As you have probably guessed, there are plenty of things you will need to buy in the coming months. While you, or more likely your partner, may be anxious to do some shopping for the baby's nursery as soon as you find out that a baby is on the way, you should refrain from making any purchases until the 5th or 6th month.

While we say it with relative ease in most areas of our lives – “No, we don’t have a position available at this time,” “No, this is not a good time for me to talk,” and “No, I don’t want to go to the gym,” – when it comes to our kids, the word just doesn’t roll off the tongue with as much ease. Paula Spencer, the author of “Momfidence: An Oreo Never Killed Anyone and Other Secrets of Happier Parenting” (Three Rivers, 2006), says learning to say the two-letter word with gusto is easier than you might think.

IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY...We drive long distances, we live in busy cities, we walk around at night, we fly all over the world...

The reality is that we do not live in a particularly safe world. I always knew that, but (possibly due to my naïveté and belief that we were all invincible) I never gave much thought to how the whole safety issue. That said, I am much more safety conscious now that I am a parent.

So, you're a new father or father-to-be.  Let's take as a premise that you are ready and willing to be a father, or at least you think you are. You've resigned yourself to spending way less time out with the boys, putting in less time at the office (and gym and anywhere else you spend time regularly), and following sports with considerably less interest. You think you've prepared yourself, right? Before you cash that check, you're going to need to address the three biggest lifestyle changes that a new father must deal with: forgetting traditional gender roles, losing your self-consciousness, and relating to your baby.

With each day, your partner's belly gets larger and your baby continues to grow... that means that the clock is ticking.  Take advantage of this time to romance each other and relish in the fact that it's just the two of you.  After the baby arrives, life will be a little (a lot) hectic and romance (including sex) will be the last thing on your mind.