Thursday, January 19, 2017

Are you Ready?



‘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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