NEW FATHERS ENJOY FIRST DAD'S DAY

Just five days old, Bailey snuggled into her father's arms, content as dad, Arden Koyle, talked about his new baby daughter.

Koyle a first time father as of June 11 fairly beams with pride about his baby. He seems a natural, confident as he handles the tiny girl in a pink dress.

"I'm still a little nervous," he said, pausing to coo at Bailey and straighten her ruffles. "I never thought I'd feel this way."

Today, his first official Father's Day, Koyle is working. But Bailey and her mother, Tracy, are planning a visit.

Koyle works at Southeast Missouri Hospital's emergency room. Tracy Koyle is a security guard at the hospital.

"Families have changed," Koyle said. "There are more two-income families and mom is not home all the time."

Fathers, he said, are forced to participate in parenting not that Koyle is complaining.

He's not alone.

Jeff Wendel's son Logan, born June 5, already owns a fishing pole, a baseball bat and a golf club.

A sportsman himself, Wendel, 26, said: "I want to get him started early."

Wendel, who works at Outdoor Sports Center, believes sharing sports will be an important way to be close to his son, something he believes is important.

"If my wife will let me, I plan to take him fishing a lot," he said.

Fatherhood started early for Wendel as he attended Lamaze classes with his wife. "I didn't really care about going to those classes, but I knew I needed to."

He needed to attend because Wendel really wanted to be in the delivery room.

"I wanted to see what was going on. And this might be the only time I get a chance," Wendel said. "I was pretty excited that it was a son. I was expecting a daughter."

Wendel admits he doesn't volunteer for dirty diaper duty, but he's changed his share. He's not fond of getting up in the middle of the night either. But even if he doesn't get up with the baby, Wendel says he can't sleep while Logan cries.

"I think it's good for fathers to be involved," Wendel said. "It makes me feel like I had a little more to do with it than I actually did.

"And it lets you know what the women go through." But he confided, "I don't think it's as bad as they have made it out."

Sandy, admitting secretary at Southeast Missouri Hospital, says her husband has turned out to be a good father. "He's doing a really good job. Jeff's been really patient with him. He really warmed up to him. I thought he might not.

"He was really happy it was a boy," she said. "He definitely wants a sports baby. He can't wait to play ball and go fishing."

That sounds okay to Sandy.

Psychologists talk about "New Fatherhood," whose adherents universally ascribe to the following adage: When a man is dying, he never says, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office."

The new dad is the one with a toddler at the playground, or standing up at the PTA meeting, or rolling Junior through the aisles of the supermarket. He's the one who misses days at work because a child is home sick; who dashes out the office door at the digital crack of 5 to make it to the day care center on time.

Redbook magazine recently conducted a random, national telephone poll of 420 fathers, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percent:

- 96 percent said they changed their babies' diapers. Two thirds of them thought their own fathers had skipped diaper duty.

- 86 percent took their children to the doctor. Only half as many thought their fathers had done so.

- 75 percent had left work to take care of their kids. Fewer than one-quarter thought their dads had done that.

And nearly seven out of 10 of the modern dads said they'd like the opportunity to stay home and care for their children while their wives worked. The pollsters didn't bother to ask about the previous generation. The question simply wouldn't apply.

"In reality," said the pollster, Ethel Klein, "we haven't asked men these questions. Nobody ever thought about it."

Plenty of people are thinking about it now.

Koyle doubts that his own father did much diapering, but that didn't stop him.

"She doesn't respond the same way to Tracy as she does with me," he said. But he is undaunted.

Koyle too is a pro at changing diapers and comforting a sometimes fussy newborn. "She's pretty easy to get along with," he said.

In Koyle's future he envisions tiny tea parties and dressing dolls. He'll introduce her to video games and archaeology.

Little Bailey may have her work cut out when she becomes a teenager.

"What! She has to leave the house?" Koyle said. "Well maybe when she has graduated from college we'll let her go out, but only if one of us are along."

Koyle had a few days off work after Bailey was born. Returning to work was tough. "All the time I was there, I kept feeling I should be home."

When Tracy Koyle returns to work, the couple hope to work opposite shifts to limit day care.

That means Koyle will spend lots of time alone with the baby.

"I'm looking forward to it. Mom won't be around fussing at us," he joked. "We'll be just fine."

Tracy smiles as she watches her daughter and husband. "I figure she will be a little daddy's girl."

(Some information provided by the Associated Press)