A new beginning.

I have been doing weight watchers and preparing for the birth of our son since February of this past year.  I feel it is time to move on from this blog and on to a new place. Noah was born on 8/17/2011 and I don't feel that this blog is suitable for the future in front of me.

Please head on over to www.fitdadorfatdad.blogspot.com for my new blog!

Hopefully I can keep all 8 of my current subscribers and gain more in the future!

Ron

A day in Noah's world.

Being a first time parent there is alot that you hear from friends and family about kids that can't possibly be true until you actually experience it first hand.  I mean babies sleep all night, poop once a day, and need like 3 diaper changes a day right?  They never fuss for no reason and they are all perfect little angels.  riiigghhhtttttt.

6:30am:  Morning Mom and Dad!!!!! Change me change me change me!! Feed me feed me feed me!! Babies love to fuss in the morning after laying in their diaper overnight...and if you don't feed them the second that they demand the boob...look out.

7:30am.  Breakfast is finished, diaper is changed.  Hey guys I really like this swinging chair you put me in this thing is awesome for about 32.33 minutes...burp.

8:02am.  This chair is boring someone hold me.  WHAAA WHAAA.

8:44am.  Ok I am done being held you can put me back in my bouncy chair now.  All I will need is my pacifier.

8:46am waa waa I don't have the dexterity to put my pacifier back in my mouth after I spit it out, I am going to cry until you put it back! (Repeat this process on and off again until I fall asleep 27 minutes later).

Sleep.

10:15am...grunt, fart, grunt again.  Kinda cry but not really, just enough to get their attention.  Here come mom and dad...guess what it's been 4 hours...I AM STARVING!! FEED ME!! don't even waste time changing me right now because I am just going to poop, pee, and fart the whole time I am eating. 

11:00am.  Ahh fresh diaper, full belly, wide eyes.  Put me back in my bouncy chair I feel like staring at that stuffed animal hanging over my head again for about an hour.


12:30pm.  Whoa! did i dose off?  what time is it?  Not really hungry, this chair is annoying my bum.  HOLD ME!  Stare blankly at parent holding me, fuss until they change my position to something I like better.

1:44pm, feeling like a nap again just give me a pacifier for about 10 minutes and I am going to as the adults say "Sleep like a baby."

3:45pm.  Wake up refreshed and wide eyed...whats that feeling in my stomach?  Oh yeah, I am hungry again!! WAAA WAAAA

4:30pm.  Belly is full, man my mom is one awesome gal.  I really like her.

4:31pm:  Mom, if you want you can put me back in my swing, but I will probably spit up a bit of my milk only to then demand a pacifier to calm myself.

5:15pm:  I am sooooo over this swing chair again.  Hold me please.  waa waa no not like that!! I want to be held belly to belly on the couch so that i can nap yet again.

5:45pm: Not really hungry right now...but toot toot...yeah its poop time again.  DAAADDD!!! it's all over my bum and my back change me RIGHT NOW!! Waa waa!!

5:47pm:  Dad, you really have this diaper change thing down to a science, I am really impressed!  Wanna see something awesome...I'm PEEEEEEEing!! Oh wait, I don't have control over this thing, DAD!! it's getting on my face!! HEEELLLPPPPPP!!

5:49pm:  Seriously dad, stop laughing at me.  We'll see how you like it when I am changing your diaper at 99.

6:00pm:  Dad just hold me a bit because I am going to be hungry soon.  I know mom is napping but I have a reservation for 1 at 7pm.

7:10pm:  Mom's up!  Let's eat!! I am just going to thrash my head side to side and hold my mouth open just to emphasize to my parents how hungry I really am!

7:45pm: Diaper change.  You guys better not plan on giving me a bath tonight, I hate sponge baths.  WAAA WAAAA it's bathtime.  Good thing this only takes 5 minutes.

7:50pm: Ok, so the bath wasn't that bad but now I am not going to let you put me down without fussing for a bit as payback.

8:20pm: Whoa man, it's been a rough day I think I am just gonna take a little snooze here in daddy's arms.  (mom and dad sneak me to my basonet and they climb into bed.) 

9:45pm: Mom, mom, mom, MOM MOM MOM!!! I know it's only been 2 hours and 45 minutes but I am STARVING AGAIN!! WAAA WAAAAA!!

