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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...
[img] 
[/img]
... 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.
No real difference for me in training - have to be a bit more inventive midweek (means the turbo has come out to play again while the days are short) and the big MTB days out are few and far between, but TBH I don't really want to spend 10hrs away from the wee'an. Learning to do more with less time.
You get a lot of jibes at first from your non-parent clubmates etc, about when you're putting the bike on eBay etc, but it's funny how the bikes almost cease to matter. It took having a bairn of my own to realise this!
Steve, think I've got you sussed now. You still living in the Lile Town? Email in profile if you've still got your tin foil hat on 😉
Just back in from Tyred Jr the younger's P1 nativity where he was a wise man who looked as though they just told him this morning what they were doing. Super cute, but a slight tinge of sadness that its the last P1 nativity I'll be at.
Up early this morning, an hour's training on the track, back home, coffee, nativity, now work (well...) til the kids get home, then possibly an hour or two later tonight finishing some work off. Maybe a turbo or roller session tonight, maybe not.
Nearly 9 years into fatherhood and I've found you can ride plenty (albeit a decent length commute and a wonderfully reasonable partner both help) - you just have to be organised, flexible and prepared to give things up some of the time, and accept that a fair bit of the time you're using racing as training (if that makes sense).
Congrats Doug, heard you were due but haven't heard since - a Neska, I see 🙂
2 months is still tiny but by April she'll be more adaptable and you'll get more riding windows - being at home is a blessing, I'm glad we're not faffing around with nurseries etc.
but the activities (soft play / musical groups / stay and play stuff) are appalling. There are usually no other dads present
Feeling your pain dude, could you ask around to see if there are any other stay at home dads in your area?? Maybe the NCT could help you link up with some other dads?
but the activities (soft play / musical groups / stay and play stuff) are appalling. There are usually no other dads present
A friend of mine is in a similar position but is loving the coffee mornings and play dates with the yummy mummies!
4yrs and 18 months here. I had forgotten that 18 months is the cutest but also most exhausting and full on stage!
I have been out on the bike twice in the last year ( except for commuting...). Not sure how anyone else manages it.
at some point you will cease to be the coolest person on the planet
It comes back in a different guise, the Junior Sanwiches are 23 and 21 (happy birthday to him today) I'm still have daddy's little girl (she's married) and "the boy gets upset when he can't keep up out on the road.
I have been out on the bike twice in the last year ( except for commuting...). Not sure how anyone else manages it.
Yep, I haven't done anything other than commuting since before my daughter was born 6 weeks ago. But I look at it like this: I've been into cycling for over 20 years, so taking a year or two out is chuff all in the big scheme of things. I fully intend to be hooning around after I've qualified for my bus pass.
Keeping your hand in with a bit of commuting is a pretty good idea. What with an injury as well I was off the bike for about 12 months. Still remember that awful first ride after a year off. Going that slowly had never felt that hard!
3 years in now and our little girl is a scream! I love getting home and seeing her bounce around shouting "daddy, daddy, daddy, DADDY!" It puts a smile on my face every time I think about it. The days I leave before she wakes up and get back home after she's gone to bed are horrible!
It's funny how their affection shifts from mummy to daddy depending on who's shes spent the most time with, she went through a really clingy stage where her amazing confidence dissapeared at about 2.5 years but thankfully has got through that and is back to her usual hilarious self.
My favourite time has to be when I ask her if she wants to go outside and play, no matter what the weather is like it's always a "YES, can I ride my bike/scooter?"
regarding riding, I don't go out on weekends as that family time, I work Saturday morning so don't want to go out for hours, I'll do a 2-3 hour ride sometimes while she's asleep on a Sunday but depends what needs doing round the house. Mostly commuting and night riding during the week keeps me happy.
Ours is 3½ now - do occasionally find things like snowboards in the attic and remember that we used to have spare time and holidays, but she makes up for that 100 times over.
The first few months are tiring but relatively simple - feed one end, clean the other end, walk up and down a lot to make fall asleep. Once they can talk you're in trouble - once they can formulate logical arguments (instead of just shouting No!) then you're in [u]big[/u] trouble 😉
Ellie (aged 9/12) would just like to say:
"BABABABABABABABABABABABABABA!"
Starting at 0330, every morning, until parental rescue or until her 3yo sister wakes up.
We are knackered. Why we ever though one was difficult...
First time dad (the wee one is 9 months) and I really must say I am very happy.
Started off very scarred and a little hesitant that I'd'd be a terrible dad.
He's just so happy it can't help but to rub off on you. All he wants to do at the moment is find things to smash his head on the little rascal.
Even started talking about another.
Can't believe it's been 9 months, it's wizzed past.
Started off very scarred and a little hesitant that I'd'd be a terrible dad.
That's completely normal. As is leaving the hospital wondering if they're really going to let you just walk out of there with a baby.
Started off very scarred and a little hesitant that I'd'd be a terrible dad.
If you think you're doing it all right, you're probably crap. If you are constantly wondering about it, you're probably doing ok! 😀
EDIT: Guessing you meant scared, usually the mother who starts of scarred!!
Excellent. I've got 8 weeks to go till mine arrives. Reading this thread has excited me no end!
My little monster is 16.5 months old and the love is immeasurable.I believe my missus is jealous at times. ha.
We are both knackered - no family locally - so we take turns to get an extra hours sleep here and there.
As for riding - I don't do long drives anymore and when I do go out I get the guilt after three hours and want to be with him asap!I think the Velominati term is Breeding & blobbing.... 🙂
We're 10 months in and its great fun. Some things have gone by the wayside but trying to balance it all is just another challenge. The total excitement when i get home and want to play is just epic !
jekkyl - MemberHonestly 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
Exactly what he said... word for word! 🙂
Cheers bob! Congratulations to you too, Gary was updating me. If you are ever passing through Bera just give me a shout and I will put the kettle on.
All these stories...fabulous just fabulous ;@)
I have to say I was fairly even on the whole thing at first. Babies are cute and all but I could never connect. Now the first one is four and can chat properly it's different of course, and the younger is 2.5 and is so much like me it brings out all sorts of strong feelings.
For those who are only a few months in... enjoy the compliance whilst it lasts!
(Just had an uncharacteristically difficult bedtime routine with blobby jr.)
The first few months were pretty brutal, to be honest there wasn't a whole lot of enjoyment as most of the time was spent in pure survival mode. Now however (9 months in), it's brilliant. Best thing I've ever done, as soon as they start giving a bit back and smiling it all feels a lot more worthwhile
On the downside, it seems to have made me somewhat emotionally incontinent. I get all dusty eyed about some ridiculous shite these days.
*strides manfully off to weld things and grill meat*