Because of all who donated, growing the mo paid off. This little ‘stache that could, rounded up $280 for the Movember Foundation. Our team of extraordinary dads managed to raise a brow-raising $19,000 for Movember. Philips Norelco caught wind of our efforts and sent us all some of their shaving arsenal to clean up our faces. For free. In addition, they committed to donating $15,000 to the Movember Foundation on top of our $19,000. In return, us dads had to make a video using their gear to shave our ‘stache.

Enter my first father and son face shaving experience, featuring Philips Norelco’s SensoTouch 3D.

I’m a big fan of electric shavers because they’re easy to use and I can use them wet or dry. The SensoTouch 3D felt like a Ferrari in my hands. The thing glided across my face with ease and it was a lot quieter than my current shaver. When I dropped the shaver into the cleaner base, it did this song and dance where it dipped the SensoTouch 3D into it’s cleaning solution like the hood of Skywalker’s X-Wing fighter closing over his head. All I can say is I can’t wait to use it again—in a week. That’s how long it’ll take for the ‘stache to start breaking skin again. I also received the Vacuum Stubble and Beard Trimmer, but my minor league ‘stache was way out of it’s league.

Check out Philip Norelco’s holiday reabate for the SensoTouch 3D here. Be sure to check out all the dad’s Stache-tacular shaving videos while you’re at it.

All in all, it was a good month. The dads raised money for prostate cancer research like a boss and we scored on some high end shaving equipment. The only thing I’m going to do different next year is start growing my Movember ‘stache in October.

Please note that Philips Norelco provided me with the SensoTouch 3D and The Vacuum Stubble and Beard Trimmer for free. The opinons stated in this blog post are my own.

Well, it’s time to shed a few tears and say goodbye to Movember and my little moustache. Thank you to everyone who donated to the Movember Foundation in behalf of the Dad 2.0 Team and in behalf of me. Here’s the top 5 things people said to me this month.

5. Extra napkins for your ‘stache?
4. Looks like an angry Manny Pacquiao moustache.
3. Is that for real?
2. Heinous, but ballsy.

And of course,
1. What moustache?

But it’s not over yet. Phillips Norelco has donated some of their top end shaving equipment to our team of dads and is also graciously donating $15,000 to Movember, in behalf of our team, and on top of the roughly $17,000 our team has collected in donations thus far. Stay tuned for some “Stashe-tacular Shave Off” videos for our team of dads.

WAIT!

My hope is that this moustache will be as legendary as the Loch Ness Monster.

Few will ever see it.

Many will hear about it.

Everyone will help it raise money for cancer research.

Save the prostates: http://mobro.co/mylifeasadad.

The Movember Foundation is sponsored by The Prostate Cancer Foundation and Livestrong.

I am 35 years old and I lack the genetics to grow substantial facial hair. Manhood’s right of passage never stared back at me through the mirror. Over the years, this absence of facial hair has left a mark on my character. I like to call it beard envy. Perhaps I should be thankful. It is possible that the ability to look years younger than my age was the trade off. Or maybe that’s just what mothers like to tell their grown children.

Something that I should be thankful for however, is fatherhood, and all of it’s duties. It’s the war wounds of fatherhood that have become my only hope to slice wrinkles on my face, beat my hair gray, and even muscle some hair above my lip. I believe these wounds are starting to show.

With this, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. And it’s motivating me to participate in Movember, a campaign to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer research and other cancers that affect men, by requiring participants to grow a moustache during the month of  November, also known as “Movember”. I may not be able to grow a moustache well, but I’ll grow it this month, and I’ll do it with a lot of heart. Prostate cancer affects every 1 in 6 men. I’m sure you’re likely to know of someone who has or had prostate cancer. The extraordinary league of dads that I’ve teamed up with and I encourage you to donate to Movember. Do so in support of men with prostate cancer, men with other cancers, and men’s health in general. You all know as well as I do that we hate going to the doctor.

In the meantime, I’ll post photos of my sweet ‘stache’s progress, or maybe just photoshopped photos, because it’s funnier. But on November 30th, I promise to reveal whatever my measly moustache has become. One thing is for certain, any amount of money I might raise, is destined to be more impressive than the moustache I can grow.

While eating lunch this weekend, we were surrounded by walls of high definition flat panel televisions, each one playing a different sport, from basketball to skateboarding. It was the man cave of all man caves. Perhaps it was only fitting that Des, who focused his attention on one of the smallest televisions, the furthest one from our table, pointed his finger and said a word he’s never uttered before. “Bayball!”

