“Any day now,” my ob-gyn said two weeks before my due date of January 23, 2013. I was 4 centimeters dilated and 80 percent effaced, meaning I was going to meet my daughter soon. That day, I hugged my co-workers goodbye, organized the baby’s armoire for the 15th time, had my husband fuel up the car, and waited. My due date came and went -- nothing.

I continued the countdown for a few more days, crossing the 28th off the calendar, and went in for another checkup. My doctor looked perplexed. “I’m rarely wrong,” she said, eyeing my bump. “You shouldn’t go beyond a week and a half,” she added. “We may have to induce.” She gave me a few dates to choose from for an induction, but I was intent on going into labor naturally. I didn’t think my late delivery would go much longer. So I took my belly home and researched ways I could hurry things along: long walks, spicy food, pineapple juice. Check, check, check, but still nothing.

A few days later I came across another suggestion: eggplant parmigiana! I read about a restaurant in Georgia that has served this dish to more than 300 expectant mothers who reportedly gave birth within 48 hours. I was skeptical but decided to take a chance, if only to enjoy a nice lunch before my days of eating out were put on pause. Three hours later I felt a few twinges that slowly escalated into full-blown contractions. Coincidence?

I was in labor. Here we go, I thought. I called my husband at work, and he quickly reminded me of the old 5-1-1 rule (contractions should be 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute each for 1 hour). I sat on my couch and thought about all those women who had regaled me with stories about how they did the laundry or went to the movies while they were laboring. I couldn’t concentrate on anything else.

Around 10 p.m., the contractions were coming quickly -- 5-1-1 was in full effect -- so I met my ob-gyn at the hospital. But a quick check of my cervix revealed I wasn’t sufficiently dilated. My choices were simple: Go all the way home and labor some more, or stay in the hospital and be induced. I later discovered my doctor had scheduled me for an induction at 6 a.m. the next day, which meant there was a hospital bed waiting for me.

I still thought my baby would arrive before daybreak, so I decided to stay the night. It must have been quite cozy inside my belly because she didn’t budge on that cold winter’s night. The next morning I was induced and Eva made her fashionably late entrance into the world at 7:24 p.m. on February 1, 2013. We forgave her lack of punctuality as soon as we saw her beautiful little face.

Photo by Xavier Mouton Photographie on Unsplash

Personally, I believe you carry a child for 40 weeks, not just because the baby needs time to grow, but because you need every last bit of that time to come up with a name! My husband and I literally began searching baby names within hours of finding out I was expecting. And no sooner had we started, did we realize how challenging it would be.

I'd pick a baby name, he'd shut it down. He'd pick a name, and I'd remind him of the unpleasant things it rhymed with. We both used the "I went to school/worked with so-and-so" many times. So, when we were finally able to narrow it down, we were beyond thrilled.

At the time, we both wanted to stick with the same first letter for all of our future children's names (that didn't happen), so when we decided on our favorite boy name, Hayden, we immediately began searching the H's for our girl name. And when we found the name Hadley, we fell in love. As the months passed, and we found out we were having a girl, we couldn't have been more pleased with our decision -- Hadley it was.

When we learned we were expecting the second time, we honestly didn't think too much about baby names until the actual gender reveal. It was a boy, and we had already decided on Hayden three years earlier. Piece of cake, right? Nope -- three years later Hayden didn’t have quite the same ring to it. 

My husband and I decided we wanted to use a boy name that revolved around our alma mater, The Ohio State University Then, one night after coming home from a football game, it hit us: Tatum, after football star, Jack Tatum. Not only because my husband played the same position as him at OSU, but because his nickname was "The Assassin." And when I was expecting my dear son, I honestly thought he was going to kill me.

Though we second-guessed it right up until we filled out the paper work after he was born, I can't imagine him as anything other than our Tatum.

Are my names traditional? Not really. Did we have many naysayers with both of our children's name choices? Of course, but in the end, working with my husband to come up with the perfect monikers for our little ones made it all worth it.

Photo by Melisa Figueroa on Unsplash

When I became a father for the second time, I was more confident, less anxious -- but definitely not any less excited. I love having two boys to play with and think they’re the best buds ever. Having two kids has changed my life, and not only my day-to-day duties, but also my overall wants and needs.

While it would be nice to have two me’s to get twice as much done, here are a few realistic gifts for a dads with two kids or more:

Photos: The first baby tends to be the parental-paparazzi magnet. With two kids, I find myself changing diapers more often than reaching for a camera. And now I’m missing twice the firsts, funny faces, and smiles while away at work. Pictures and videos keep me connected to my boys, and are also something I can hold onto for when the boys grow up -- a gift that keeps giving.

Babysitting time: One of the best gifts I ever received was a weekend from my mother-in-law. She took the boys, and I took my wife camping. With two young boys, life has become all about routine. Breaking that routine and spending quality time with my wife is one of the best gifts a dad can ask for.