10:30pm:  Mom you can't possibly be tired how can you be tired?  I have been sleeping all day, how could you be tired?  Well of course daddy can hold me for a minute mom!! Good night mommy!!

10:45pm: Just me and my daddy hanging out on the couch, boy he looks tired.  I won't fuss too much but there is no way in heck I am going to sleep. Dad there has to be something on tv right now.  Dad, are you sleeping...hey! dad! wake up!! 

10:54pm:  Dad has the right idea, I am suddenly really sleepy.  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.


11:17pm:  Dad snuck me into my basonet when I was asleep.  GRUNT GRUNT.  Whimper. GRUNT.  Fart. ahhh that feels better.  Back to sleep.

11:37pm:  Oh man that gas is back again.  Grunt, kick, grunt, push, fart, grunt, whine.  WAAAAAAAAAAA

11:48pm:  Dad, this pacifier isn't working anymore I want you to hold me again.  Only you do it best dad c'mon.  Tuck my little feet up near my chest in a little ball and hold me on your chest. PLEEEAASSSEE dad PLLLEEEAASSEEE. Oh that makes the gas feel so much better.  Toot toot, smirk...zzzzzzzzz

11:52pm:  Dad! Don't you dare put me down yet!! you think I am sleeping!! WAAA WAAA!!

11:54pm:  I sure do like sleeping out here on the couch with my dad he's so warm.  Sure is sleepy all the time though.  I am just gonna stare at him for a bit with this pacifier in my mouth make sure he is still breathing for a bit.

11:56pm:  Enough staring at dad while he sleeps, I am just going to close my eyes for a few minutes.

12:45pm:  (daddy moves me back to the basonet again, this time I didn't notice).

1:57am:  Grunt, Grunt, whimper, whimper.  GRUNT GRUNT GRUNT GRUNT GRUNT.  toot.  toot.  toot.  blurp.  blluurrrrppp....Waaaaaaaaa!!!!!

1:57.32am:  Dadddddd!! Change me!! This is gross seriously...CHANGE ME!!

1:58pm:  Dad can you hurry this up already seriously?  I'm STAARRVVIIINNGGGG....looovvveee you dad!

1:59am:  Alright buffet line is open!  Hi MOM! oh man this is just so awesome the place is empty I have the entire restaurant to myself.  Good Night Daddy!!

2:38pm:  I am sooooo stuffed, this is like a food coma, mom did you put turkey in the milk cause I am sleepy.  Ok time for me to hit the hay.  Night Night mom and dad!  Love you mommmmmm!

6:59am:  MOOOOOORRRNNNIIIINNNNGGGGGG!!!! Missed you guys!! I am starving when can we eat?  WAAAA WAAAAA!!!

8:33am:  Have a great day at work today dad!! Mom and I are going to hang out all day doing the same stuff we did yesterday!

Would I have it any other way?  NO WAY!  I love my little 'squeak.  (short for pipsqueak) He also goes by Noah, buggaboo (the wife calls him that), Grunty, Captain Gruntsomuch, Grumpous, Grumpous McGee, and Noah-boa.  Sure it's alot of work, but  he's worth it!

Love ya little man.

Daddy-O.

"enough with the pictures already dad!! -noah"

it's been awhile.

No one ever said this kids thing would be easy!  It has been a while since the last time I wrote  a blog.  This one is going to be somewhat short but its more of an update.  As a new dad I am trying to find a way to balance being there for my wife and newborn son, work, get things done around the house, sleep (whenever possible) and still continue on the weight watchers/exercise path.

The first week with Noah being home I actually lost 2 lbs, most likely because I wasn't eating very regularly because when Noah slept, we slept.  Then I returned to work after 10 days at home and was able to resume my regular weight watchers meal schedule.  That first week home with the baby was pretty rough sleep wise as well and my running/biking fell off the wagon because of it.  I did no physical activity besides cutting the grass in the first 14 days of Noah's life.  I have recently given up on trying to wake up at 550am to go run before work and have decided until he starts sleeping better that I am just going to have to run or workout on my days off.  In the last 7 days I have run 3 times for a total of 30 minutes each and about 9 miles total. All of my runs have been on the treadmill while Noah and Christine were pleasantly asleep upstairs.  I really wanted to try to get out and go for another bike ride last week but due to some poor rainy weather in the burgh I was unable.  I am definitely going to look into getting  kurtkinetic bike trainer for the winter though.  More on that later.

