Last night, NBC got their Fall Season started a little early with sneak-peeks at the pilot episodes of two new comedies, THE NEW NORMAL (not about being a Dad, but using an oft-used term for "Stay at home Dads" as it's title) and the Dad-centric, GUYS WITH KIDS. I'm not a big sitcom guy, and while I skipped 'Normal, I had GUYS WITH KIDS set to record on the DVR for later viewing, lured by it's subject matter and Jimmy Fallon's involvement in the series. After viewing it this afternoon, I can confidently say that GUYS WITH KIDS will be a big hit... but not with guys with kids.

The Huffington Post posted an article yesterday highlighting a new study that suggests fathers that co-sleep with their children will experience a drop in testosterone levels. The findings, published in a detailed report on PLoS ONE further support recent discussion and study that indicates lower testosterone levels in men that spend more time with their children. Personally, this is something that I believe to be 100% true, based on my own experience.

I'm late in the game to discover this, but thanks to Big Daddy Blogger I now know that folks in Japan are "printing" 3D models of their unborn children. The process utilizes 3D mapping to output a clear replica they're calling "Shape of an Angel." Think of it as the next generation of those overpriced 3D/4D Ultrasounds that have been all the rage for the past few years. As the operator of a Dad Blog, I feel it necessary to keep up with these parenting trends, though this is one I'm not really sold on. Check out the informative video below. 

With a newborn here in The Rock Father house, it's been interesting to revisit some experiences that we just went through three years ago with daughter #1, but with newer tools. SING TO YOUR BABY - Love Songs & Sing-Plays for New Families is one of those things that we didn't have the first time around, but has been a whole lot of fun for the second go. A book and companion CD by Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with illustrations by James Nocito, SING TO YOUR BABY has been a hit with our not-quite-three-year-old as well.

After counting down the days and weeks here on The Rock Father, the newest member of the family has arrived - right on schedule. At 12:38pm yesterday, our second daughter, Finley Renoir was born. My wife did an awesome job, staying awake through the entire C-section, and Addie (not quite three) is thrilled to be a big sister. As a new life begins, so does an entirely new adventure - one that will be documented here on the site. Also, as of tomorrow (Father's Day), The Rock Father is officially one year old! Lots to celebrate. Pictures? Yes, I have some pictures. Just a few for now...

It's two days 'til new baby (scheduled for delivery on Friday) and the excitement is getting going. Today I made the 160-mile round-trip to pick up my Mom, and after returning home, she and the munchkin spent time playing while I hit a bunch of last-minute to-do items. The crowning achievement of the afternoon? Putting together the new Pack 'n Play. This isn't like the old one we sold on the garage sale last summer, it's more like someone said ''Pimp my Pack 'n Play.''