‘Are you ready?’ Is a question I’ve been asked over and over
about being a parent, and I’ve yet to find a perfect answer. Is there one? Are
you ever truly ready for a responsibility such as parenthood? For some reason I
remember being taught the importance of quadratic equations and who signed the Treaty of Versailles, but not
how to deal with a baby who cries all through the night or a teen that gets
bullied online? Things will never be the same once that baby is born, while
there will be many joys there is sure to also be many heartaches. Will handle
it all by pretending to know what I’m doing.
Truth is, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to be a husband, and
that has gone pretty well (most days). The rules of a happy wife are about the same
for a baby; keep them fed, in clean clothes and don’t wake them up while
sleeping. The major difference is, the child can’t ALWAYS be right, like the
wife is. I do need to start practicing to say ‘no,’ as I don’t think I’ve
uttered that word since getting married over three years ago. I’ve learned A
LOT in three years, and my education is about to be at least doubled.
One positive in my favor, towards ‘being ready,’ is having a
wife who is very organized. All the drawers and storage cubicles in the nursery
are labeled, her bag for the hospital is packed and the guest list for the baby’s
first birthday party is made out. She’s on top of everything. I must say that
Jessica has handled being pregnant with a high level of excellence, I shouldn’t
be surprised as that’s how it is with everything she does. I haven’t had to
make a single run to the store to fill any weird cravings and the moodiness has
been no different than usual. Ummm, let me rephrase that, she has been in great
spirits. From traveling to California to passing a kidney stone, and continuing
to work two jobs, I deeply admire how gracefully she has handled it all while
having a human life growing inside of her.
In a way, a case could be made that I’ve prepared to be a
stay at home dad for my entire life. I have the knowledge to teach the baby
about what time the mail comes, that Victor Newman can’t be trusted, and around
3 p.m. makes for a perfect nap time. In all seriousness, I will work harder
than I ever have towards anything to be a good father. Nothing will get in my
way, with the exception of an occasional Facebook post (let’s be real) to doing
whatever I can to best satisfy my daughter. My Netflix binge watching will be
tremendously slowed down (thankfully I finished ‘Breaking Bad’), but there will
be nothing greater than watching the development of our baby girl. Like with
any new job, I’m excited, yet also nervous. I’ve seen people who are far less
qualified than even me, be a parent, and they seem to manage, so I can too. The
pay might not be that great, but the benefits will be awesome.
Babies are a result of numerous circumstances, but ours is
blessed to have been made out of love. Our house was rather plain and simple
when we purchased it, but a lot has been added to it. Its value has greatly
increased. It’s comforting and adorned with pieces of our personalities,
beliefs, and values. On every wall, in every room, there’s either a photograph,
a verse, or some decorative item that represents our love. It’s a house filled
with love, and our baby will be the exact same way. We are also blessed to be
surrounded by so many whose love for us will extend unto the baby. As indicated
by the attendance at the shower, there are lots of men, women, and children who
will have a hand in raising her, for which we are eternally grateful.
Am I ready? As ready as I’ll ever be.
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