Category: Being a Dad

Photo Friday: How Cute is a Sleeping Baby

Renee BartonLeave a comment

Everyone loves the beautiful sight that is a sleeping baby.

Here are a few of our favourite sleepy bubba (and sleepy parent!) pics so far.

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Jesse at about 2 days old. We love this photo so much because it shows what he would have looked like when sleeping in Mummy’s tummy.

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Mummy and Jesse catching up on some sleep together on the lounge during his first few days at home.

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With a tummy full of milk, sleep follows shortly after.

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Jesse’s favorite place to sleep is on Daddy’s chest. Daddy often catches a few zzz’s as well.

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This is one of Jesse’s favourite sleeping poses. The Thinker.

Thoughts On Going Back To Work

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

So it’s Sunday 12 July, 2015. Tomorrow, I head back to work after having the last 7 weeks off for the birth of our little Jesse Jack Barton.

Oh dear… To say I am a little unprepared for my return to work is probably an understatement.

The past 7 weeks have been absolutely amazing. It’s been nothing but an absolute joy getting to know our little Jesse and getting used to life as a new family of 3. It’s been 7 weeks of getting out of bed when my eyes open… Sitting back and watching Jesse all day everyday… Being able to do what we want as a family during the week…

But come Monday, it’s back to the daily grind.

It’s going to be tough getting back into the routine of heading off to work early and coming home late. It makes me wonder how other new dads out there have handled that transition of being on leave with a new baby to going back to work.

The one thing I am going to miss the most, is being able to spend so much time with Renee and Jesse. Spending time as a new family. Especially because Renee has the rest of the year off. Which also makes my transition a little easier because I know that she will be there for Jesse while she continues her journey of being a new mum.

I will say that heading back to work won’t be too hard (despite the early mornings, as I said before), as the people I work with are great. I’ve built some good relationships with my work colleagues. And I’m not one of these people who hates where I work.

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I know that I will have plenty of support and sympathy from my work mates during my first week back. Many of my colleagues have kids, so I know that the first couple of days will be full of catch ups and photo sharing and sifting through emails. I also know that if I fall asleep at my desk, I won’t get in too much trouble. They may even just let me nap.

In all seriousness, I know that I need to go back to work. While I love being at home and spending time with my new family, I know that I now need to take on the responsibility of providing for my family. I need to be the one that works to make sure that Renee can spend as much time at home with our little Jesse as possible.

I know that Renee won’t mind that I am heading off early to work and getting home late. Because in the end, we will be able to spend important time as a family down the track.

Just don’t talk to me when I wake up on Monday morning at 5am!!! Maybe just give me a couple of hours…

An Open Letter to Dads Returning to Work

Renee Barton3 Comments

Next week Kaine will be returning to work and I am nervous to say the least.  I am wondering how I am going to handle things on my own without someone to share nappy duty with, without the chest which Jesse loves to fall asleep on and without someone to keep up the housework and bring me things when I’m breastfeeding.  But most of all how I’m going to cope without my person with me, my best friend, my husband.

But as hard as it will be for me, I know it will be even more difficult for him to leave us every morning and spend a large part of the day away from us.  Especially after enjoying such precious family time over the last 7 weeks.

So here are my words to my husband about his returning to work. Perhaps there are other women that feel this way about their spouse also so this is my open letter to working Dads.

To My Dear Husband,

The time we have spent together recently has been so special. The opportunity to be together every day as a new family while we navigate the challenges and joys of being parents has been incredible. I didn’t know I could love you more than I already did but seeing you as a Dad and the way you are with our baby, and with me, has deepened my love for you in ways I could not have anticipated.

But soon you will be returning to work. I know this will be difficult for you and that you will wish you were at home with us but I want you to know that work is exactly where your family needs you to be, at least for now.

Each day you leave our house please know that we love you and appreciate all you do to provide for us and ensure we are happy and healthy. We will miss you and the moment you arrive home will be our favourite part of the day.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to continue staying at home to care for our son. I know it is incredibly important to the both of us, and to us as a family, to be with him as much as possible and provide him with the best start in life.

So until a time when we are able to spend all of our days together again; we thank you.

Lovingly yours,

Wifey for Lifey

letter to dad

Being a Fit Dad

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

Being a fit and healthy dad. What exactly does that mean? What does it encompass?

As I stood on the scales at my PT’s gym yesterday for my weekly weigh-in, waiting to see what the damage had been this week I began to think about that question.

As I pondered, I looked down with nervous anticipation as the number flicked up on the screen of the scales. The number staring back at me was 80 kg. Mixed feelings washed over me consisting mostly of disappointment.

‘There’s an 8 at the beginning’, I thought to myself. ‘It’s time to get my health and fitness back on track’.

Now I am well aware that 80 kg isn’t exactly heavy for someone of my height, but I know that my ideal weight is somewhere around the 75 kg mark and that’s when I feel and look my best.

I think every dad out there has their own thoughts on what a fit dad is. So the question I need to ask myself, is what does being a fit dad mean for me?

For me, I think being a fit dad first and foremost means being active, healthy and getting back into my pre-birth routines.

The past 5 weeks have flown by in a blur of nappy changes, cluster feeding and entertaining a newborn. And that has come at the expense of any kind of normalcy as far as routine goes. And because there are only two weeks before I go back to work, it’s a good time to start focusing back on my own habits to get back to feeling and looking my best.

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So, keeping in mind there is a new element in the mix (named Jesse Jack Barton) what needs to change? Well, it is my promise to start doing the following:

  • Exercising more regularly (PT sessions, circuit training, walks/runs with the dog).
  • Keep as active as I can, even at work.
  • Eating less and eating healthier options (no alcohol, less sugar, less carbs, more protein, more fresh foods and vegetables).
  • Better sleeping patterns (going to bed earlier and waking up earlier).
  • Start supplementing diet with good vitamins and supplements.
  • Involving Renee and Jesse into these routines wherever possible.

These are all very simple things to do and re-instate, but I now believe that they are more important than ever to do. It’s now time get off my ass and start doing them if I truly want to be a fit dad!

Outside of being a good dad, being a fit dad was the one thing I really wanted to try and achieve. Throughout our pregnancy journey, it’s one of the things that Renee and I would discuss every now and again.

I have always thought of myself as being relatively healthy and fit (except for when I’m on holidays and have a blow out, but hey, doesn’t everyone…). I want to be the dad running around the park or court with our son kicking the football or shooting hoops.

I want to be the dad playing in the backyard or park with our son, pushing him on the swings or playing in the sand pit.

I want to be the dad going to a bike ride with our son through the bush tracks and stopping to look at the weird and wonderful wildlife that he has never seen before.

I want to be the dad that could run and jump and carry and swing our son around when playing with him.

I want to be the dad that our son looks up to and develops good habits from with respect to being active and healthy and fit.

It’s time to chase these goals. It’s time to make a change.

It’s time to be a FIT DAD!