Sep 12, 2022
This week we reach back into the Good Dads archives to bring you
this conversation with Josh Fanning, who was a new dad at the time.
Originally recorded in September 2022, Josh came to the studio to
join us in a wide-ranging conversation about being a dad to an
observant and curious 11-month old. From baby-proofing the house
and bath time to teething pain and bottle difficulties, Josh shares
the joys and challenges that come with a baby born with a cleft
palate.
Our Guest: Josh Fanning
Josh Fanning is an Ozarks native and a father to Benjamin, who was born in 2021. Josh works in installation and service work with Dyke Lumber, a Springfield business and lumber and hardware supplier. He and his wife, Natalie, had a second baby on the way at the time of recording.
Show Notes
- (2:26) Benjamin is on the move. He's at that stage (when) you
can't take your eyes off him. He can crawl fast!
- (4:06) My life is a lot more regimented now. We try to adhere
to a schedule ... For the most part, I come home from work, and
instantly Benjamin's face light's up, he's so happy to see me. That
makes my heart smile. I pick him up and play with him. Then it's
dinnertime, and then bath time is like our special bonding time. I
always give him his baths; that's our special father-son time.
- (8:26) His teething kind of comes in waves ...
Recently in the past 2-3 weeks, his top teeth have been coming in
... And for some reason it only seems to bother him during bedtime
... we'll go all day long, and he'll be fine. And then at bedtime,
he's like, "I'm in pain now—it hurts." It's hard to deal with.
- (11:58) Benjamin was born with a cleft palate, so he is missing
the soft tissue in the roof of his mouth ... it's very hard. We
have to have him off the bottle, and he can't put anything in his
mouth, so we have to skip the sippy cup. We have to go straight to
drinking from a glass.
- (14:26) Other than the initial ultrasounds, my wife and I
really wanted it to be a surprise. We didn't even know the gender
until he came out.
- (16:51) My advice would be: Listen to your wife!
Resources
Sign up for our newsletter and never miss a podcast!