5. Soothing Your Crying Newborn
For your newborn, life on the outside can be tough going at times, and she’ll cry to let you know that she needs comforting.
First, you should check if your baby is hungry, wet, or otherwise uncomfortable. If none of these apply and your baby still cries, lift her up against your shoulder, supporting her head with one hand. Gently sway from side to side and talk to her softly with the same warm, reassuring gibberish you previously reserved for scratching your dog’s tummy, such as “There’s a foogy-woogy wittle num-num noogy.” Don’t try to memorize this phrase; just say what comes naturally. These are your parenting instincts at work.

6. Taking Baby’s temperature
If you think your baby might be sick, it’s a good idea to take his temperature. Unfortunately, the most accurate way to do this is with a rectal thermometer. Because this method is invasive and can be uncomfortable for the child, I recommend this technique for taking your baby’s rectal temperature: Get mom to do it.
If this isn’t possible, take a rectal thermometer and dab a little petroleum jelly on the tip. Undress baby below the waist and lay him tummy-side down in his crib. Keep one of your hands on his lower back and insert the thermometer one- half to one inch into his rectum. After two minutes, withdraw the thermometer and read. If it’s over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), call your pediatrician. If it’s OK, wipe your brow and tell your wife it’s her turn next time.

7. Entertaining Your Baby
Bonding with your newborn is the time for getting in touch with your inner goof- ball. Your baby spends her waking hours learning about the world around her, and one way she learns is through play. So spend these times interacting play- fully with your baby: Read to her, sing her songs in a soft voice, dance her gently around the room, hold a toy for her to focus on, talk to her in funny voices, make silly faces—and have fun while doing it. The livelier and sillier you are, the more you will stimulate your baby’s thought processes, such as, “What a weirdo. Where’s the one with the milk?”

8. Putting Baby to bed
If you’re one of the lucky ones, your baby will want to sleep from time to time. When you put him to bed, make sure his clothing fits snugly and that the sheet fits tightly across the crib mattress. Keep toys and stuffed animals out of the crib. And always, always put baby to sleep on his back, no matter what his grandma says.
Swaddling your baby before bed helps him feel calm and secure, and that helps him sleep. Unfortunately, if the delivery nurse didn’t teach you how to swaddle, you’re probably a lost cause. I could tell you, but it would take too long, and being a visual creature, you won’t learn it from printed words anyway. You probably aren’t even reading this anymore. Your wife is probably the only one reading it, looking for some insight into the way new dads think…and she’s getting very depressed.
You’ll be fine!
Now go forth, new dad, and set about raising your little one. You’ll never do anything as exhausting or humbling, but you’ll never do anything as important, either. And as your confidence grows, and you and your baby fall into a com- fortable rhythm, sharing all the setbacks and triumphs of growing together as only a daddy and his baby can, you’re very likely to hear these six little words: “I want to have another baby.”