We are slowly getting Noah switched from being an asleep all day, awake most of the night baby.  I still feel he sleeps better during the day but he is definitely beginning to adjust.  He is feeding pretty consistently every 2.5-4 hours, man when that kid is hungry look out...he just wants to eat and accepts no substitutes!!  He has changed so much in his first three weeks, and is definitely filling out!! He was born at 7lb 9oz, left the hospital at 7lb 6oz.  At his last Dr. appointment (10 days after birth) he was 7lb 11oz, and is not due back in the office until his 1 month appointment. 

We are definitely a bit sleep deprived these days but are adjusting to his schedule as best we can.  Long days at work like today can sometimes be strenuous mentally but it's nothing I can't handle.

Expect more soon as I continue to adjust to living in Noah's world. 

A dad's observations....

A few observations and advice, some serious, some humorous, from the first 6 days of life.

1.  Having a child is a beautiful experience.
2.  Merconium Poops are sticky and gross but they don't smell.
3.  I didn't know one little guy could poo so much!
4.  Just when you think you got this whole diaper change thing down pat, someone decides to pee out of their diaper and all over your shirt in the doctors office...
5.  There is nothing a newborn can do to make you mad.
6.  Even when said newborn is frustrating you, NEVER EVER EVER shake the child.
7.  Cluster feeding is awesome! awful at 1am, 2am, 3am, 4am, 5am, 6am, and 7am.
8.  Just cause he ate an hour ago does not mean he can't feed again for an hour... 30 minutes later. 
9.  Babies truly are a miracle.
10.  Even at 4am when you can barely hold your eyes open due to sleep loss, an alert baby can look at you and melt your heart.
11.  A babies bladder is as large as a grapefruit...and yes they can pee over their head from a laying position.
12.  REALLY...REALLY!!? you are peeing again!!!
13.  Baby poops aren't too stinky when they are breastfeeding...but their farts can clear a room.
14.  Speaking of farts, nothing can break up a tense time with mom and dad like a baby rip.  Commence Giggle.
15.  A sleeping baby is something I could watch all day. Can I get paid for that so I don't have to go back to work?
16.  WHY WON'T YOU SLEEEEEPPPP....PLLLEEAASSEEE SLLLEEEEPPPP...
16.5  It's perfectly normal to make sure they are breathing when they are asleep, I check every 4 minutes. 
17.  Being a dad is alot easier than being a mom, Dad's, you need to do everything you can to make your wifes life easier when she is sore, tired, and frustrated.
18.  Being the primary food source for the baby means the first few weeks, mom doesn't sleep for long.
19.  Dad, take the night shift, the afternoon shift, and the morning shift so the wife can sleep.
20.  While I am spewing advice for dads, change every diaper you can, get up when the baby cries, and encourage your wife.  Tell her she is beautiful, tell her she is doing a good job, and let her know you care about her and the child.
21. After a few days you want the baby to grow up so they sleep longer...but really can't they just stay small forever?
22.  A sleeping baby will never talk back to you, never tell you his allowance is too small, and will never cease to amaze you with cuteness.
23.  Your wife's family will always tell you the baby looks like them.  Your family will always say he looks like you...You and the wife will see each other and fall in love again.
24.  Take 1000 pictures in the first month, because he changes everyday...every single day he grows.
25.  Having a newborn is a great excuse to sit inside and watch sports all day.

More pearls of wisdom to come.  Thanks for reading.

Noah's First Days.

The previous blog gave you the birth story for our son Noah, but not many people have ever told me the stories of the first few days after coming home from the hospital.  Sure I have heard the requisite stories about lack of sleep,  endless visitors, and the occasional stinky diaper but that's about where it ends.

Since I am off this full first week from work I have volunteered to take the late shifts with him and change all his diapers.  I am having Christine focus on getting plenty of sleep, eating and drinking enough, and feeding Noah.  Her parents have been by a few days and have helped by bringing food, providing dinner, or just taking the baby for a few hours so we can nap.  Speaking of napping!  If I can give advice to any new parents who might stumble upon this blog, nap often!!  Every time that kiddo falls asleep and you don't have something else pressing to do lay down and nap.  Trust me, you will feel much less exhausted and more refreshed throughout the day if you can squeeze in a few power naps.  Christine and I have also worked out a system of shifts where one person or the other can get longer time asleep.  I have volunteered to take the earlier morning shifts from about 2am till about 7am because Noah is very active during those times and doesn't want to sleep.  The downside for Christine is that she can't take a single shift off from feeding him right now, so that means getting up every 3 hours to feed him.

