I've been very aware of several lately who have lost their babies during the pregnancy. My cousin's wife lost her baby well into the second trimester this past week. They were able to still deliver the baby boy so the family could hold him for a moment. I have seen great strength in that photo. Their attitude on this experience has been amazingly positive. They have a deep faith in God and know deep in their hearts that He is charge of and over all things. They are hurting and disappointed for sure, as are their young kids who were excited to have a baby brother, but they are coping very well. My point in bringing this up? Pregnancy does not go according to plans, hopes and desires all the time. Husbands need to take amazing care (for so many reasons, not just this),of their wife while pregnant. It's hard on the wife. Love them and take care of them! It doesn't just happen...you have to work at it all the time. So be sure you do! SNAPP

I was fortunate enough to be on studio 5 (KSL Channel 5 in Utah), this past Wednesday. It was a great experience where we discussed how a pregnant wife should be treated (here is the link to the segment, http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=54&sid=23258216 ). Brooke Walker, one of the show's hosts (she and Darin are awesome by the way), asked me when I had the aha moment, and I had to admit it was during our fifth pregnancy. Two things hit me at the same time when I answered her question: 1) Kimie has actually been pregnant six times, that never made it into the book. Kimie experienced a fetal demise during our third pregnancy. It's different than a miscarriage, but the baby, or fetus as they referred to it, didn't survive. We were actually at the doctor, with friends, because both couples were expecting and we were all finding out the gender of our babies. We were just into the second trimester and discovered at this appointment that the baby died. It was a tough situation. I can discuss that more at a later time. There is much to talk about there. 2) Some people think the book is perfect for couples who are experiencing their first pregnancy...and it certianly is useful for them. However, I find with the more you do anything, the more routine it comes and the more you take for granted. I took for granted that Kimie was quite used to being pregnant by time our fifth child was born. I never really consciously thought this, but it seemed like I expected everything to be automatic since my wife was "an old pro" at this kind of thing. I started digressing and that's when I realized I needed to step it back up. So, I started writing down things I had done in the past, both bad and good. I noted what other people were doing, both bad and good. Now it's a book, and honestly, my only hope is that it helps a little somewhere. Don't let routine kill common sense! SNAPP

I didn't put everything in my first book. There are two huge things I left out, one by pure accident. I will mention it sometime. The other because it is fairly personal, but may be of help at a later time to people. For now, I've had two friends' wives have babies in the past two weeks. One of them is a first time father, and the other just became father of his fourth child. The cool thing is the fourth time around for my friend seemed to be as exciting as his first. Be like him, don't ever allow it to feel like an old routine. You're not simply having another baby, it's a whole other life coming into your life. This baby, whether the first, second, fifth, tenth, or whatever, is a unique and needy being. That's exciting, so do it right each time! SNAPP

Sherry Hunter! You entered the drawing to win a free copy of my book, and your name has been randomly selected! Congratulations! Please leave a comment on this post saying you accept and I will arrange getting the book to you ASAP. This will not be the last opportunity to win a copy. Future blogs will be associated with other opportunities. SNAPP

As I said, I want to give away another free copy of How To Treat Your Pregnant Wife...A  Common-Sense Guide. Just complete the form below, completely, and submit. Contest ends on 10/19/2012. Good Luck!

New contest starting soon

Another book giveaway will be starting within the next couple days. In order to be eligilbe to win you will need to suscribe to and follow the blog. Check back on Friday, the 12th for details and to enter. The book I send to the winner will be one I actually purchased at a Deseret Book for this purpose. I will sign it, too, if the winner wants it that way.

For now, please check out an article that was forwarded to me. It ties in to what this is all about, but specifically to new fathers. I would be interested in your comments about the article as well. It is some confessions from various fathers, not necessarily new stuff, but stuff well worth thinking about:
http://glo.msn.com/relationships/daddy-confessions-real-men-share-their-parenting-highs-and-lows-8593.gallery

Don't forget to subscribe to and follow the blog... see you back here on Friday!

SNAPP

I am excited, humbled, thrilled, scared, hopeful, grateful, etc. for my book finally coming to fruition...today! It hasn't been over-night, it has been a long journey to this point. I will be blogging either once a week, or every two weeks about this book, starting today. My hope is that couples will read it together. I also hope it will lead to more guys simply treating their wives (especially while pregnant) kinder. They deserve it guys! Let's start a revolution!

Thank you Walnut Springs Press for taking a chance on me and this book. You are the right publisher for this, this is the right time, and I will be forever grateful!

You know somone who is pregnant! Maybe it's you, your sister, your wife, your friend's wife, your friend, your daughter, your daughter-in-law...but you know someone who is pregnant. Not only that, you may feel the man in that relationship could use some help with how he treats the one who is pregnant. That's why I'm here and why this blog exists, and that's why I wrote a book on the very subject that will be published by early August thanks to Walnut Springs Press (http://www.walnutspringspress.blogspot.com/)

Why would a man write a book and blog about how to treat his pregnant wife? Because after we realized my wife was pregnant, with our fifth child to be, I finally realized things I should have been doing, or at least doing more of all along...as well as plenty of things not to do nor say! I started keeping notes for myself to serve as reminders when it finally hit me one day that I couldn't be the only one who needed reminders. The bottom line is I wrote it because men need some simple tips and cues to help make pregnancy more enjoyable, or at least more bearable, for their wife. To that end, this blog also now exists and I will be building it up. Please check back for more tips as well as book information. Thank you for checking in!

SNAPP