best book for dads-to-be.

some of my favorite memories of this pregnancy are from when late at night, when i was nauseaus & couldn't sleep, and ryan read to me from this book. holy moly, i have never, ever laughed so hard (a couple of times i've been worried i was going into a labor!).

in a world where baby books assume dads are idiots -- giving them small boxes of animal/sports analogies when moms get inundated with science/guidelines/anatomy lessons, this book is pitch perfect. ryan has LOVED it. incredibly hilarious, very practical & totally guy focused, "dude, you're going to be a dad!" walks every dad-to-be through EVERYTHING.

in addition to being highly entertaining, this book really covers a ton of good information. some of my favorite passages:

the baby shower: "I recently attended a friend's baby shower. I was yet again confused by the fact that no shower was offered & no babies were present."

a naming rule: "Do not try to sneak in a name that represents something funny to you, but if your wife finds out, you're dead. I know it's tempting. You're thinking every time you see your child, you'll get a little giggle. Names of old girlfriends, that stripper you thought you loved in college & your online avatar are off limits."

hospital logistics -- know the drop off area: "Once you arrive, pull out your walkie-talkie and announce to your advance team, 'The eagle has landed.' But where do you drop off the guest of honor? You don't want to be squinting at signs on a dark & rainy night while the baby is crowning. You need to know exactly where to go."

birthing class: "Birthing class is an event no man can ever be properly prepared for. The descriptions from your buddies do not do justice to the mental scarring you will suffer. It all seems innocent enough. You pack a lunch, hold hands on your way out the door & exchange smiles with other happy couples as you arrive. You're feeling the flow, you don't even protest wearing the name tag the happily medicated instructor asks you to wear. You try to block comments about the other attendees out of your head, like 'If she wasn't pregnant, she'd be really hot' .... the class moves on to a time-honored tradition. The VCR comes out & they slap in the porno like birthing film from the 1970's with the funkified music & body parts in all their glory. Were those humans? Good Lord."

birth announcements: "Unfortunately you can't just post the following announcement on your fantasy football message board: She did it! The baby popped out. It's a boy & he's hung like his father. Everybody's fine!"

water breaking: If your BMP's (baby making partner) water decides to break, with any luck at a dinner party at the home of a friend you secretly dislike, the doc or midwife is going to ask you about the color & odor of said water. because your natural reaction would be to rush over, stick your whiffer right up close & breathe deeply, right? of course your next reaction would be to take note of the color. 'what do you think hon? kind of a translucent cadet gray? or closer to oyster?'"

seriously. go buy this book for your favorite dad-to-be, stat. my favorite book for moms-to-be here!

close second favorite book for dads-to-be here!