This Sunday I will have been a Dad for two weeks. The last eleven days have been filled a whirlwind of emotions, friends, family and new experiences. I have to say, I am loving being a father. Already it has given me new perspective on life, time, sleep and family. I wonder what November will bring?

Over the last few months I have been preparing for fatherhood by digging deep into the world of babies and infants to compile a solid set of resources and tools for any new and expecting father. I thought I would share what I have found and learned over the past 9 months.

1. NAMES, NAMES, NAMES: - There is no better way to start thinking about names than with this site with interactive name popularity voyager.

2. EMAIL AND SOCIAL NETWORKING ACCOUNTS: As soon as we had decided on a name, immediately went out and registered her a Gmail and Facebook. Might as well bet on the front running horses for Email and Social networking. I have started to send my daughter interesting articles and funny anecdotes about her. I have also begun to upload pictures and videos to her Facebook account and added friends and family. The overprotective daddy has also locked down the account so tightly that only the finest get to be her friend Seriously though, how cool would it be to receive a loaded Facebook and Gmail account when you turned old enough to use one. Imagine being able to walk back in time and experience your whole childhood in colour, video and text. It has never been easier to do so.

3. Crying - I have watched and read LOTS about how to calm a crying baby. In my opinion there is nothing better than http://www.thehappiestbaby.com/ as a resource for this. This guy is amazing!

4. Grunts, Gurgles and Groans: What do they all mean? Did you know that babies can communicate with you from 0 – 3 months. I know, I know, it sounds crazy! It did to me too, until I watched this: www.dunstanbaby.com This woman has some incredible research to share. After you watch this Neh, Owh, Heh, Eairh and Eh will mean something completely new! Here is the wikipedia entry to frame the reference.

5. Podcasts: There are TONS of great podcasts out there for new and expecting parents. Itunes is a great place to start. Here is one of my faves: http://www.babytimeshow.com/

6. GEAR: Daddies love their gear. Life with little Emma would not be the same with out this, this and this.

How did I find all of these resources?

Just with a few of the skills that my daughter will NEED to navigate the world beyond the crib.

Reading, syntheisis, linking, drilling down, querying, thinking, reflecting, asking questions, bookmarking, management, organization.

More posts to come when I regain some sleep