You're Going to Be A Dad

So, you've just found out that you're going to be a dad.  My life altering surprise came on Christmas day.  I spend a full minute stuck on the repeating track, "Really?  You're serious? Are you sure? Wow.  You're really serious?"  No matter whether you were trying or not, you're never fully prepared for the news.  For me, I was ecstatic for the whole day.  We're going to have a baby.  I get to have one of those sweet, precious little babies for my very own.  I can hold it for as long as I want.  I get to rock it and sing to it and never let go.

Looking back I may have been thinking of a puppy instead of a baby.  But you get the idea that I was excited.  I too, had heard it said that when you find out you’re expecting that it is like no other feeling in the world.  Normally I don't put much stock in those kinds of sayings, but this time it did ring true for me.  It’s almost unnatural how happy and excited I was.

The next morning though, I woke at 4:30 in morning in a dry sweat with the same thought. "We're having a baby."  Oh man, how are we going to afford a baby?  Who will we get to watch the kid while we're at work, or should my wife quit and stay at home?  How can we manage it financially if my wife does quit?  With the rising costs of child care, how can we afford to pay for daycare even if my wife did keep working?  And that's not even the half of it.  What about clothes and food and diapers ... 

The list goes on and on. 

Well I had just calmed down from that little panic attack, when next came the homework.  Now, I don't have a problem with a little reading or research from time to time, but the list of books my wife starts putting together looked like the reading list for a law student.  And those books aren't small either.  They’re big books with tiny print and few pictures and the pictures they do have aren’t necessarily anything you want to look at for very long or very often.  In all the books my wife found, I didn't see any books for Dads  There was no Easy Baby 1, 2, 3, for Dads, or a much more necessary volume, The Guy's Survival Guide for a Pregnant Wife.   Because lets be honest, as much as it interesting to know what's going on with your baby this week, it would much more helpful to know what kind of mood our wives are going to be in this week. I mean, we've all heard the horror stories of the emotional roller coaster that our lovely ladies are now on.  And we're handcuffed to them for the whole ride.

So in lieu of the lack of Dad help guides out there, I am starting this blog for other new fathers out there.  I'm not going to claim to be an expert.  There are no capital letters after my name.  I'm just a regular guy on a journey to parenthood.  If you're feeling lost or overwhelmed, and are just looking for someone who is going through the same things you are, my hope is that I can be of help to you.

Everybody’s situation is different.  We all have different wives, lives, and babies, so I can't guarantee that everything that happens to me will be applicable to you.  But I do make these pledges to you.

1. I will always be informative - Each post will have something that will hopefully be of help to you and your family. Whatever tidbits, facts and good to know info that I come a crossed or learn, I will do my best to past it on to you. And if there is something that you've learned, you're more than welcome to return the favor.

2. I will always be short - I'm a guy.  I don't have the time or desire to read through a long drawn out tail of someone else life.  So I will strive for that balance of imparting the important facts with real world examples.

 

3. I will keep it enjoyable - I love humor and having a good laugh to brighten my day, so I will always try to keep my posts enjoyable to read.  Now, some of the topics that come up might be more on the serious side, so you may not get a laugh every time.  But I will try to make sure you won't be bored.

Well there it is.  You know my reasons for writing this blog and my promises to you, the reader.  The journey ahead of us is long, with some amazing highs and unbelievable lows. 

I don't know where this twist in the ride of life will take us now, but hang on tight, because this is only the beginning and it's going to be like nothing we’ve ever experienced before.