If your children are anything like my boys, watching the kids for a weekend is a large commitment. But even just a night or a few hours of babysitting is great. Finding a sitter can be tough. And last minute dinner plans don’t tend to work out for second-time dads. Offering to babysit not only saves us the hassle of finding a sitter, it also reminds us to take some time for ourselves.  

Toys and games for all: It’s always amazing watching the boys play, but even more so with others. Toys and games that we can all play together would be a great gift. With my boys, playing tends to be less about the rules and more about what can you throw, imagine, and build. Soft toys we can throw around the yard, big floor puzzles, and other all-inclusive toys and games would make great gifts for dads who now have two buddies to play with.

Video streaming subscription: Getting two boys to sit still isn’t the easiest task in the world -- especially when there are toy cars to be driven! My wife and I always have a movie or TV show at the ready when we need the boys to be in a calmer state, like when we need to get the laundry done. A little video distraction (and a variety a subscription offers) can help a second-time parent get small tasks done. And it’s nice to watch the shows with our kids sometimes, too!

Any father would be lucky to be gifted with one of these dad-approved ideas, that being said, the best gift of all has been being able to be a dad to my boys!

When I was pregnant, we decided to leave the sex of our babies a surprise -- that’s right, I said babies, as in more than one! My husband and I were expecting twins! My birth story was one I will never forget. I found out a couple days before my delivery day that both babies were breech. That meant, that a C-section was a must, so my doctors scheduled one for December 26, 2012.

I was on bed rest for three weeks prior to my delivery. Really, the only time I was allowed to get up each day was to go to the bathroom. Thank goodness it was close to Christmas and lots of holiday movies were on television. On December 18^th, I had an appointment to see how the babies were doing. My doctor checked me out and told me I was dilated 6 cm. She left to call the high-risk doctor we had been seeing for the twins, too.

I was thinking, “I bet we are having a C-section in a day or two.” My doctor walked back in the room and said these words, “We are going to have a birthday party at 7:30 tonight!” I was so shocked -- and excited!

Everything went pretty fast from that point forward. I remember thinking this date was going to be their birthday! Ready or not, this was it; I would be delivering twins tonight! When my husband arrived at the hospital with our bags, I thought, “This is real!” He had such an excited look on his face and I was at ease knowing he was there with me.

Pretty quickly, our family started showing up. The nurses and doctor prepped me and explained what was going to happen, all while monitoring the babies. I kept looking at the monitors, praying that the babies were healthy, strong, and ready to be born four weeks early.

In the operating room, it was freezing and kind of scary, everything was so stark white. However, I loved my doctor and knew I was in good hands. Soon enough, the surgery began, and I just kept looking at my husband wondering what was going on behind the sheet. All of a sudden they said, “Here is the first one…it’s a girl!” Oh my gosh, I thought, a girl! Wow! A minute later, which felt like forever, they said, “It’s another girl!” I was shocked and so was my husband! Not knowing for eight months and then we knew -- two girls! How amazing and blessed we are! Both girls were healthy and beautiful. From that day on, our lives have been the best they could ever be.

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My daughter Paloma’s first hours on earth were obviously filled with a lot of baby milestones. First breath, first cry, first feeding.

But I never anticipated that her first hand-grasp would come less than an hour after she was born.

Yet, when the nurse went to listen to her heartbeat, Paloma reached out and grabbed onto the stethoscope with her baby hand, refusing to let go. The nurse was surprised not only at our new baby’s hand-eye coordination, but at the strength of Paloma’s grasp. Turns out, her first baby milestones were coming fast and swift!

The nurse went on to tell us that Paloma’s firm grip -- one of the first steps in her long list of growing baby developments -- was a sign of her intelligence. Looking back, I’m guessing she probably says that about every newborn, but at that moment, my husband and I absolutely believed her. Whatever nice thing someone says about your baby right after she’s born, you are 100 percent the proud parent.

But for me, that hand-grasp was more than just a baby milestone; it’s a moment I remember, because it really showed Paloma’s personality -- a personality that, as a mother, I had already experienced. Even in utero, I felt that she was a really feisty baby. She was very stubborn and very aware of what she wanted. Her strong baby hand grabbing the stethoscope was the perfect illustration of that: Paloma was not just going to lie there helplessly while someone put a cold, metal stethoscope on her chest. She stopped it. Even though she was brand new to this world, I remember thinking “of course Paloma would do that.” I had this experience of knowing her before I ever met her, which was so special, and meant more to me than anything that had to do with baby development.

In theory, I suppose it could have just been a reflex or a fluke. But I don’t think that was the case. Paloma continued to demonstrate her strong grasp -- and oh so many more baby milestones -- from day one. Once my husband and I saw her grab the stethoscope, we’d hold out our fingers for her baby hand to squeeze. It’s not quite holding hands, but it was a wonderful way for us to bond with our baby right from the start.

Photo by Aditya Romansa on Unsplash