The Longest Shortest Time

EPISODE #12: I’ve Got News

Tom Kecskemethy was at sea on his first major Navy deployment—a 24-year-old newlywed—when his wife Heidi told him all sing-songy over the phone, “I’ve got new-ews.” You see where this is going, yes? Tom didn’t. His mind was so far from children, he thought Heidi was going to tell him she’d bought a car. Today, 20 years later, Tom is an empty-nester with two daughters. In this episode we’ll hear what it was like for Tom to be away for most of his wife’s first pregnancy, to feel useless (and then empowered) during childbirth, and to eventually become an at-home dad.

*Tom’s wife, Heidi, is a pediatric dietitian. Her reading recommendation for families experiencing nutrition and eating struggles—from birth through adolescence—is Ellyn Satter’s How to Get Your Kid to Eat . . . But Not Too Much. I am reading the book now and will post about it soon. Heidi is also an expert reviewer for the pediatric health site KidsHealth. She highly recommends checking out the site, which has all kinds of resources for parents AND kids AND healthcare providers.