Boot Camp

The Rutledge men conquered New Dad Boot Camp on Saturday. It was a good male bonding time, both for Dad and boys and for the guys who signed up for the class. Plus it gave Mom a morning to herself. Speaking of Mom, Amy had my backpack ready and the van started for me this a.m. -- maybe she was looking forward to the time by herself? ;-)

The class brought back memories as I vividly remember being at that stage just a couple months ago where you're not really sure what to expect and eager to ask questions for the dads that brought their babies back. There were three expectant dads in the class that worked at IBM -- two of whom were expecting twins, and one of those two whose wife was on bed rest. Talk about deja vu.

One of the more amusing things the instructor does is stop the class whenever he sees a dad get a diaper out for a diaper change. He then asks for a volunteer for someone to be a sacrificial lamb and change a diaper. Keep in mind, most of these guys have never even held babies much less changed a diaper in front of twenty pairs of eyes. Owen gladly played his part as he rumbled down below within the first fifteen minutes of the class. So I paraded him out to the middle of the floor, eyes wide as moons as a volunteer changed his diaper. Both of them were troopers although Owen had a curious look on his face the whole time with everyone staring at him. ("For crying out loud, Dad. Had I known you were going to show my goods to the free world I would've held it in til the break.")

Gus slept the first hour and a half of the class, which saved me. He's been really moody since getting shots yesterday afternoon so I was worried. But he slept until it was time for a bottle. After they ate, we passed the boys around the room and answered every question the guys had --What was your experience as your wife went through labor? How many diapers do they go through in a day? How long do you have to wait before you have sex again? How long until they sleep through the night? You name it.

The class is great because it's men teaching the class for men. Guys really open up in an uninhibited environment like that. And the best thing I think it does is help you realize is that you're not alone going through the experience. Everyone learns on the job like these expectant dads are about to. There are so many different ways of doing things, and advice comes from all corners. In the end, you just have to jump off the diving board and trust that there's water in the pool. Sometimes you make the perfect dive without a splash and sometimes you make a belly flop. But you get through it nonetheless.


Dad & boys leaving for New Dad Boot Camp...


...and the boys after all the stimulation slept for two hours when they returned home.