It’s coming. Believe it. Fear it.

At our recent baby shower, dear friends, Steve and Sophia, were clever enough to ask our guests to share their own parental advice with us, the expecting parents. During the shower I had no idea this was happening, but that night I found a bounded book with the word baby on it. Inside contained the sincere, collected words of our guests. While reading, it made me laugh. Here’s a few of my favorites, with added commentary.

Mom – Trust your daughter. Remember you were young once too.
This is also the reason not to trust our daughter.

Dad – No cell phones until they’re 15 years old.
Will cell phones even be around in 15 years? Maybe flying cell phones.

Mom – Eat lots of yummy food and laugh as much as possible.
This shouldn’t be too hard.

Dad – Make lots of cookies and don’t worry about who your daughter will date.
Making cookies is easy but I started worrying about who my daughter would date when I was 10 years old. However, eating cookies might help me deal with the worry.

Mom – Let daddy take the kids and you go on a play date once in a while.
I agree, this is good ad…wait, a play date with who?

Dad – Don’t stay in the bathroom playing Angry Birds for too long.
Ah yes. The bathroom has become my man cave and the only source of alone time. But you are right, prolonged Angry Bird sessions in my man cave will result in hemorrhoids.

Mom – Alone time! Get a facial, massage, go shopping, take a nap. Call me!
Yes, I agree.

Dad – Remember always that no matter how awesome you are at taking care of the kids/laundry/meals/cleaning/etc., one complaint about how much work it is will turn you from a prince to a jerk. Also, this rule does NOT apply to women, especially pregnant or nursing ones. Don’t ever forget both parts to this.
Amen.  As an awesome dad, I can attest to this. These holy words from the book of dad would look amazing written over a photo of footprints in the sand.

Mom – Pick your battles. It’s just easier that way.
Better husbands around the world have adopted this philosophy into their marriage for many, many years.

Dad – Learn to braid hair.
I see many hats in my daughter’s future. Berets, beanies, trucker hats.

Mom – Please be patient with Vince’s magazines piling up in the bathroom.
Really you can throw those out now. Seriously. Except for that one. Oh, and that one.

Dad – Don’t forget to give her a nice kiss at the end of the day, even if it’s a hectic day at work.
I believe, this right here, is a serious marriage saver.

Mom – You can’t spoil your little girl enough.
Uh oh.

Dad – Get your shotgun.
Uh oh.

Mom – Don’t forget about YOU.
Check.

Dad – Don’t forget the camera.
Check.

Mom -

Kill your television.

Dad – Create a sitcom named “Shit that Vincent says…”
You’ll be the first person I thank, during my Emmy acceptance speech.

Mom – Raise her the way your parents raised you. You turned out awesome!
This is true, she’s Mrs. Awesome.

Dad – Get your shotgun ready, she’ll be a cutie!
You hear that future boyfriend? Shot. Gun.

Mom – NO MORE KIDS.
Stating the obvious here.

Dad – Hurry up with the food!
Good things come to those who wait. Good things.

Mom – Stop being organic.
This was from my mother-in-law. Did I ever tell you how much she loves to change Desmond’s cloth diapers?

Dad – See mommy’s advice above.
And I’m getting more cloth diapers for baby girl. In pink.

Please. Allow me to blow the dust off this blog and share some of My Life As A Dad’s “must-haves” for fatherhood. For those who might not know, Diana and I are expecting our second child in April. I am by no means a veteran parent, but I’d like to believe I have a good grasp on what to expect when fathering a new baby.  Humor me for a moment while I gather and share some of the dad gear I hold in high regard.

Before I begin, let’s admire the patina that has accumulated on these most treasured parental must-haves. If the signs of age can only indicate one thing, it’s the wise lessons I’ve learned. For example; the spit up stains on my Ergo baby carrier—a reminder that strapping on a baby for a vigorous walk during a post-fed/pre-burped state, yields similar results to driving drunk friends through the mountains at 80mph.

Now without further adieu, the must-haves list.

