20 years and several pounds ago a certified lifeguard), and she was making great progress last summer.  This summer has been a 180 degree regression.  Hates the water, cries when we get close to it.  My wife coddles her about it.  I could give a shit if she ever swims one race in her whole life.  But many of my neighbors have pools with gates that are always wide open, she walks into their yards with no regard for the water or where we are, we're invited out to swim parties, boat rides, etc.  I lost her on the hike n' bike for 2 seconds the other day, thought she might end up in the river.  Wife knows it's a necessity she learn to swim but she comes from a family where half the people still don't know how to swim and she didn't learn until grade school.  I've heard about the Swim Nazi lady but wife will never go for it.  Again, I ain't looking for Individual Medley training here, but she just won't budge on learning anymore or even getting near the water...unless of course we aren't looking in which case she makes a fucking beeline to the water when we're at friend's homes or hotels.  /rant   thanks.  any tips?

 

Are you or the wife at the pool while the lesson is going on?

If so, leave. Drop her off and GTFO.  Just like the first day of daycare/school.

Don't be late picking her up though.

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

Youngest got her full drivers license a couple of days ago. She drove to school solo yesterday making it the first time in 20 years this asshole didn’t drive a kid to or from something. 

[Al_4_ISU 12457]

Didn't take.

Rinse, repeat, try again.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

Didn't take.

Rinse, repeat, try again.

Dah fuck. Sorry brah, Well at least it's fun trying?

 

 

16 mo old had 102 temp 2 nights ago, 4 year old has a head cold today, expecting 16 mo old to get that soon this weekend.

 

 

Wife and i will get it next week.

 

Winter storm the next few

 

 

Love fall, i mean winter!!

 

[Al_4_ISU 12457]

1 minute ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

Dah fuck. Well at least it's fun trying?


16 mo old had 102 temp 2 nights ago, 4 year old has a head cold today, expecting 16 mo old to get that soon this weekend.


Wife and i will get it next week.

Winter storm the next few


Love fall, i mean winter!!

IVF.  We're well past the fun trying.

You getting fucked with snow today?  Looks like it will relent before it gets to us.

Edited October 10, 2019 by Al_4_ISU

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Didn't take.
Rinse, repeat, try again.

Man, I am sorry to hear that. It can be emotionally draining, especially for the woman. Stress is a terrible thing for pregnancies. Try to eliminate as much of it as possible. Good luck.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

IVF.  We're well past the fun trying.
You getting fucked with snow today?  Looks like it will relent before it gets to us.

Most of ND..we're in the gradient of 2-3" or a 10 inches depending on the shift.


I can imagine how bad this takes a toll on you 2. If theres any light, i know 2 couples that had lots of trouble, doing all of the loops to get pregnant the last 5 years. They were both able to conceive naturally for kid #1 and one couple has already had a second kid(naturally) and the others pregnant with #2.


So hope that helps shed light if/when you get this first one to work

[Al_4_ISU 12457]

54 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Man, I am sorry to hear that. It can be emotionally draining, especially for the woman. Stress is a terrible thing for pregnancies. Try to eliminate as much of it as possible. Good luck.

That's one of our biggest obstacles.  My wife has fairly significant anxiety and it just kind of compounds on itself.  I think we did a better job of eliminating stress this go around, which maybe contributed to getting farther than in the past.

[Al_4_ISU 12457]

29 minutes ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

Most of ND..we're in the gradient of 2-3" or a 10 inches depending on the shift.


I can imagine how bad this takes a toll on you 2. If theres any light, i know 2 couples that had lots of trouble, doing all of the loops to get pregnant the last 5 years. They were both able to conceive naturally for kid #1 and one couple has already had a second kid(naturally) and the others pregnant with #2.


So hope that helps shed light if/when you get this first one to work

I have a lot of friends who have been in that boat too, so there's always a reason for optimism.

At the end of the day, it's easy for me to keep perspective.  My uncle buried two boys.  Same uncle farmed with my dad (and lives on my grandparent's home farm), so we've always been connected at the hip, and I was close with each cousin (they were never alive at the same time).  I watched/somewhat experienced what he and my aunt went through (go through) and if they can come out the other end, what we're dealing is fucking nothing by comparison.

[Armybrat 40832]

1946 road trip from Fort Crockett on the Texas Coast to Jacumba, California; I got the shits somewhere around Ozona, and each night at the motels, I got to sleep in the bathtub. Fun times for my Mom & Dad.

