Forget Kiss Cam, We Now Have The Awkward Dad Dance Cam (VIDEO)

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

Forget Kiss Cam

We Now Have The Awkward Dad Dance Cam

Outside of the game itself, what's your favourite part of attending an NBA game? It's probably Kiss Cam where couples are put on the spot on the big screen, pressured to kiss on camera. The San Antonio Spurs have the next best thing to Kiss Cam, it's the Awkward Dad Dance Cam, which is just pure gold.

The Countdown to Christmas is on.

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

The Countdown to Christmas is on

It's time to start counting down the days.

The countdown until Christmas is officially on. As a toddler starting his second Christmas season, my son is ready. We put decorations up around the house, broke out the Christmas lights and my wife already had the Christmas music channel on full blast this weekend. As a new parent, I have a new found appreciation for the Christmas season, experiencing it all through my 17-month-old.

Here's what has got me most excited about this holiday season:

Five Benefits of Co-Parenting a Toddler and a Canine

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

Five Benefits of Co-Parenting a Toddler and a Canine

Your dog needs love too.

Before I got married in 2010, my wife and I had decided to get our first pet together and we adopted a puppy. It seemed like a logical step in our relationship and definitely a stepping stone into parenthood. We both absolutely fell in love with our puppy Muggsy, and treated him more like a baby than our pet. We celebrated birthdays, dressed him up for Halloween, took him to the beach for walks and he even slept in our bed (he still does to this day). He would have been the ring bearer at the wedding if we didn't already have young nephews to choose from.

How I Got My Toddler to Sleep Through The Night

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

How I Got My Toddler to Sleep Through The Night

....ummm, not so fast.

I was going to originally write a blog post entitled "How I Got My Toddler to Sleep Through The Night" today, that was, until he stopped sleeping through the night two nights ago. It was going to be great, I had all these great tips for rookie parents on  how to get your toddler on the right path to a good night's sleep for everyone. But as I sit here after putting my toddler to bed tonight, I see him on the baby monitor jumping up and down, crying. Not sleeping. I better go up to his room.....I'll be right back...

What Is My Toddler Trying To Tell Me?

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

What Is My Toddler Trying To Tell Me?

Trying to decipher toddler talk

My 15-month old son has learned this new thing. He looks up at me and keeps pointing to the palm of his other hand and I've learned that this means "more". "More" in the sense that if he finishes a piece of watermelon and he wants another piece, that's when he motions for "more" if he's still hungry. I don't know exactly where he learned this gesture, it could have been at daycare or he came up with it on his own, but either way, it's another sign that my baby is growing up.

Rookie Dad Lesson Learned #107 - Your wardrobe will never be the same

(Bacon neck t-shirt in the making)

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

Rookie Dad Lesson Learned #107 - Your wardrobe will never be the same

Expect a lot of stains.

Have you ever watched that Michael Jordan Hanes commercial about 'bacon neck' t-shirts where the guy's t-shirt collar is a stretched and curled like a cooked piece of bacon? I bet that guy was a dad.

You know how I know? I'm starting to have 'bacon neck' t-shirts.

Talking Role Models with former NBA player Jerome "Junkyard Dog" Williams

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

JYD Barkin' 'Bout Being a Role Model

Former NBA player Jerome Williams talks about being a role model in the NBA

I'm a big hoops fan and before Dad blogging, I started blogging about the NBA, Canadian Basketball and the Toronto Raptors back in '08 with a couple of buddies and we still continue writing/podcasting to this day. The hoops blog has led to a few great interview opportunities throughout the years. With this past year being my first year as a Dad, I had the opportunity to ask a former professional athlete, Jerome "JYD" Williams about the importance of being a role model to the kids as a professional athlete. The former Toronto Raptor and Detroit Piston was in my hometown Dartmouth, Nova Scotia over the weekend for the #NBANation Tour that toured across Canada. We were able to interview him for our NBA-focused hoops blogs: Hip Hoop Junkies and Hoop Heads North.

Fantasy Football to Fantasy Fatherhood

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

From Fantasy Football to Fantasy Fatherhood

A fantasy scoring system for new dads

Thursday marked the start of the football season which means you've put in your fantasy football lineups for Week 1 of the NFL season. I've always enjoyed fantasy football out of all the fantasy sports, purely based on the fantasy scoring system: as an example, Quarterbacks getting 6 points for a passing touchdown, pass completions are 0.5 points, -2 points for sacks and 1 point for every 25 yards thrown, etc. Your quarterback's score compiled with the rest of your fantasy team can win you a week in fantasy football.

First Things First - Toddlers Measuring Up To The Grade

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

First Things First

Does your toddler measure up to the grade?

