Author: Mark

We are still trying to get Niko into a nighttime routine and are trying lots of things.  One is different ways to fold a blanket for swaddling and another is actual swaddle blankets (we have purchased several to see which works best).  We play white noise all night (a hair dryer or ocean sounds), we…

I don’t get stressed out at my jobs or in my personal life, but I have started to experience baby stress.  It is normal, correct?  It will go away soon, correct?  When I come home from work (after 10 hours), it feels like I am being pulled in 10 different directions as there is so…

I have been a father since May 2nd and I think my sleep deprivation is finally starting to diminish.  Yes, I am still tired but not tired enough where I can fall asleep anywhere (especially in the middle of a BLOG post).  What was I talking about?  I was having a wonderful dream about sleeping…

So, after 4 weeks off from work for my Paternity leave and my 1 week back at work since, I can easily say that having a baby is hard and extremely demanding.  There is no way I could’ve prepared physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Not even research or open discussions with other parents. would have sufficed.  …

It is really challenging for me juggling all of my responsibilities as a husband, father, fulltime employee at JPMorgan Chase, freelance High School sports writer/photographer (www.thestatmanspeaks.com has been hiatus since he was born and it will return in August), and freelance Daddy Diaries writer.  I didn’t even mention alone time for me…naps, television (I want…

​When I came home from my first day back at work (after 4 weeks off) on Tuesday, May 31st, I wasn’t sure what state my wife and son would be in (because this was the first day my wife would be alone with him all day).  In the back of my brain, I was expecting…

When I flipped my calendar from April to May on Friday, April 29th, I was EXCITED.   Excited for what was going to happen very soon.  ​After 4 weeks off for the birth of my son, I returned to work on Tuesday, May 31st.  ​When I left work today and flipped my calendar from May to…

​After 4 weeks off from work, I have to go back tomorrow.  It feels like yesterday I was watching the birth of my son.  Where in the world did the time go?  I enjoyed the time off to spend with my wife and son, but I wish it could’ve been much longer.  We didn’t get…

So far, all of our baby adventures have been in New Braunfels (which is about 30 minutes from where we live) and they have all been successful — no major baby breakdowns (just a few Mark hissy fits).  On Wednesday, we took Niko to San Antonio (which is about 45 minutes from where we live)…

This morning, I had some Daddy alone time (without the baby and wife) and although it was very nice to be out in the world, I missed my family and couldn’t wait to get back home.  I did take her Dad out for lunch and we left Mom and Son at home a few weeks…

Even though it has been 3 weeks since my wife gave birth to our son Niko, I am still treating her as if she was pregnant.  I have actually been taking care of Nina since February of 2015 when she had elective major surgery.  We all know what happened in August of that year!!  ​She doesn’t mind…

Unlike Mommy Bloggers where they are all over the Internet (trust me, I have seen a lot of them and I know my wife has used some as resources during her pregnancy), there aren’t a lot of Daddy Bloggers writing about their experiences.  I am so happy to have found a niche and if I…

Being a husband is awesome, but being a Dad is even better.  I love holding him, I love watching him sleep on my stomach, I love changing his diaper, I love dressing him, I love handing him to his mother for food, I love carrying him when we go out, I love singing to him,…

I don’t care if she did just recently (18 days ago ) deliver our son Niko out of her vagina. I don’t care that her boobs come out every few hours to feed Niko.  I don’t care of she breastfeeds in public. I don’t care if she walks around half naked with extremely revealing or baggy clothes. I don’t care…

Please circle all answers that apply. Q: Who stinks more?A.      NikoB.      FranklinC.      NinaD.      Mark Q: Who screams the loudest?A.      NikoB.      FranklinC.      NinaD.      Mark Q: Who has gotten the most sleep?A.      NikoB.      FranklinC.      NinaD.      Mark Q: Who has had the most poos/pees?A.      NikoB.      FranklinC.      NinaD.      Mark Q: Who is the cutest?A.      NikoB.      FranklinC.      NinaD.      Mark Q:…

One week after Niko was born, we had his first pediatrician appointment and a follow-up appointment for blood work from the hospital.  Yes, we hadn’t even had Niko home for 2 days!!!  Even though we were sleep deprived and physically and mentally exhausted, we had to dive in and just do it.  Throughout the weekend,…

It was a very surreal moment driving home with precious cargo.  Even though I totally knew that having a baby in our car was eventually going to happen, I still couldn’t process it.  Nina sat in the back seat with him and he did much better than the cat.  The cat MEOWS loud and Niko…

One of my many responsibilities as a new Dad and husband is to make sure Nina is comfortable before, during, and after breastfeeding — since this is something I can’t do.  It feels like I am her trainer and she is a boxer.  In between rounds, I squirt water in her mouth and shove food…

 I am so thankful that all the grandparents were in the waiting room waiting for the birth.  Seeing their happiness and tears when I announced Nikolai was born, was priceless.  This is the first grandchild for both sides of the family and quite possibly could be the last (Nina and I want to see how we…

 Niko was circumcised on Wednesday morning, May 4th and as they were wheeling him to NICU for the quick procedure, Nina cried and I followed suit.  He also had a slight case of jaundice and was under a blue light with protective eyewear for 36 hours.  It was just a bad Wednesday for my son.  Nina…