[MoJames 8244]

2 hours ago, Armybrat said:

1946 road trip from Fort Crockett on the Texas Coast to Jacumba, California; I got the shits somewhere around Ozona, and each night at the motels, I got to sleep in the bathtub. Fun times for my Mom & Dad.

Why'd you take your parents? Was this a previous generational thing where grown ass men took their parents with them on road trips?

[EE2B 1565]

[Modessit 5599]

Didn't take.
Rinse, repeat, try again.

Sorry to hear.

On our first positive (4th IUI), we showed up to the first ultrasound all excited - only to find out we had an empty egg - or blighted ovum as it's called. That was a major bummer. Waited a few more weeks to make sure then had to do a D&C to get it out. Couple months later we started again and on our 6th IUI we got another positive but the hormone levels started dropping right away and it ended on its own before we even got to the ultrasound. Did the 8th IUI the day after my wife's birthday and got a positive out of it. We tried not to get too excited as we waited and at the first ultrasound we had a heartbeat! He turns six in November. My daughter (now 3) happened naturally.

It sucks trying to do this when you're older. When you're 18, it seems the women get pregnant if you breathe on them. In your 30s (wife) and 40s (me), it's like you're trying to pick a lock with a piece of raw spaghetti.

[Al_4_ISU 12457]

2 minutes ago, Modessit said:

Sorry to hear.

On our first positive (4th IUI), we showed up to the first ultrasound all excited - only to find out we had an empty egg - or blighted ovum as it's called. That was a major bummer. Waited a few more weeks to make sure then had to do a D&C to get it out. Couple months later we started again and on our 6th IUI we got another positive but the hormone levels started dropping right away and it ended on its own before we even got to the ultrasound. Did the 8th IUI the day after my wife's birthday and got a positive out of it. We tried not to get too excited as we waited and at the first ultrasound we had a heartbeat! He turns six in November. My daughter (now 3) happened naturally.

It sucks trying to do this when you're older. When you're 18, it seems the women get pregnant if you breathe on them. In your 30s (wife) and 40s (me), it's like you're trying to pick a lock with a piece of raw spaghetti.

That's for damn sure.  We're in our early 30's, and started in earnest when my wife was 32.  The irony of how much effort you spent avoiding pregnancy when younger, only to end up at this stage when you actually want kids is one of God's cruelest tricks.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

We tried for over a year before I got my wife knocked up with this last one. She was taking her temperature every morning and doing all that junk to know exactly when she was going to ovulate, but nothing. She finally went to a specialist who actually listened to what was going on and told her she had endometriosis instead of just bad periods. Several weeks of ultrasound and a surgery later and we got pregnant in less than two months. Endometriosis wasn't the whole story, either. Her tubes were blocked (possibly from the c-section last time) and theh cleared them out during the surgery. It was worth it, but I would plan it so the surgery and birth would all be the same year since we are going to hit our out of pocket maximum.

[mdmost 43001]

I had to put together some new outdoor furniture today. My 9 year old wanted to help. Normally I want to get things like this over with so I can enjoy the rest of the day, watch football and whatnot. But I remembered to slow down and let her help where she could. Things like turning bolts, assembling table legs, and screwing down the screws to put things together. Sure I had to go back over what she did but it was an enjoyable time where we got to bond. I told her she should be proud that she helped build these chairs and table we would be sitting at and she could remember that each time we sat outside that she had a part in making it happen. Her older sister certainly didn’t want to help. I’ve finally gotten to the point where I realize these moment are going lessen as they get older so take advantage of it when they exist. Even if it means things are going to take a lot longer than planned.

[next2naus 439]

11 hours ago, mdmost said:

I had to put together some new outdoor furniture today. My 9 year old wanted to help. Normally I want to get things like this over with so I can enjoy the rest of the day, watch football and whatnot. But I remembered to slow down and let her help where she could. Things like turning bolts, assembling table legs, and screwing down the screws to put things together. Sure I had to go back over what she did but it was an enjoyable time where we got to bond. I told her she should be proud that she helped build these chairs and table we would be sitting at and she could remember that each time we sat outside that she had a part in making it happen. Her older sister certainly didn’t want to help. I’ve finally gotten to the point where I realize these moment are going lessen as they get older so take advantage of it when they exist. Even if it means things are going to take a lot longer than planned.

