# I'm almost an uncle! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 8, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979 "2002-07-08T23:34:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979/1 "2002-07-08T23:34:26Z")
I’m almost an uncle! I’m almost an uncle! I’m almost an uncle! My sister in law just went to the hospital. Actually, I just got an IM - hooray for technology - from my dad, who said they themselves were on their way, so presumably the mama to be is there already. Oh boy oh boy oh boy Why am I not there, you ask? Well, I’m 4 hours away, that’s why 🙂 But I’ve never been an uncle before! What do I have to know? [Funny thing is, my one brother is 15 years younger than I am, so when he was a toddlin’ dude it was almost like having a baby of my own!] … … waits for news … ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979/2 "2002-07-09T01:30:07Z")
Guess I should put coffee on for myself! Not sure how long it’ll be. My guess is that labors can be tricky to predict - some are short and some are lonnnnnnnng, right? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979/3 "2002-07-09T01:58:29Z")
Just calm down there, you’re gonna be fine. In the meantime you can take in a [little light reading](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=123447&highlight=dantheman) I posted this right in the middle of the blowhard debacle. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979/4 "2002-07-09T02:22:57Z")
Well, zoinks! I didn’t know you posted that! 🙂 Thanks!! Annnnnnnnnnd to get back to the OP, they gave her medication to speed it along. Hope it’s not a long labor for her, poor thing. ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979/5 "2002-07-09T11:03:25Z")
Eleven and a half hours. Any news? Are you an Aunt or an Uncle? ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979/6 "2002-07-09T11:16:31Z")
Heh… Uncle. I got the call around 5:30 am, Eastern time. She had gone to the hospital at 7:30 last night. Baby boy was born at 3:57 am! That’s 8 and a half hours later. The poor thing. My mom was sketchy on details - they were driving home from the hospital - but she said everyone’s doing fine. I’m sure they have a name picked out, but at 5:30 am, we weren’t gonna have much of a conversation. I’ll find out soon. She said they hadn’t weighed the baby just yet - “they’re cleaning her up still” - but I’ll get that info soon, too. So there you have it. Yep, an uncle. Someone to spoil and then face no consequences! ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979/7 "2002-07-09T11:31:03Z")
Congratulations! I became an uncle a few times. 10 hours in the waiting room, just me, my mother’s boyfriend and my grandmother. Boringerst 10 hours of my life, but then that little I got to hold that little cutie. And now I’m “Oncu Ti.” Being an uncle is cool, you get all the fun of spoiling the child (like grandparents) but with a much smaller chance of being asked to sit for them or change diapers. Of course the real fun wont come for another 10 or 13 years when you get to tell all the crazy things your sister did before he was born. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979/8 "2002-07-09T11:38:17Z")
Congrats, **dantheman**! I recently became an uncle (my sister **Green Bean** had a baby boy two months ago) and it’s really great. It’s so much fun to have the little peanut to play with. And changing him isn’t too bad, actually. Just be careful if they try to serve you [pancakes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=124487). :eek: ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979/9 "2002-07-09T13:18:01Z")
Well here’s the interesting part. I have a brother who is 15 years my junior. When **he** was in diapers, I was old enough to do the changing. So I’m unfortunately somewhat experienced in that avenue. The good news is that I live far enough away that I won’t be counted on to babysit! I’m going up there this weekend. Was gonna be a birthday thing for me, but I suspect this is at least a little more important 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979/10 "2002-07-09T16:20:27Z")
Just some stats - Baby is 7 pounds, 4 ounces; 19.75 inches. Black hair, brown eyes (though my mom says, “But he had his cap on, and his eyes were closed, so…”) Named after my dad, both first and middle names. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979/11 "2002-07-14T15:43:54Z")
Well, just to update - I finally got to hold the lil nipper. Man, they’re small. How do they get so small? 😉 Anyway, didn’t cry or scream much at all, though he sneezed a few times. He’s on house arrest (heh) for a little while, because he’s susceptible to bacteria and whatnot. Good thing we weren’t sick when we visited, huh? Anyone want a pic of the lil thang, please email me 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979/12 "2002-07-14T21:02:18Z")
The most important thing now, is to pick out his future SDMB username. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-almost-an-uncle/117979/13 "2002-07-15T01:37:27Z")
Well, let’s see. How about **crapstoomuch**? Almost a Monty Python ring to it…