With September upon us and the school year starting up, this is when many parents prepare their children for another year of learning: purchasing school supplies and new clothes, enrolling them in extracurricular activities, hoping that their children measure up to the grade with their peers in the upcoming school year. Will they do well in school? Are they in enough extracurricular activities? Will they be good in sports like the rest of the class? Being a first time father of a toddler, I've still got a couple of years before that dreaded first day of school, but I'm noticing that measuring your child's progress against their peers starts early.

ROOKIE DAD LESSON LEARNED #106 - Camping with a toddler is a lot of work

(Camping at Kejimkujik National Park)

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

Rookie Dad Lesson Learned #106

Camping with a toddler is a lot of work

I don't know if you've ever packed for a camping trip for one toddler for one night, but there's a hell of a lot of work and preparation involved.

My wife and I enjoy camping in the summer. She introduced me to "real" backwoods camping not too long into our relationship. On our first trip, she packed a cooler full of food and beer, threw it into the canoe along with a tent and other 'necessities' and told me to paddle to the site she booked at Kejimkujik National Park. I enjoyed being in the outdoors and it became a tradition for us, one that she had begun as an infant with her family. We'd paddle to our island site and 'ruff' it out for a few days (usually on a comfy air mattress with plenty of good food, beer and even tunes from an iPod).

Summer In The City - Rediscovering Halifax with a one-year old

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

Summer In The City 

Rediscovering Halifax with a one-year old

Having been born and raised in Dartmouth, I felt like I had a good grasp of the city of Halifax and where the best summer spots around the city were. That was until we had our first baby.

This was our first summer with a toddler, and what a great opportunity to rediscover my favourite season in the Halifax Regional Municipality all over again. We have a 13-month old on the run and we wanted to make sure that he got to enjoy as many outdoor activities around the city as possible. We had our trusty friend 'Google' to help us out and also got a few ideas from fellow parents. Here are some of the hot spots we've discovered.

"Apparently" this kid has never been on live television before.

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

"Apparently" this kid has never been on live television before.

...but he seems like a natural.

Some kids are just made for television. Noah Ritter is one of them. The local news station WNEP interviewed Noah about a ride he was on at the Wayne County Fair in Pennsylvania, and the interview was gold.

The Importance of Good Role Models

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

The Importance of Good Role Models

Scott Jones is the perfect example of a positive influence for my son

Sometimes Kyrie looks up at me and playfully I grab a bucket and put it on my head. He thinks it's hilarious and laughs. I'll lay the bucket down and he will instantly grab the bucket and put it on his head and we'll both start laughing again.

If I start banging on his little drum, stop and give him the drumstick, he'll start banging away on that drum.

This guy is just over one year old, and he's starting to understand so much. This is when I start to realize that I'm a parent and I'm going to be a very influential person in his life. My hope is that I can always be a positive role model and not just some guy putting a bucket on my head for his amusement.

In Kyrie's lifetime, he will have a lot of role models influencing him in how he leads his life. It won't only be us as parents but grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, teachers and family friends like Scott Jones.

A Page Out Of The Cool Dad's Book - Lebron James

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

A Page Out Of The Cool Dad's Book - Lebron James

Another dad cooler than me.

You know who's another cooler dad than me? Lebron James.

King James is trying to win everyone's hearts back. After being a villain in Miami for four seasons, he recently decided to correct some of his missteps in his NBA career and chose to make his return to Cleveland and rejoin his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. He was widely criticized on his approach on "The Decision" back in 2010 and he gained a lot of haters along the way, including myself.

The Daycare Zombies - the transition to daycare

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

The Daycare Zombies - the transition to daycare

Breaking your kid in for the world of daycare

When I brought my son Kyrie to his first day of daycare, I walked in the room and I felt like I was surrounded by zombies. These weren't your ordinary zombies, these were infants slowly hobbling towards me...arms out...crying...eventually latching onto my leg....looking for a hug, in hopes that either my wife or I would pick them up. One little boy even came up to me, clamped onto my legs and said "Mama."

Is this what I'm paying the big daycare bucks for? Paying money for Kyrie to get less attention than he was getting for twelve straight months at home? 

A Rookie Dad season is in the books

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

A Rookie Dad season is in the books

Reflecting on that first year as a dad

My son Kyrie just celebrated his first birthday, just one day before Canada Day, meaning my rookie season as a dad is officially in the books. But this is a career with no offseason, it's a 24 hour a day, 365 day of the year gig. I still remember that Saturday night before heading to a Halloween party, when my wife Naomi screamed with excitement after having a positive pregnancy test after a few months of negative ones. We were both excited and scared at that moment but as the youngest of four siblings who all have children of their own, along with my parents who were first generation immigrants from the Philippines, I had a few parent role models in my life. So for fatherhood, I not only had Google as my teammate, but a number of family members to assist me along the way.

A Page Out Of The Cool Dad's Book - Tim Duncan

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

A Page Out Of The Cool Dad's Book - Tim Duncan

Definitely a cooler dad than me.