Since I am on diaper duty primarily I keep checking Noah for that "care tag" that you find on clothing but I just can't seem to find it.  The other thing that has me bummed out it that the hospital forgot to give me his warranty registration card when we left the hospital.  You would think there would be a better instruction manual for these little buggers.

I am sure parents who read this can relate but the first time you change a poopy diaper is quite an experience.  No one tells you that your baby is going to be pooping out asphalt tar for the first few days.  The merconium is a tarry, sticky, not too smelly substance that could be used to repair driveway cracks.  Then there is the problem of babies involuntary movements.  They kind of look like spasms and usually send an arm flying into their face or in my case a heal right into the poo!  Then imagine trying to capture that foot and get it cleaned off, and every time that chilly wipe hits his foot he pulls it away!!

I have also held many nephews as infants and you never really notice until it is your own child how they look up at you when you hold them.  They have this ability to look you in the eyes and wrap their tiny little fingers around your heart.  It's a feeling of joy that I can't begin to describe until you experience it yourself.  Noah looks up at me at 3am in the morning when I am exhausted and tired and suddenly I am not as tired as I thought and I think how worth it he is!

Speaking of 3am, this kid has been an absolute angel the first few days home...(knock on wood this doesn't change!!).  My brother Andy (2 boys, Nic and Emerson) told me that if you can make it through the first 2 days home with your kids that you can definitely handle the rest of the time.  Well, our first 2 days were shockingly easy.  Noah has been eating very well since we left the hospital, and I think it helps that Christine got her milk the day we came home.  He currently is feeding on about an every 3 hours schedule 24 hours a day.  We were told by the pediatrician to make sure to wake him up even if he is sound asleep to make sure he eats every 3 hours.  Being good first time parents we are happily obliging, and with excellent results.  He is sleeping about 18 hours a day but the nights are when he is still most active.  During the daytime he is practically comatose when he comes off the feeding!  It is rather cute to see a baby stuffed like he just ate thanksgiving dinner staring back at your with milk drunk eyes.  The nights although not terrible have not been as easy.  He fusses a bit more, and sleeps a lot lighter so he is constantly moving and making noises when he is in the bassinet at night.  We have chosen to keep him in the living room or the nursery during the night so that whoever has the sleep shift can be in our bedroom in complete silence.

I spend a great deal of time walking past the bassinet and just staring at our sleeping little boy.  Part of me just wants to sometimes reach out and tickle him just to make sure he is still breathing.  I am always listening even in my sleep to make sure that I can hear him breathing and moving around while he naps.  I have a feeling I will also be the guy who will walk into Noah's room when he is 18 and pinch him just to make sure he is still breathing too.

This experience so far really has shown me how selfless you have to be to raise children.  Sure you can still have parts of your life (I plan on trying to get a run in today), but other parts of your life have to fade away for a while.  This little boy is now the center of my universe and my wife is right in there with him.  She has been amazing the last few days.  She naps a lot

Life has changed, and it's only going to get better!

The Birth Story.

The Birth Story, from Dads Point of View.

Wednesday August 17th, 2011 started off without much sleep and with a great deal of excitement.  The alarm clock went off nice and early at about 4am.  I wanted some time to get some coffee and breakfast before we headed to Mercy Hospital.  We arrived at the hospital around 530am and made our way to the Labor and Delivery Suites within the hospital. We checked in at the front desk and made our way to room 5006.

Our check-in time was 6am, we got to the room and began the long process of a million (relevant) medical questions, blood pressure checks, blood draws, and baby monitoring devices being hooked up.  Christine and I were both excited and a bit nervous.  I feel the nerves came because we had no idea what it would be like during the birth process.  After all the paperwork and questions the nurse started Christine on an IV of lactated ringers (basic fluids so she wouldn't dehydrate) because she could no longer eat or drink anything during the delivery day.  Soon after the IV was started the nurse came back and hung a bag of Pitocin and started the drip.  The plan at 7:45am was to start the drip VERY low, and get her contractions to continue at a steady pace and with some consistency.  Christine was 4cm dilated when we left our appointment on Monday morning and the decision had been made with the recommendation of the doctor to induce labor if she naturally did not start labor on her own.  As luck would have it on our walk into the hospital that morning Christine had her first really distinguishable contraction.  The nurse would also inform us once the monitors were hooked up that Christine was indeed having contractions on her own.  The pitocin would help to speed this process along and bring on the birth of our son.

