We are proud to select Dr. Juan Reyes to be Ariana’s pediatrician. Renee and I first met Juan through our involvement in Toastmasters. Neither of us knew what he did for a living at first. All we saw was a personable and friendly individual with a great sense of humor. Upon learning of his profession (and finding his office on our healthcare plan’s roster), the choice was obvious.

Dr. Reyes is one of the many qualified doctors at Pediatric Associates in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Everything you read about choosing a pediatrician tells you to get a referral from a trustworthy source, interview several doctors, etc. Dr. Reyes is within our network of friends, family, and colleagues. This gave us the confidence to consider him to the exclusion of other candidates. As a matter of fact, we didn’t elect him until it was time to make the obligatory visit at 2 weeks.

Fortunately, this “ready, fire, aim” approach turned out fine. A decision like this should not be taken lightly. Hopefully, this is a relationship that will last until your child reaches adulthood. Here is a brief rundown of our experience so far:

• A courteous and friendly staff
• A separate waiting area for sick children
• Every part of the office we could see was clean and well-maintained
• It’s a busy office, but not chaotic and disorganized
• They have extended hours for sick visits or emergencies, 7 days a week
• You can make appointments online!

As parents, we feel at ease with Dr. Reyes and the level of care he provides. At every visit, he takes the time to answer our questions thoroughly without overwhelming us. He did a great job of addressing our concerns about vaccination. Ariana’s healthcare is in good hands.

USAGF Karate Weapons Seminar

Today, Austin participated in a weapons seminar. In his particular style of karate (United Sates of America Goju Federation), students are offered the opportunity to learn how to use various weapons such as the escrima, bo, sai, and nunchaku. Austin has worked his way through the escrima, advanced escrima, and he is now learning how to use the bo.

At the conclusion of the seminar, Master Joseph Kelljchian addressed all the students. He is the founder of this style and has garnered tremendous respect among his students and within the martial arts community. Master Kelljchian praises students for participating, and reminds them of the advantage they have when facing life’s challenges.

It’s evident that Austin has developed so much due to his participation in martial arts. He came to me last year as a young man who lacked focus, conviction, and discipline, except when it came to video games. He has always struggled in school, and this year, he is enjoying it and doing well.

Taking Austin to class and paying monthly dues is just the beginning. Without our active participation, Austin won’t reap the benefits of martial arts. One of the other students remarked that the kids whose parents stick around during class do better than the kids who just get dropped off and picked up.

A health club membership doesn’t make you fit and trim. Regular exercise does. A bookshelf full of self-help books doesn’t help you. Reading them might get you a little closer. Learning, being, and doing puts you on the right track. USAGF karate is only $30 a month. It’s a tremendous value that’s enhanced by our active participation.

To learn more about USAGF karate, start here.

Dad Gains Appreciation For Breastfeeding Mothers’ Efforts 

Renee had an appointment at the chiropractor yesterday. In the past, I had gone with her since I always enjoy chatting with Dr. Fruithandler (yes, that is his real name). I accompany Renee on outings whenever it is possible, but we elected for Ariana to have some one-on-one time with Daddy. This means her usual diet of mother’s milk will be temporarily suspended in favor of formula. This meant we could have some one-on-one time and allow me to truncate my to-do list.

I enjoy the one-on-one time. Part of our father-daughter time usually includes securing my dance partner in the Baby Björn, and listening to some old country favorites like Hank Williams Sr., Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, or Willie Nelson.

This past Thursday, it was not to be. I gained a whole new level of respect and admiration for breastfeeding mothers all over the world. In addition to the caloric content of the milk itself, mother burns calories in the manufacturing and dispensing processes. From the accounts I’ve read, the number of calories expended is equivalent to running five miles a day or swimming 30 laps in the pool (the difficulty of doing such is also compounded by a disrupted sleep cycle). Mixing the powder and ensuring the liquid is at the right temperature is going to be a piece of cake.

A piece of cake is always nice to have, especially with a little fruit punch at a birthday party. 5 pieces of cake later, I’m exhausted. None of my grand plans could be implemented. I might have mixed up more formula ahead of time, but I didn’t know she was thinking buffet rather than light snack. My own needs were subordinated to this tiny little human for 5 hours.

Bringing water to a specific temperature is something I do all the time (I make my morning coffee in a French press). Mixing pre-measured amounts of powder and liquid doesn’t require much more than a 3rd grade education. Even if you catch the signs of hunger early, soft whimpers escalate into more expressive vocalizations if you don’t act fast. Yes, every activity’s difficulty level is increased, but they are far outpaced by the rewards of fatherhood.

It went alright, despite the funky smell of the formula and our fear of what we might encounter later in the diaper. She didn’t guzzle it like she guzzles the breastmilk from the bottle. But she took a full portion without complaint. Elliott even went so far as to TASTE the stuff. He confirmed the funk. But if she is willing to drink it, it buys us some options.

I intend to breastfeed for her first year. And I didn’t honestly expect to have such a purist attitude. But it took 7 weeks for me to reconcile this. It turns out that we’re bona fide attachment parents! Thus we (somewhat) jokingly refer to this experience as her “1st loss of innocence”. It starts so early!