On my first Father's Day this past Sunday, I got to sleep in, and enjoyed a quiet day with family, chowed down on some lobster, and most of all, spent time with my wife and son.

What did Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs do on Fathers Day? He won an NBA championship on that day. He's a dad.

A Terrible Breakup - a Dad's guide for a Mom's return to work

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

A Terrible Breakup - a Dad's guide for a Mom's return to work

It's probably going to be the worst day for her.

What's the worst breakup you've ever been through? Think about it for a second.

That's exactly how my wife felt during her first week back to work from maternity leave.

After spending eleven straight months on maternity leave with our son, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 336 days in total, she was a basket case. As expected, there were a lot of tears shed, I mean, as much as you would expect with a terrible breakup between a mother and her infant. Even the days leading up to her first day back to work, if you made any mention of her going back to work and leaving her eleven month old son at home...instant tears.

ROOKIE DAD LESSON LEARNED #105 - The dog will eat about half of your baby's meals

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

ROOKIE DAD LESSON LEARNED #105 - The dog will eat about half of your baby's meals

When your dog and baby develop a friendship

Meet my first born son, Kyrie. He's eleven months old.

Also, meet my first born dog, Muggsy. He's a four-year old Puggle.

Yep. Kyrie and Muggsy, sounds like a solid pair of NBA point guards, eh? Believe me, they like to dish out assists to each other in this household, especially in the kitchen.

ROOKIE DAD LESSON LEARNED #104 - Ten tips for air travel with an infant

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

ROOKIE DAD LESSON LEARNED #104 - Ten tips for air travel with an infant

The dreaded airplane trip with a baby

Have you ever dreaded the day when you would be THAT parent with the screaming baby on a plane?

I was worried about that too.

When my wife and I were planning a family trip before she went back to work from maternity leave, our biggest hesitation was whether or not we wanted to be first-time parents with our ten month old Kyrie, flying on a plane. I pictured us sitting on a plane with a screaming baby for three hours while everyone else on the plane glared at us and filed complaints with the flight attendants. I never wanted to be that parent.

Onto The Next Chapter - The Walking Era

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

Onto The Next Chapter - The Walking Era

Watching your baby take their first steps

I remember when Kyrie was first born and in those first few months, taking him out and about, experienced parents would often stop us in the grocery store and say things like, "Cherish these moments."

I am now starting to realize what they meant.

It's perhaps a polite way of saying: "Cherish these moments when he's quiet and can't run around, before you know it, he'll be tearing up yo' house and crawling all up on yo' furniture and smashing your iPad into pieces. Good luck with that."

Rookie Dad Adventures - a Road Trip to Moncton, New Brunswick

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

Rookie Dad Adventures - a Road Trip to Moncton

Crystal Palace, Magnetic Hill Zoo & Being an age-pushing parent

Do you feel like an age pusher sometimes as a parent?  As a rookie dad, I'm starting to realize that I am. I don't know what it is, but it's like you want your child to develop faster when he's already growing up too fast.

When Kyrie was a couple months old, I wanted him to be crawling and babbling.  When he was seven months old, I already wanted him to be walking.  Now that he's ten months old, I want Kyrie to be three years old enjoying an amusement park, so in our latest adventure, we decided to take him to one.

Diaper Changes Ain't Easy.

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

Diaper Changes Ain't Easy.

Diaper changes - the everyday struggle

Changing a diaper on a squirmy baby is quite, quite difficult.

When Kyrie was a newborn, the diaper changes were simple, easy and not that messy. His poops were just like a little squirt of mustard in his diaper.

Now, Kyrie is ten months old, he can move around as much as he wants AND he also eats a lot of solid food. It's a recipe for disaster when it comes to diaper changes.

ROOKIE DAD LESSON LEARNED #103 - Do not give your baby a haircut.

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

ROOKIE DAD LESSON LEARNED #103 - Do not give your baby a haircut.

...especially without telling your wife.

Biggest rookie mistake to date.

So on Easter Sunday morning, I got up with Kyrie as we normally do on the weekend and we had our breakfast together while Naomi (Mom) gets some extra sleep.  While I was eating my toast and Kyrie was sitting there eating his cheerios, I noticed that after almost ten months this boy has never had a haircut! His bangs needed a trim and I was going to fix that.

ROOKIE DAD LESSON LEARNED #102 - Saturdays will never be the same.

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

ROOKIE DAD LESSON LEARNED #102 - Saturdays will never be the same.

Trips to Babies 'R' Us, Naps, Feedings

After Kyrie was born, as soon as we brought him home from the hospital, I knew my life had changed. There was a new born child in my life now.  Every morning this baby brings me a smile when he wakes up for the day, we enjoy watching him play and grow and discover his world, and love taking him on new adventures. Things have changed so drastically from our pre-baby days, including...weekends.

