I’m going to be a dad!
Those of you who know me well should already know this of course, but seeing as today we had our first antenatal class, I thought it would be a good time to pause and reflect on the very beginning, the first moment we knew we were going to be parents…
“Baby, I think you need to see this…”
As my bleary eyes gain focus on the object in front of me, I see some pink lines in a little window. I can’t find the words…any words. This is probably the most amazing, scary and mind-blowing second of time in my life.
Shell is pregnant.
We’re on holiday for Mike and Steph’s wedding, a few days hence. We’ll have time to let this sink in here, but I think we’ll need more than just a week to come to terms with this. Let me just think about this again.
I’m gonna be a dad.
Me.
A father.
Of a child.
Responsible for its well being.
For like, ever.
Bloody hell.
The silly thing is that we knew there was a possibility that this would happen at this time. We didn’t want to wait too much longer to start trying as time isn’t exactly on our side, but we also have a wedding coming up. So we decided we had a small window of time before we’d pause and try later. But it’s one thing deciding to go for it and see if we get lucky, quite another when you hit the jackpot after just your first few spins.
And now he feels…epic
Once the shock had worn off, I suddenly got a sense of pride. Up to now, I had no idea whether my little swimmers had it in them. You spend your whole adult life up to this point trying to avoid a mishap, and then when you finally unleash them, you worry that maybe it was all in vain anyway. Would they know what to do? Given the immediacy of their success, for the next few days I had a strut that rivalled a 70s John Travolta. Maybe we’re just born to pass on our DNA…if so, I’ve done my job. Gold star for Andy in the game of life. All I need to do now is to protect him or her for the rest of his or her life.
Zombie zombie
Going for a scan and seeing our baby do a somersault on the monitor was amazing. Hearing its pounding heartbeat brought tears to my eyes. But telling friends and family is brilliant. Seeing their reactions, watching them get excited. Feeling proud that we’re extending the family. My parents are becoming grandparents again for the first time in eighteen years. We’ve also delighted every parent with kids under the age of about ten:
“Yes! You can now share the agony of labour, your zombification in mornings, the joys of a toddler meltdown in Sainsbury’s with a trolley full of Christmas food. Welcome, to our club. You have absolutely no idea what is about to hit you.”
It’s gonna be a hectic two months before the baby is born at the end of May. We have to get the nursery sorted, buy all necessary equipment, and it’s a probably a good idea to decide on a couple of names.
Oh yes, and try to figure out how the heck you take care of a completely dependent bundle of joy.