At the age of 42 I thought I'd experienced most things...
But wow I didn't ever expect to love someone as much as I love my son..
Just fabulous isn't it !?
Absolutely! But they are not always good for your blood pressure especially as they "grow up"!
Haha I'm under no illusions things will get tougher and blood pressure will be challenged but at the mo ... loving it :^)
2.5yr old and a 1 year old... Doesn't get any easier, but you will love it. I feel worn out all the time and you've got 20yrs on me so good luck!
No. No. No no no no no.... No... No... No nonononononono. no. No NO NoNoNo. NO NO NO.
NO.
The devil. Coming soon to a child near you 😉
😕
First birthday for mine today. It's been an awesome year. One particular down when he was very ill for a while 🙁 but mostly ups. 🙂 He's loving his new Spherovelo...well he's loving me pushing him around on it. Left to his own devices, he goes over the front, to either side or falls off the back of it...the acorn didn't fall too far from the tree. 😆
Glad you're enjoying it brack.
Saw the pics dd. You sure he's yours? I couldn't spot a single grey hair 😉
To the OP, 18 months in it gets a good bit easier imo and they're even more fun.
Yup, 1st 6 months when they just sit there and poo is a bit wearing but then the personality kicks in and it just gets better and better.
Great days out with him in the Chariot this summer now he's a bit bigger (20 months in November) Can't wait til he's tall enough for his runner bike, just another 1/2 inch or so on the legs to go!
Sorry Brack, that was an impression of my 2yr old, who was similarly lovely for a long time but went bit wrong for 6 months. Back on track now though 🙂
clubber 😡
😆
Oh and the other thing is time absolutely flies. Feels like my first was born yesterday and he is three in a fee months. Make the most of it.
I'm 8 weeks in an loving it.
Had some great smiles and now some early laughs as he's finding his voice and different notes. Was lucky enough to have spent all the first 8 weeks at home with him also.
@deadlydarcy - thanks for mentioning the Spherovelo. That's now on my shopping list!
Thanks for all the comments guys..we've had a tough few years and this little fella is just the tonic we've been waiting for.
so much love it's awesome.. love is ace.. proper good times 😀
Wait until the little bu88er turns 24 months and is hurtling around everywhere just itching to be involved in everything you do ... then at 30 months he's yabbering on and making up all kinds of imaginative stuff ... then at 36 months he turns into a complete loon ... this IMO is when you realise just how cool kids can be*.
* The good times are like nothing else you will ever experience, but the stress/sh1t/mayhem you encounter when they're being a right little ba5tard can and probably will drive you up the ****ing wall!
Little people rock.
Congrats! I'm a little further down the road (just gone 7 mths) and he's been great, though his front teeth are coming with a vengeance and I can tell he's in a lot of pain but he keeps on smiling. I've taken a year (or maybe two) off work to look after him which was a leap of faith but haven't regretted it for a minute.
Enjoy your wee'an!
Good, isn't it?
My daughter is three at the end of Feb, and I feel like it's only in the last year or so that I've truly got my head around how ace being a dad is. I think prior to that I struggled to comprehend the loss of personal freedom that comes with being a parent, which feels like a terrible thing to admit, but is true. We have another due in May, so at least with this one I know what to expect 🙂
I'll not wheel out any of the kid cliches, but they really are the best entertainment. A couple of weeks back, my wife came home from work at about half eight, an hour past our daughter's usual bedtime, and wondered why said daughter was still up and about. I had to explain that I was enjoying her company too much to take her to bed 🙂
Slight thread hijack: bob summers - I think I may know you. Do you have a sister called Helen, and did you used to live on Casson Street?
Oh boy do I hope this thread isn't some big conspiracy. We're 8 weeks in too. 3 hours or so of constant crying tonight and I've decamped to the spare room. Wired. Give me sleep!
There are great bits already though. Smiles, interaction and learning some different sounds. It's still lovely.
Steve, can't work out who you are but yes that'd be me!
At a recent interview, I was asked what I was most proud of. The answer was supposed to be work related.
I said "being a father".
Enjoy!