The doctor came in to check on everything and check on Christine and determined that she had not additionally dilated more than the office visit on Monday so our starting point was 4cm.  Not too shabby in the eyes of our physician, almost half way there in his mind.  We continued on the process of gradually raising the levels of pitocin in her IV drip on the hour for the next few hours.  Around noon the doctor came back in to check on Christine and determined that she was now 5cm.  After nearly 4 hours on the pitocin she had dilated 1cm, at this rate the baby wouldn't be born until Christmas.  The physician recommended that we break her water to get things to progress a little quicker, but complete understood if we wanted to wait and only use pitocin.  Christine made the decision to "break the bag" and get this party started.  But, first things first she wanted to get the epidural started so that she wouldn't have to wait for pain relief when the contractions started getting tough.


We had our consultation with the anesthesiologist and made the decision to put in the epidural, test it for correct placement, and then leave it idle until Christine needed it.  This way she wouldn't be having pain and contractions while trying to get a catheter inserted into her spine.   The test worked but she was getting more numbness on the left side than on her right so the anesthesiologist said she would need to spend some time laying on her right side to let gravity work the medication to the proper areas.  Once he was comfortable with her level of numbness on that side, he turned the medication back off and Christine was able to resume the waiting game.  Our Dr. came back in shortly thereafter and broke her water around 12:30pm.  We decided to see if we could nap, after an hour of napping the contractions were beginning to get more uncomfortable.  Christine called the nurse and she came in with the anesthesiologist and restarted the epidural meds.  Christine was very comfortable at this point so she was able to sleep for a few hours.  The most comfortable position for her was to be on her left side, she fell asleep and so did I for about an hour.  At approximately 3:30pm Christine was awoken by some pain on her right side and we called in the nurse.  Since she had been laying on her left side, the medication was not working at 100% effectiveness on the right side.  She still had substantial numbing but not enough to dull all her pain.  The nurse did an exam and determined that Christine was about 9cm, this baby was coming soon!!


A half an hour went by and the contractions were coming very rapidly, Christine began to feel some of the tell tale signs that labor was imminent.  Not to get too graphic but the feeling was described to us by the nurse like a large poop or a firm pressure in bowel region.  When Christine began to feel those sensations we called the nurse in.  She had Christine roll onto her back and determined that it was time to get this ball rolling.  She called the Dr. and he prepped himself for the delivery.  He informed us that the babies head was positioned at a slightly unusual angle and that may prolong delivery, but would not put the baby in any risk.  He was very honest and straightforward with us, and said that first time mothers may have to push for up to 3 hours with a baby in this position.  I could see the look of absolute terror on Christine's with the thought of pushing for 3 hours.  After the Doctor left the room, the nurse reassured us that yes this could take 3 hours, but if Christine did what she needed to do, and listened and followed her instructions that most deliveries of this nature take about an hour or a little more.  Christine was determined to push for less than an hour because she was nearing the point of exhaustion after a day in bed without food or much else to drink. 

Our nurse then instructed me that I would be needed to help Christine and hold one of her legs so that I could aid her in pushing since she couldn't lift her numbed legs up on her own.  I happily obliged.  Christine began her sequences of taking a deep breath, contracting her stomach muscles, and pushing while holding her breath, then another deep breath followed by a push, and repeated 1 additional time for a total of 3 sequences during each 1 minute contraction.  After one or two cycles of pushing, then rolling to her side (she was getting nausea laying on her back) the nurse called out to me and said, daddy look at all the hair on your babies head.  I wasn't originally sure that I wanted to see much going on down there in fear of being completely traumatized seeing my wife like that.  But I took a look and was immediately shocked, amazed, and astounded.  That was top of my little boys head and boy did he have alot of hair!  Christine was progressing along at an amazingly quick rate.  Our nurse told her not to push because the baby was nearly crowning after only 10 or 15 minutes of pushing.  She immediately called for the physician to come in to the room.