Ergo Baby Carrier
The aforementioned Ergo baby carrier allows me to experience many interesting situations. The most interesting, is the Ergo’s ability to demonstrate what it’s like to be pregnant. Bumping a baby bump into tables, losing sight of one’s feet, an aching back, and shortness of breath, are all things Diana encounters while pregnant, and likewise, things that I experience with the Ergo. It’s also something I can’t imagine fathering a baby without. The Ergo helps create dad and baby bonding time. In addition, having both hands free to cook or eat, and the ability to walk through crowds without a stroller is very liberating. I do have some words of caution, however. While bouncing your baby to sleep with the Ergo in a public setting, be aware that from behind, it looks like you’re pleasuring yourself.

Bum Genius Cloth Diapers
I won’t go into detail as to why we cloth diaper because the reasons are obvious. If you’re really bored, you can read more about how to do it here. All I’ll say is this: If wiping your own ass and washing your own underwear doesn’t bother you, then cloth diapering your baby is a walk in the park.

Fjällräven Kanken Backpack
I’m a firm believer that many European products, like European cars, are far superior to anything else. For me, backpacks fall into this category. There is nothing more satisfying than having a backpack with Swedish words printed on the label. It’s like telling the world, “I definitely did not buy this backpack at Walmart.” Which sometimes can be mistaken for “I’m an asshole and I paid way too much for this backpack.”  In any case, The Fjällräven Kanken is über sturdy, fits most of the stuff on this must-have list, and has thin straps, which works well when paired with the larger padded straps of the Ergo baby carrier.

Orbit Stroller Infant System
If I didn’t know any better, I’d assume this stroller was designed in Europe because of how awesome it is. It’s actually designed in these United States. The Orbit is perhaps the most expensive piece of baby equipment that we own. It’s the only splurge that I, to this day, have financial qualms about. But what’s done is done, and that saying, “you get what you pay for” applies ten-fold here. If our baby son wasn’t sleeping on my chest in the Ergo, he would be sound alseep in the Orbit. We could put the Orbit’s infant carrier on the car base, go for a drive, pop it onto the stroller base, and push our son through the zoo, without him ever waking. Knowing that we can relive this scenerio all over again with baby girl has me feeling a little better about the purchase. Knowing that this stroller is built so well it could take on a stampede of angry elephants escaping the zoo, helps too.

Cuisinart Hand Blender
This one should be self-explanatory. At around 6 months, your baby will want to eat things other than breast milk or formula. Steam a variety of vegetables and fruits. Purée with the Cuisinart Hand Blender. Let cool. Feed baby. Simple right? Now, if you’re feeding your baby processed food from a jar, then you should be feeding yourself processed food from a jar.

Baby Cubes Food Storage
These come in handy for freezing the puréed vegetables and fruits. Take a few cubes for the road and they should defrost by the time baby is hungry. If they’re still frozen, carry hot water with you in a Thermos Stainless King Compact Bottle.

Thermos Stainless King Compact Bottle
One of these will keep water hot for most of the day. Pour a little hot water in a container with a frozen food purée cube, stir, and everything is golden.

Lumix GF1
It’s not always practical to carry a DSLR hand cannon of a camera while a baby is in tow. The Lumix GF1, a micro four-thirds camera, can do what a DSLR can do in 1/4 of the size. As with most other post 2009 digital cameras, it also shoots HD video. The downside to having the GF1 is that others will constantly ask what kind of camera you use to take your amazing photos with.

iPhone
There’s this neat little company out of Cupertino, CA that makes user friendly electronic products and well, seriously, any type of HTC iDroid Googleberry phone will do. These here smart phones can play all sorts of baby friendly music and movies in a pinch. Use it to grab baby’s attention while you change their diaper, for example. If you side with the “no TV for baby” camp, then forget what you just read.

Jack Johnson En Concert
Through the years, my love for Jack Johnson has surprisingly come full circle. It went from going to Lou’s Records to see him perform intimate acoustic sets, to vowing to never again listen to his played out, lack of “indie music cred” albums, to writing him love letters for being the only person who could calm our endlessly crying baby. Put this album on your Googleberry iPod, whether you love him, used to love him and now can’t stand him, or just never cared for him period. You’ll thank me later.

Exercise Ball
Listen, my rock hard flabs don’t happen by accident. It takes dedication. Which apparently has nothing to do with an exercise ball. In our house, this ball works as a baby sleeping sphere. Cradling baby and bouncing on the ball in a sitting position recreates the movements that baby remembers from mama’s womb, thus putting baby to sleep.

There you have it, My Life As A Dad’s must-have list for new dads and born again new dads. It should serve as some use while you navigate your way through new found fatherhood.