15 weeks ago the Mrs and I had twin girls and I am with you 100%. Loads of people said babies were boring but to be honest, I could gaze at them day and night and not get bored. They have filled a gap in my life I never knew was there. I have to say though, babies are stupid.
bob summers - you're obviously much more adaptable than I! I look after our one year old four days a week and it's slowly killing me. No desire to hang out with a room full of mummies getting excited about their new slings.
It's bloody brilliant to spend so much time with the little man but the activities (soft play / musical groups / stay and play stuff) are appalling. There are usually no other dads present, my run-from-home business is grinding to a halt and my social life is literally non-existent.
The leap of faith I'd like to see would be for my wife to take my place whilst I work. She loved her maternity leave and I suspect her desire for another baby is coloured by her time hanging round garden centre coffee shops with NCT mums and their babies.
2.5 year old son and wifey 8 weeks into growing another human.
This morning I was "doggy" at 6am carrying my son on my back. I now have carpet-burnt knees. Was then told to "go to work and work hard, Daddy". Yes boss.
Our first is due in April, just wanted to ask you guys how much the babs really affected your cycling / time?
Am i being realistic to still get out on a couple of rides a week?
Am i being realistic to still get out on a couple of rides a week?
i'll tell you when i stop laughing....
The riding time goes up when they hit 18 and go to university.
Of course, you'll have no money to spend on bike bits, still.
Little Miss CFH is just over a year old, and is, I have to say, the most amazing thing ever. She smiles, she giggles, she runs around like a lunatic singing to herself. She dances (She's especially keen on blues led rock, which is good!).
She lights up every single moment. OP, you're spot on, there's nothing like it!
Bob - we used to knock about riding skateboards. I was in Helen's year, Ben Turb's mate. I'll not say any more for the moment as I don't have my tinfoil hat to hand 😉
andypaul - I think you may be in for a rude awakening. That said, it depends on your partner. My brother in law's fourth child was born on the Wednesday, and he was out riding with us on the Saturday. I was not awarded similar freedoms.
I found the the riding very much depends on your wife...and I don't mean like that 😉
Some ladies are more than happy for their bloke to go out for night rides or times when mother and little one are resting or sleeping, some ladies think men have to be home every minute that they are not at work.
Honestly I have never been happier in my entire life than in the last 3 years since we had our little girl, I love her so much it hurts. She's so awesome, I love to just watch her just to see what she'll do next. Watching her sleep is bliss, then kiss her little head, sometimes she wakes 'don't kiss me Daddy.'
At the moment sometimes she is a little devil.
'NO I DON'T WANT TO GET DRESSED'
'NO I DON'T WANT A WEE WEE'
'DON'T BRUSH MY HAIR'
'I DON'T WANT TO GO TO NURSERY'
and then if you grab her to dress her she screams and struggles, lots of fun when you've got work at 8am knowing that any traffic problems will make you late. Being a parent really does teach you patience.
Right now as well she's all Mummy, so for example I'll ask her to come for a weewee before tea or go to brush her teeth and it'll be 'I want mummy to do it' or 'Not you Daddy, go away Daddy' lol 🙁
My 1st is due in T minus 6 days.
looking forward to it!
[i]But wow I didn't ever expect to love someone as much as I love my son..[/i]
11 years on and it's still as strong as ever.
Our first is due in April, just wanted to ask you guys how much the babs really affected your cycling / time?Am i being realistic to still get out on a couple of rides a week?
Depends on your family situation - obviously the first few weeks are going to be complicated, but assuming you are doing your bit (and being seen to do your bit) there's no reason you shouldn't be able to get out - perhaps Saturday she gets a lie in, on Sunday when it should be your turn you head out on your bike early instead...
Oh and the other thing is time absolutely flies. Feels like my first was born yesterday and he is three in a fee months. Make the most of it.
Same feeling, but my eldest is 13 🙁
18 month old son for me. Just had a playgroup christmas party. Seems like yesterday that the previous year party was held. Time has flown solo quick.
As for me, my cycling has dropped considerably. Far less time, but that cause of how the care for the boy works out. I don't mind. He puts a smile on my face every time, so I'm happy.
