Tag: baby monke

3 months of fatherhood in 5 minutes

This week, my son Grant turned three months old. And we’re finally starting to get some sleep. The early days of having a newborn are well in the rear view, and now Sarah and I are trying to get used to balancing work and day care, while making sure the little guy also gets into a routine.

As we head into the holidays and the New Year, we are thankful that our 3-month-old boy is doing everything he should be at this point — not to mention a few things he isn’t supposed to do for another month or two.

At about 26 inches long, he’s a tall and skinny but sturdy little boy. He’s dangerously close to outgrowing his car seat, and he’s fitting neatly into clothing supposedly designed for 6- and 9-month-olds. Though, as just about everyone tells us, “Well, he’s a Monke.” It doesn’t shock anyone that Grant is already well on his way to being a big guy in a family where the shortest man is 6-foot-1.

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Ready for life with a little Monke

I’d never in my life cried tears of joy until Thursday afternoon. It happened the moment I met my son, Grant Bennett Monke.

As I write this from our recovery room in CHI St. Joseph’s Health’s babykind wing, my wife and 1-day-old son are sleeping comfortably. Sarah is snoring in a recliner and Grant is in his bassinet, trying to kick his way out of a swaddle blanket — something he’s already pretty good at.

At a little more than 9 pounds and 22 inches long, he has been described by numerous nurses, family members and visitors as “a big boy.” He’s very alert, has a nice head of dark hair with a great complexion, his mom’s pretty blue-green eyes and one hell of a grip.

No one is lying when they say you fall in love with your children the moment they’re born. Something just clicks inside of you. He’s ours. We made him. We created this life and now we’re responsible for it. And as scary as that seems, it’s really not.

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A crash course in all things baby

Everything you need to know about the final stages of pregnancy and the first days of being a parent can ably be covered in just eight short hours, which Sarah and I discovered last week as we wrapped up a three-night first-time parents classes offered by CHI St. Joseph’s Health.

During the sessions, we received a crash course in everything new parents may want or need to know about babies, giving birth and the first few weeks of being mom and dad.

These used to be called lamaze classes because they focused on teaching breathing techniques that can help a woman during childbirth.

Today, there’s very little of that involved. Instead, the classes are a combination human anatomy refresher course, birthing and parenting class, and simple dos and don’ts. There are countless sets of tips for both women and men on how to keep their sanity during the often excruciatingly long and sometimes complicated birthing process, as well as for after you bring baby home.
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