The first words out of the doctors mouth when he came in was, there is no way you are ready yet...REALLY?  He did a quick exam, and told Christine that for a first time mother she was the best pusher he had seen.  He told her that his mentioning a 3 hour push session must have really motivated her.  A few more good pushes from Christine and the babies head crowned.  The doctor told us to get ready because one more sequence of pushing and this baby was going to be born.  On the first push his head started to come out, second push the whole head came out, that was my baby boy and he was beautiful!!!  Third push and the shoulders came free and then the rest of the baby just slid out.  What an amazing and beautiful little boy...and then came the quote of the day from Dr. Rapkin, "This is the shortest umbilical cord I have ever seen, not a problem, but I can't toss this baby up onto your belly mom!"  There were definitely smiles of joy and tears in the room from both of us as I cut the cord and the doctor was able to place the baby onto Christine's chest for their first eye to eye contact as mom and baby.  The entire experience was just so surreal, so organic, and so beautiful that I just can't begin to describe the feeling.

After a minute or two on her chest the baby needed to be taken to be cleaned, weighed, measured and tested.  So our second nurse called me into the next room to take pictures and spend some dad time with my newborn baby boy!  He was weighed in at 7lbs, 9oz., measured in at 22 inches, and was given an official birth time of 4:49pm.  After a quick cleanup and some more tests he was ready to be swaddled up and taken back over to see mom.  I was given the important task of delivering him to mom.  I placed him down onto her arms and she smiled and said "hello Noah" and she smiled.  We almost immediately tried to breastfeed him and he tried to latch but our technique was poor at best.  It felt like a struggle but Christine was determined to try to breastfeed him.  Soon after he was taken to the nursery for more tests and to get cleaned up.  We spend another hour or so in recovery so that Christine could get the feeling back in her legs.  The hospital family side was actually full while we were there so we would continue our stay for the next two days in the labor and delivery suites.  They moved us to the back corner of the hospital for some peace and quiet to room 5012.  My mom and Christine's dad were arriving just as we were moved to the new room.  Mom came bearing subway subs for us because we were starving, I guess I didn't realize how much I didn't eat while we were in the hospital all day.

The rest of the evening was spent with immediate family and constant nurses in and out of the room checking Christine and the baby.  About 10pm they took Noah to the nursery for the night so that we could get some sleep after a long day.  His first few feedings in the nursery would be by bottle and we hoped that it would not affect his ability to latch with Christine.  He came back to us the next morning around 6am after we had about 8 hours of heavy but somewhat uncomfortable sleep.  We tried to feed him again the next morning and still struggled with the breastfeeding technique.  We had a lactaction nurse come in around 9am, her name was Sarah, she was able to get Noah to latch in a matter of seconds.  I was amazed at the technique and stood by listening, watching and taking mental notes so that I could assist Christine after Sarah left.  We practiced feeding again on our own that morning, and then had Sarah come back for a feeding just before she was scheduled to leave for the day.  Of course the latch and feedings were just so much better when she was there.  I was beginning to think that we were going to have a substantial amount of frustration and anxiety with breastfeeding on our own.

The second night in the hospital was probably going to be a little more difficult though because we were going to have to be up every 3 hours to try to nurse the baby.   We definitely struggled and the frustration level with Christine was beginning to grow.  I knew that part of it was anxiety, part was hormones, and part was genuine fear that Noah wasn't going to be able to breastfeed.  We brought in the nurses at night and they were able to help some but our little guy seemed a little frustrated as well.  Sarah came back for one last consultation in the morning on Friday and suddenly everything CLICKED!  We were able to get him to feed much better and we felt so much more comfortable with our feeding technique.  Sarah then informed us that she wasn't worried about us, or our baby.  She told us that most babies lose about 5% of their weight the first 2 days in the hospital and that babies who lose 10% or more don't get to go home with mom and dad.  Noah lost 0.3lb his first two days which means he had only lost 3.79% of his body weight.  He was definitely feeding well and we were ready to go home much more confident in our ability to provide for our son!  The first car ride home was uneventful and he slept the whole time.


Our first few days at home have been surprisingly good and we are confident that this little guy is going to be a great baby!  Boy he is cute too!  But I guess I am a little biased!  I will definitely be following up soon with a blog of the first few (uneventful) days.  