14 years in here. The way she's turning into an intelligent, funny and beautiful young woman makes me incredibly proud. Son isn't bad either 🙂
Kids are great (most of the time).
14 & 16 years in and the parental desire to kill anyone who hurts them still runs strong. They have been a source of pure joy over that time with thankfully few real issues. To all you dads of little ones, spend as much time with them as you possibly can, at some point you will cease to be the coolest person on the planet and that's a toughie. Your bike will still be there she they are older and can ride with you from a bike seat to a Pootle, but don't miss the good bits when they are young.
Enjoy!
Our first is due in April, just wanted to ask you guys how much the babs really affected your cycling / time?
Am i being realistic to still get out on a couple of rides a week?
Everyone is different. Do what works for your family.
This morning...
2.30am: 2.5 yo daughter wakes me up wanting a drink
4am: 1 month old daughter wakes up needing a feed and nappy change.
5am: 1 month old projectile vomits everywhere
6.30am: 2.5 yo wakes up and wants a story
7am: 2.5 yo refuses to get dressed. Cue octopus wrestling session
8am: 1 month old explodes in a lake of poo and vomit.
8.30am: leave for work.
And I don't care - they make us so happy.
Coming from another angle, I'm 5 weeks in from an adoption placement of a little boy and baby girl.
The little buggers are a pure joy to be around and loving every moment of it. They are the only thing I think of at the moment and just want to be with them all the time. Both have colds at the moment and it's horrible seeing them suffering especially my daughter as she can't tell me how poorly she feels. 😥
Re the impact on riding..
To be honest .. I still ride 2 days a week though I'm fortunate not only with my partner but also with my shift patterns at work which whilst being tiring, allow me large stints of quality time with my family.
I used to disappear at least once a month on a trip - as I found myself kicking around a lot waiting for my other half to finish work. That certainly hasn't happened since my son arrived..
Do I miss it... ? Sure
But now I just can't wait till I can share it all with my lad.
I think prior to that I struggled to comprehend the loss of personal freedom that comes with being a parent
You're not alone on that - I struggled a lot with it in the beginning, not to the detriment of my son because it's overwhelming sometimes how precious he is to me. For me, it was more a case of adapting to the change and becoming a dad in addition to rather than to the exclusion of everything else. There wasn't a huge hole that needed to be filled but now I couldn't imagine a life without him.
Yup, 1st 6 months when they just sit there and poo is a bit wearing but then the personality kicks in and it just gets better and better.
This for the first 9 months or so! 20 months in here and I don't actually remember much about those first few months other than a relentlessly exhausting routing. It then gets a lot more fun 🙂
I get to do it all over again in Feb when no 2 comes along, both looking forward to it and dreading it in equal measure!
Am i being realistic to still get out on a couple of rides a week?
I didn't touch the bike for the first 6 months. Since then it's been grabbing time on the turbo whenever I can. I still don't get to ride outdoors much! Also expect to be tired all the time, which makes training doubly difficult.
I think prior to that I struggled to comprehend the loss of personal freedom that comes with being a parent
Still get frustrated with this sometimes (selfish inner chimp thing probably!) but having my boy more than makes up for it. Being a dad is brilliant 🙂
It really is hard to get anything done though. Whether I'm working from home or trying to do some work on the turbo it's difficult to ignore this...
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... shortly after taking this photo I let him in my office and he went straight for the UPS off button!
Edit...
Mulletus Maximus - Member
Coming from another angle, I'm 5 weeks in from an adoption placement of a little boy and baby girl.
That's brilliant 🙂 How are you finding fitting in training and racing?
8 weeks in here and it's a special thing right enough! I've found parts of me I didn't know existed. Today is hard because she has decided not to sleep unless it is ontop of one of us but I guess it will get easier again! I'm lucky too in that I don't have to work until April. Biking has been fitted in around her, early mornings and late evenings and I have lost the all day epics for just now but it'll come back... Won't it?! At the moment I'm getting out for two or three hours around four times a week, it's enough.
Great thread and its really interesting to read others experiences.
