Nafisto the Great

Baby Zeb decided that he was going to trick everyone who was betting on his due date.

He was born on Sunday, May 20 at 5:30am. No name to announce yet, but we’ll have it soon (once we come up with it).

Check out his blog to get the play-by-play on how it all happened (he’s a much better writer than I am).

Baby and mommy are both recovering rapidly and can’t wait to go home! We’re at Northside Hospital in Atlanta and Shirin is in the HRP Unit, room 136 until Thursday. Give us a call and stop by–we’d love to see you!

Big thanks again to everyone that is sending in their comments. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to compile some of these and add our own observations so that future parents can benefit!

On to this installment. Shirin and I are having a (not-so-)heated discussion about baby carriers, swings, pouches, wraps, and whatever else these types of products are called. We’re fairly interested in them because 1) they make life a lot easier, and 2) we like the idea of keeping the baby physically close (see the Wikipedia entry on Attachment theory and the article by Dr. Sears on babywearing).

My main problem with a lot of these products is that it’s really hard to figure out why some companies charge up to three or four times as much for what looks like the exact same thing. Does the “sport edition with moisture wick fabric” really make a difference? Wouldn’t it just be easier to buy some soft fabric and whip up a homemade sling? And are these things really as useful as they look (my initial guess was no, but I’m beginning to change my mind)?

Of course, at the end of the day, it’s impossible to tell what each child prefers and what works with each family. But we’d love to hear people’s opinions and hear your experiences. Thanks again in advance for the great comments!!

First off, a big THANK YOU to everyone who commented on the use (or lack of use) of diaper pails.  We will definitely take the great advice you offered.

I thought I’d ask for some more help on a slightly less disgusting topic: bouncers and swings. Now I know that there are some people who have passionate, near-religious views on baby bouncers, swings, papasans, and all the other various and sundry mechanisms for keeping your child happy (aka “silent”).  Shirin and I would love to hear what you think: are they worth it?  which ones work best?  what should a prospective buyer (i.e. ME) look for?  any brands you really liked?

I have a feeling this one won’t enjoy quite the same universal consensus as diaper pails, so please be nice. 

“The Baha’i International Community has obtained a document that appears to confirm double-dealing by Iran in its policy towards Baha’i students seeking higher education.

“The document, a 2 November 2006 letter from the headquarters of Payame Noor University to its regional branches, states that it is government policy that Baha’i students ‘cannot enroll’ in Iranian universities and that if they are already enrolled, ‘they should be expelled.’”

Full story from the Baha’i World News Service

“The fasting period, which lasts nineteen days starting as a rule from the second of March every year and ending on the twentieth of the same month, involves complete abstention from food and drink from sunrise till sunset. It is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires.” Shoghi Effendi, Directives of the Guardian (New Delhi: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1973), pp. 27-28.

There are lots of sunrise/sunset calculators online, but I wrote one that takes your address and gives you just the fast times.  You can print it out in several different forms.  You can check it out here.  (It only works with US addresses for now–if I have some free time in the next week, I’ll see about Canada and Europe too.)

Little did I know, when I first found myself on this little journey called fatherhood, that the challenges of being a parent would start even before the child is born. I did quickly learn, however, that it always seems to be the simplest things that turn into complex affairs to take up time, energy and thought.

Today’s lesson is in diaper pails. Once upon a time, these receptacles for poo-ridden underwear came in two distinct versions: smelly, and REALLY smelly. Then one day, a wise entrepreneur realized that he could probably make a lot of money AND solve the problem of stinky baby rooms in one fell swoop. (I saw “he” because a woman would know better than to take advantage of her fellow mothers who endure 9 months + 12 hours of gestation and labor.) And so, the diaper pail was born.

Now for those who don’t know, babies poop a lot. A heckuva lot. They can go through a dozen diapers a day. Yes, folks, even at Costco prices, that’s still about $1.75 per day. They should make an advertisement about that. “For less than the cost of a grande caramel macchiatto, you too can sponsor a child’s poo and make a difference in the life of an infant.” I also read somewhere on the Internet (so it’s gotta be true) that by the time babies are potty trained, they have gone through 6000 diapers!

Now imagine all of those diapers and consider that (at least in our neighborhood) trash collection only happens once a week. Yup–you guessed it. That is one stinky pile of plastic, cotton and stuff. And that brings us back to the diaper pail.

Apparently, the field of diaper pail technology (new word: diapering systems) has been quite actively recently, bringing us gems like the Diaper Genie, Diaper Genie II, Diaper Dekor, Diaper Champ, and my personal nominee for worst design of all time, the Baltimore Ravens 5 Quart Pail. (For some reason, it came up when I searched for diaper pails on Amazon. I guess it’s great for tailgating: ice and drinks and poppy diapers.)

Given all of the competition, it was hard to find one that we liked. And with the variety with diaper pails, you can see why it can be overwhelming for new parents to start thinking about the really important stuff like strollers, car seats, cribs, diapers, doctors, clothes, shoes, schools, braces, colleges, and spouses. I digress.

Without further ado, here is the diaper pail we fell in love with and hope someone buys off of our registry because we can’t imagine spending $40 on a stupid trash bin: Clean Air Odor-Free Diaper Disposal. If you’re really bored, you can even watch a product video. Slick!

Are you a recent parent, a soon-to-be parent or someone who had parents at some point? I’d love to hear your experiences! Drop me a comment and let me know what you think.
(our next installment: travel systems)