I recently laid down Washer Pits and it's a bit annoying when the kids just sit on/in them and play with the dirt. But then when you slow it all down and stnad behind them as they toss/drop a washer....all gold. Now they when they want to go out in the backyard its "washers" in unison. 

 

and yes, they still have colds, little snot machines

[next2naus 439]

daughter had fever last night, gone today. Cannot catch a break

[BigDHornfan 6546]

Another great time at the Fair with the boy.
Got to add another pic to our Fletcher’s Montage.

[next2naus 439]

So we took the kids to the doctor today trying to end this bullshit. It turns out the first ear infections never fully went away and now they both have ear infections in both ears. good times. Now wait for it....the girls coughing?.........Pneumonia. Had her x-rayed to verify. She's on a med for that and a nebulizer for the week. 

twins are the best.  

[Message Board User 12395]

I don't know anybody else's experience with public elementary education, but we've been incredibly disappointed and this year we yanked our 3rd grader out of public school and into a charter school and we couldn't be happier.  In the public school, it seems to be all about reading, reading, reading to the exclusion of everything else...and this article explains why and perfectly illustrates our issu with the public schools.

 

[EE2B 1565]

So we took the kids to the doctor today trying to end this bullshit. It turns out the first ear infections never fully went away and now they both have ear infections in both ears. good times. Now wait for it....the girls coughing?.........Pneumonia. Had her x-rayed to verify. She's on a med for that and a nebulizer for the week. 
twins are the best.  

Keep a close eye on it. Our 2 year old (at the time) ended up with double pneumonia from an ear infection and her pulse/ox got so low they put her in the hospital for 36 hours. She was running around like a wild person at 9pm that night. By 2 AM you could tell her breathing was a bit off and when we got her to the doc her pulse ox was in the low 80’s from 95 earlier that day. Good luck!

[Stringer 1438]

Need some equipment advice.  What's the best baby monitor that you have come across.  We had one for our first, but the range was shit and was really frustrating.

Need an upgrade for our second.  Any good ones with great range or that work through the wifi?

[next2naus 439]

8 hours ago, Stringer said:

Need some equipment advice.  What's the best baby monitor that you have come across.  We had one for our first, but the range was shit and was really frustrating.

Need an upgrade for our second.  Any good ones with great range or that work through the wifi?

I think they all suck. that being said we use the Nest and I like the video quality and remote access. 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

Yeah, they all pretty much suck. If you have an echo show you can pick up a wyze cam pretty cheap and view it on the echo show or any smart phone. That's what we use now.

[pacman 7355]

On 10/10/2019 at 3:41 PM, EE2B said:

My son played this in his 5th grade gt class. Good fun was had but he died.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

My son played this in his 5th grade gt class. Good fun was had but he died.

Rip



We're just getting over a cough/fever bug in our house this last week. Nothing like the poor kid with pneumonia. Crazy how parenting worlds can change on a dime. One min youre putting your kid to sleep..the next youre waking up at 1230 when they're miserable in their crib with a 101 temp

[pacman 7355]

just to be clear, his character died in the game..of snakebite 

Edited October 16, 2019 by pacman

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

just to be clear, his character died in the game..of snakebite 

Figured that lolol

[High Plains Drifter 11035]

On 10/13/2019 at 9:35 PM, mdmost said:

I had to put together some new outdoor furniture today. My 9 year old wanted to help. Normally I want to get things like this over with so I can enjoy the rest of the day, watch football and whatnot. But I remembered to slow down and let her help where she could. Things like turning bolts, assembling table legs, and screwing down the screws to put things together. Sure I had to go back over what she did but it was an enjoyable time where we got to bond. I told her she should be proud that she helped build these chairs and table we would be sitting at and she could remember that each time we sat outside that she had a part in making it happen. Her older sister certainly didn’t want to help. I’ve finally gotten to the point where I realize these moment are going lessen as they get older so take advantage of it when they exist. Even if it means things are going to take a lot longer than planned.

 

My 9 yr old daughter loves to "help" me work on the car, the house, the yard, whatever. Sometimes I have to take a couple of deep breaths, but in the end, definitely worth it.

[BradInATX 9208]

12 hours ago, Stringer said:

Need some equipment advice.  What's the best baby monitor that you have come across.  We had one for our first, but the range was shit and was really frustrating.

Need an upgrade for our second.  Any good ones with great range or that work through the wifi?