A baby learns how to say "Thank You"

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

When pronunciation goes wrong

I can't wait for Kyrie to start talking and we can have actual conversations about his love for applesauce and how much he hates getting into his car seat.  But right now he's only at the babbling stage, and most of it is "dadadada", "lalalalala", "nananana" or just some random fart noises.

Talking about wins and losses when it comes to sleep

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

Wins and Losses with your nine month old

The sleep battle will be the first of many battles as parents.

As I'm writing this, my wife and I are waiting in our bedroom listening to the baby monitor to see if Kyrie will fall asleep on his own.  And right now, watching through the video baby monitor, he's holding onto the side of the crib bouncing around and crying for our attention.  My wife usually repeats to me "I hate this." when we're in other room hearing him cry incessantly.  Our first instinct is to just go in there and soothe him until he goes to sleep.

A Page Out Of The Cool Dad's Book

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

A Page out of the Cool Dad's Book

When you're a cool dad with a cool job, you can do cool things.

I feel like I'm gonna be a cool dad. Well, I thought that until I saw this article about a DreamWorks animator, Daniel Hashimoto, who made a bunch of cool  fifteen second YouTube videos featuring his three-year old, James.  He has his own YouTube channel, appropriately named Action Movie Kid which features James in a few impressive videos with special movie effects all put together by his dad. Here's a sampling of some of his videos.

First up, probably the coolest one of them all, the toy lightsaber.

Rookie Dad Diaries: Q&A with Sean Francois

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

Rookie Dad Diaries

A Dad Q&A with Sean Francois

Part of being a rookie dad includes gathering stories, thoughts and advice from other dads.  So I decided to reach out to my hoops blogging and podcast brother, Sean Francois (@seanfrancois) for my first installment of the Rookie Dad Diaries.  We've been friends for many years and we both blog together about the Raptors/NBA on one of our sites Hoop Heads North and is a co-host on our RAPS TALK podcast.  As a father of two girls, Sean has been in the dad game for almost eight years now and has tons of first hand dad experience.

Welcome to Spring in Nova Scotia - Reliving moments of my childhood through my son

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

Welcome to Spring in Nova Scotia.

Reliving moments of my childhood through my son.

Nova Scotia weather is crazy.  I have a love/hate relationship with it.  Sure, you get to experience all four seasons but at the same time, it's unpredictable especially when it comes to spring.

For example, on Saturday we took Kyrie to the park about a ten minute walk from our house.  He's almost nine months now and at an age where he can enjoy some of the things a neighbourhood park has to offer and right now, it's the swing set.  It was a day that actually felt like spring and all you really needed was a light coat and no gloves. The sun was shining and there was a very light, spring breeze.  Spring was finally here.

Welcome to Walking Training Camp

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

Welcome to Walking Training Camp

Running Kyrie through a few walking drills

We weren't sure if Kyrie was going to crawl.  He couldn't really get the arm motions down so we thought he'd skip the crawling part altogether and go straight to walking.  If you check my baby book, that's what happened to me, apparently I started walking on my own at nine months.

An iPhone, an Instagram account and 365 Days of Photo Dedication

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

My fave photos from my #Project365 as a Dad

An iPhone, an Instagram account and 365 Days of Photo Dedication

Last March, my wife and I set out on one of our last vacations before our son was born. We had a voucher for free timeshare accommodations anywhere in the world. We decided on a lovely vacation to Virginia Beach. That's right, Virginia Beach. In March. Don't get me wrong, Virginia Beach is beautiful, but it's not exactly hot beach weather in March. The average temperature was probably about five degrees celsius. It was chilly.

ROOKIE DAD LESSON LEARNED #101 - Keep your "I'm Tired." comments to yourself

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

ROOKIE DAD LESSON LEARNED #101

Keep your "I'm tired." comments to yourself

I've already learned about a hundred lessons in my eight months as a new dad.  Now it's time to start actually logging them.  Here's lesson learned #101.  No matter how tired you are as a dad, don't let your wife know about it.  As the husband...and the guy who doesn't provide the late night feedings...saying "I'm tired." in front of your wife, isn't suggested.

When the baby keeps you up at night because they're crying, you can mention that to your friends and co-workers but when around your sleep-deprived wife, keep it to yourself.

Or just expect the response "Oh, YOU'RE tired??"

Welcome to my rookie season.

posted by Romy (@daddontlie)

Dad Don't Lie

Now this is a story all about how, my life got flipped, turned upside down...

Welcome to my rookie season as a dad.

This blog is entitled 'Dad Don't Lie' as this is my honest account of the start of my journey through fatherhood.  It derives from the popular basketball phrase 'Ball Don't Lie' that originated from former NBA player, Rasheed Wallace.  Now, for you non-basketball fans, here's a little breakdown on the phrase.