My brother Andy told me something very profound after the birth of his first son before he headed off to fight with the Marines in Iraq.  He said, "Ron, I love my wife but that love took time it wasn't love at first sight.  If we had never met I feel like our lives would be missing something but we would be none the wiser.  But the first time I laid eyes on my son I loved him in a completely undescribable way and I can't imagine my life without him."




I can say for certain that the first time I saw him I knew that this was my son, I love him more than anything, and I have an incredible task of raising him to be the best man he can be, it was definitely love at first sight!

You never forget your first....

You never forget your first time...going clipless.  First, I never quite understood why people call them clipless pedals because technically you are "clipped in."  I call them clip in pedals but I digress.

Yesterday marked a first for me in my biking life.  I rode a road/racing bike for the first time ever on local roads.  I have ridden BMX and Mountain bikes all my life but never once climbed onto a road bike.  Honestly, I have a fear of spandex pants and the images of people wearing them.  I also really never thought I would be interested in road biking like I am in mountain biking.  I also have never ridden clipped into pedals on a bike.  The whole concept was rather terrifying to me.  Especially with a mountain biking backround its hard to just jump into clipping in because there is a fair amount of thinking involved everytime you stop the bike.

The last thing I wanted to do was tip over at a stoplight like a tree still attached to my bike.  I set up the bike with the SPD pedals and practiced on a bike indoor trainer for a week before my first actual ride on the road.  That made a huge difference in improving my confidence in being able to ride on the road.  But nothing replaces actually doing it.

I decided to take an experienced rider out with me, one of my co-workers husband is a very experienced rider and I came to learn an excellent coach.  Mark is a police officer in the area and an avid cyclist and triathlete.  He loves riding and it's definitely a big part of his life, right after his wife and new daughter. 
Mark was able to ride ahead of me and coach me along the road as we headed out.  He helped me to feel very comfortable with the pedals and getting the feel for road riding.  He threw in important bits of info for riding in groups on how to use hand signals for traffic, as well as to make fellow cyclists aware of hazards.  So I was able to focus on pedaling and making sure that stopping included kicking my heal out to detach from the pedals.

Speaking of which, the first stop light we approached I was up on the top bar pedaling hard as the light turned yellow and we came to a pretty abrupt halt.  I have pretty good balance on the bike and was able to steady myself and unclip.  We took off from a dead start and were moving along at a healthy clip of about 18-22mph for some of the flat sections.  We stayed on the 4 lane (25mph) road for the first half hour or so of the ride, just cruising up and back to get used to the bike.  Then Mark suggested we go after a few hills and I obliged him.  He said he was going to torture me on a few hills as payback for a stunt I convinced him to pull on his mtn bike last week.  I dropped down to a smaller ring and we attacked, Mark has disgustingly fast acceleration and he FLIES up hills.  I was in and out of the saddle at times getting comfortable with the hills.  About 2/3rd up my calf decided to cramp up every time I stood up for more power.  I hopped off the bike stretched it out and then finished riding up the hill.  Mark met me at the top and told me that they best part about going uphills is going back down.  After a brief discussion about braking and proper cornering technique we were off and FLYING downhill.  We were easily hitting 30+mph at times.   There is an amazing adrenaline rush and feeling of freedom when you are riding like that.

We spent the next 30 minutes or so attacking a few more hills which Mark DESTROYED while I puttered along at my gradual more comfortable pace.  Again hopping off to get that knot out of my left calf AGAIN.  We finished the ride back on the 4 lanes of Corrigan drive in South Park.  We finished our ride in just over an hour.  We covered about 14 miles and I felt AWESOME.  I am hooked!! I can't wait to get out on the bike again.

The bike I have is an aluminum frame with a carbon fiber fork.  The aluminum definitely does not absorb alot of the shock of the bumpy Pittsburgh roads.  Some people love aluminum bikes and some hate them.  I love the feel of the bike.  It's very planted and snappy.  It takes corners quickly and feels very composed at higher speeds.

The next time I get a chance to write a blog I will probably be a new daddy!  So hopefully I will be able to keep squeezing in workouts between diaper changes.  Life is changing soon and dealing with the difficulties of having a newborn at home are going to be the foundation of this blog.

Thanks for reading!