We just bought Yi Home cameras that are normal IP cameras from Amazon. They're not necessarily marketed for babies, but they do have some baby features. You can monitor it through WiFi (you can even monitor when you're not home, but we have that turned off due to security concerns). It also alerts your device when it detects crying, and the detection has been pretty much 100% so far, best we can tell. Has night vision, etc. The only complaint we have is that you can't run it audio-only in the background of your device. It has to be running in the foreground constantly. To solve for that we bought a couple of $25 Kindle Fires  (old gens) as dedicated baby monitor devices, and it's worked fine for us. It was $40, I think.

Edited October 16, 2019 by BradInATX

[fattyflattie 4639]

On 10/10/2019 at 12:55 PM, Al_4_ISU said:

That's one of our biggest obstacles.  My wife has fairly significant anxiety and it just kind of compounds on itself.  I think we did a better job of eliminating stress this go around, which maybe contributed to getting farther than in the past.

Sorry to hear.  I think there is something to the stress.  We had issues trying with the first (wife is unbelievably impatient by design) after the first, that particular stress was gone.  Hope y’all can stay positive as possible. 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

Need some equipment advice.  What's the best baby monitor that you have come across.  We had one for our first, but the range was shit and was really frustrating. Need an upgrade for our second.  Any good ones with great range or that work through the wifi?

 

We have a 2 camera monitor system made by levana. Sound/ picture / signal works good on main level while kids rooms are up stairs and down a hallway. 

Nice side by side picture also with automatic nightvision.

 

 

Only one camera will have sound if youre in side by side mode

 

 

[atomheartbevo 89648]

I'm way too old to have ever watched Rugrats when it originally ran, but my 7 year-old and 4 year-old are addicted to it, and I have to say, as a parent, it's one of the very few kids shows that's tolerable.

It's weird the kinds of shows they'll latch onto.

[Goofyboy 3278]

I'm way too old to have ever watched Rugrats when it originally ran, but my 7 year-old and 4 year-old are addicted to it, and I have to say, as a parent, it's one of the very few kids shows that's tolerable.
It's weird the kinds of shows they'll latch onto.

My kid is currently into Gumball. My wife and I love it.

[BigDHornfan 6546]

18 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

I'm way too old to have ever watched Rugrats when it originally ran, but my 7 year-old and 4 year-old are addicted to it, and I have to say, as a parent, it's one of the very few kids shows that's tolerable.

It's weird the kinds of shows they'll latch onto.

Wait til they start watching stupid ass videos on youtube.  Still don't get why my son loves to watch videos of other kids playing with toys.  

[atomheartbevo 89648]

11 minutes ago, BigDHornfan said:

Wait til they start watching stupid ass videos on youtube.  Still don't get why my son loves to watch videos of other kids playing with toys.  

Oh, that's already happened.

AND IT FUCKING PISSES ME OFF.

If I let them, they would watch those fucking YouTube videos for hours.  And some of those kids now have their own branded toy lines in the stores.

Anytime we are near Anna's Toy Depot, thanks to it being featured on one of those YouTube kid channels.   I mean, Anna's Toy Depot is a cool store, but they want to go because on of those kids, who is based out of Austin, likes to visit it.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

Anyone watch adley? Dad's a dork but they're not as annoying as others. Tolerable.

[BigDHornfan 6546]

I wanna throatpunch Ryan's mom.   

[ZB'Tejas 593]

1 hour ago, BigDHornfan said:

Wait til they start watching stupid ass videos on youtube.  Still don't get why my son loves to watch videos of other kids playing with toys.  

The worst... kids playing with toys is so ridiculous. I had to delete YouTube and just give her YouTube kids because she would go into strange dark holes of Korean youtubery. I always tried to show her how to go full screen but she doesn't like that because she wants to see all the recommendations.

[ZB'Tejas 593]

On 10/15/2019 at 11:13 PM, Stringer said:

Need some equipment advice.  What's the best baby monitor that you have come across.  We had one for our first, but the range was shit and was really frustrating.

Need an upgrade for our second.  Any good ones with great range or that work through the wifi?

Nest camera worked well enough for me. You can mount them  to the ceiling if you want a direct view down to the crib or put it in the top corner to get a full view of the room which works better as they get older. Nest has several other products so if you decide to add smoke detectors or outdoor cameras you still have one place to see everything. Although Nest allows you to hear and communicate I ended up pairing with a cheapo sound only monitor for the baby that I placed right next to his crib so you have sound always on during the night or nap times.