To Be A Good Dad

Important Safety Notice: Pregnant Women Should Avoid Diet Soft Drinks

To Be a Good Husband Comments Off

Jan 202011

You know, I’ve always said this. I never trusted the whole “diet” thing and I’ve been saying to my wife that she’s gotta cut down on her diet soda even before she got pregnant. Glad that there’s scientific proof that I was right.

“Research carried out on almost 60,000 pregnant women in Denmark found that those who drank artificially sweetened soft drinks, whether fizzy or still, were more likely to give birth early.

It was found that those who drank one serving per day of artificially sweetened fizzy drink were 38 per cent more likely to give birth before 37 weeks gestation and those who consumed four servings a day were 78 percent more likely to have their baby prematurely.

…

“Certainly, until more experimental work is done, this study suggests that pregnant women should steer clear of artificially sweetened drinks. Quite frankly, pregnant women should be focusing more on nutrient-rich drinks anyway, like milk and fruit juices. And don’t forget the water.”

OK, in her defense, my wife has cut out sodas (for the most part) from her food intake since the first trimester, but I still stand by my smugness. I gotta get my ya-ya’s somehow.

Lessons in Being a Good Dad: My Father in Law

Things My Parents Taught Me Comments Off

Jan 192011

I haven’t updated in a while because things have been hectic the last couple of weeks. My father in law was taken to the hospital 2 weeks ago with shortness of breath and had to be admitted into the ER and then the ICU for what we believe is pneumonia related to his lung cancer. The whole family’s been at his bedside and visiting him continuously since then to give him strength to recover, so I apologize to all of you for not being able to update more frequently.

Earlier last year, he was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and he has been getting chemo and radiation for the last few months. We thought he was getting better – CAT scans showed that this tumor had shrunk slightly – but his breathing has been progressively been getting worse, particularly his ability to maintain an oxygen saturation level above 92. To give you context, a healthy individual at sea level under ~20% oxygen concentration (the normal oxygen concentration in air at that altitude) should be able to maintain 98-99% oxygen saturation in his blood. My father in law has been on 90% O2 and was having trouble maintaining a blood saturation level above 92. Part of this has to do with his lung cancer, and part of it could be due to pneumonia. Initially he was on a mask, breathing on his own (or at least trying to), but we had a scare about a week and a half ago when he couldn’t breathe on his own and had to be intubated. That is, he had to be sedated and have a breathing tube stuck down his throat and have a machine breath for him. He’s doing OK, and at least he’s able to maintain a better heartbeat and a decent blood oxygen saturation level. He’s shown some sign of progress earlier this week, but he’s plateaued – but at least for now he’s stable and resting. We all hope that this will give him body the opportunity to fight off the pneumonia and whatever else is ailing him, and fight back against the cancer so he can be taken off the respirator and can be extubated. Needless to say, my wife is anxious, as is the whole family, and we’re all praying and hoping for the best.

GyroBowl

Dad Stuff Comments Off

Jan 062011

With this post, let me introduce a guest contributor. It’s my sister, from all the way in NYC. She’ll be posting under the name abkim and will be providing her point of view on how to be a good dad, both as a woman, as well as a daughter. Here she introduces yet another item that makes me smack my head in another “why didn’t I think of that” moment.

Ladies and gentleman….the Gyro Bowl! It’s supposed to be a spill-proof contraption in the shape of Saturn (the planet), that uses the mechanics of a gyroscope. It’s for kids, but I suppose it’ll be just as good for some adults too! Being the compulsive neat-freak that I am, this would surely put my nerves at ease when I have children (ie: my future nephew) as well as slightly clumsy, haphazardous adults (ie: my brother, my future nephew’s dad and the author of this site – sorry bro, but you are a klutz sometimes!) over at my house. As for the inevitable question – “what about the spillages that occur when items from bowl never make it to the mouth?” Well then, I guess that’s what vacuums are for…

Hey, I’m not that clumsy…much.

Art of Manliness

Lessons and Info, Things Dad Should Know Comments Off

Jan 062011

I want to start a new series of posts showcasing some sites that I feel are excellent and deserving of attention. These sites embody or showcase the same spirit that drives this website – that of providing information, camaraderie, and inspiration for those of us who see it as our mission to be good dads for our little ones.

It’s a boy!

To Be A Good Dad 2 Responses »

Dec 282010

OK, it’s confirmed. It’s a boy!!! The amnio tests have come back and the little guy is healthy, and the genetic tests have confirmed what the ultrasounds have been hinting – it’s a dude!

It’s both exhilarating – it’s gonna be a little Kieun Jr. – and scary – again, it’s gonna be a little Kieun Junior!! I just hope I can truly live up to what the title of this website says and really be a good dad to this little guy.

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