Very timely article on DaddyTypes regarding what dads should bring to the hospital.

Things we are bringing:
Singles (dolla bills yalls): For the vending machines at the hospital.

Music (obviously): One of the reasons we bought This. I still need to grab the cable that runs from the laptop into the boombox, but other than that, we’ve got CDs.

Books (for both): Labor can be boring. Get your read on. Magazines for the missus.

Single serving snacks (combo pack): I just today bought a Keebler set that has Rainbow Chip cookies, Cheez-its and Fudge Stripe cookies. Also bringing, Ritz Bits, Gatorade, Cheetos and Fritos: Only orange foods.

Laptop: Live birth blogging anyone? Uh no…not really.

Camera (and battery charger): Photos after, not during.

Phone Charger

Body Pillow: The foundation of the Pillow Palace.

Swimsuit (for Dad): The wife may feel the need to take a shower, or be in a birthing tub. None of the nurses want to see your wang, Tiny. Bring a swimsuit.

Decent Ideas:

Tennis balls (for backrubs): Jury is still out on this one.

Christmas lights (for the delivery room): Sorta ghey, but might be a nice cozy touch.

Slippers (for her): My BabyMama doesn’t own slippers, so we’re bringing plenty of socks.

Breath Mints (for the birth partner): I can hear it now — “YOUR BREATH STINKS!!! GET AWAY FROM ME!!! YOU DID THIS TO ME!!!“

Program the phone number for your pharmacy into your phone: So when you need to get a prescription filled, you can maybe call it in and pick it up on the way home.

Sweatshirt (for Dad): Apparently pregnant women are warmer than everyone else, thus requiring the room to be colder than you’d like. Bundle up, Nanook.

What else? Any Advice from those who have been there?

The day is finally here.

Today I bought a gallon of milk that expires after my kid’s due date. I remember summers when I was little (and in high school too I guess) and seeing the expiration date on the milk being later than the first day of school. That meant it was really happening. And soon too.

Holy crap!

These hotsy-totsy birth announcements from Rattle-N-Roll evoke the classic country posters that are near and dear to my heart.

One of the real highlights of Nashville is the advertizing print shop Hatch Show Print right beside the Ryman Auditorium. These birth announcements have the same bold colors and blocky graphic layouts… really nicely done.

My only complaint is that some of the artistic representations of the kids look a little off. Like poor Sabian here… I’m sure he’s a cute baby and all, but the drawing makes him look like he’s working on a poopy.

In China, the land of Yao Ming and great walls, this 12 pound, two foot long baby was born.

The horror of horrors?
23 cm wide shoulders.

For those of us without vaginas, that sounds painful. I think 12 pound bowling balls are heavy…I…I can’t even fathom this.

Very nice new site: DadLabs. Well designed, slick graphics, and a fun trailer for their DVD (in which a very cool dude room with a plush sofa, a TV and a guitar gets transformed into a nice-looking nursery…art imitates life). The “weather” graphic of the pregnant woman with the hurricane symbol in her belly was particularly inspired.

Content is a little sparse for now, but it is well laid-out and looks like a lot of thought went into it, so I’ll be checking back often.

The Red-E-Bag is like a Transformer for women with morning sickness pregnancy related nausea. It’s a Purse! It’s a barf receptacle! It’s a Purse! It’s a barf receptacle!

I guess one end opens up and you can hurl into a plastic bag tucked discreetly inside…a plastic bag that holds “well over 1/2 gallon of fluid.”