Ready Or Not...

Ready or not here she comes!!! Michelle put a countdown calendar on the door to the nursery some 11 weeks ago.  Last night she pulled number 10 off the door to reveal a single digit.  Now, this may not seem like that big of a deal but it has suddenly given me a sense of urgency that our lives will soon change to a magnitude that can be compared to few previous first experiences (getting married, moving out, loosing a first tooth... j/k although it was a big deal at the time). The knowledge of what's to come (or lack there of) brings a mix of emotions that range in excitement to fear.  Though I have never been a parent before, I have to give myself "baby steps" to handle this massive change in my life so I don't become overwhelmed in all that is implied in parenthood.  

Before we got married I had to use this same strategy as I had no idea what it was really like to be married.  Instead of trying to understand the entire picture of what marriage was, I used a "baby step" to help myself understand just enough of what was known to help me deal with all the unknown.  I told myself in marriage, I was pledging to be Michelle's best friend for life.  I understood what that meant and it made the change of marriage so much easier to understand and relieved much of the anxiety I felt before our wedding day.

 

I realize that I don't have to know all the right answers to be a good father, but I need a new "baby step" to lessen the anxiety of all the unknown.  Therefore, my parenthood "baby step" is this; I am helping our first child (and hopefully a few more) navigate through their own firsts.  I am helping them with their first tooth (and lost tooth, it will be a big deal for them too).  I am helping them with their first sleepover away from home,  I am helping them with their first words, first spelling test, first boyfriend/girlfriend, first poop, first poop in a potty, first step, first heart break, first speeding ticket (actually that will be Michelle's job, I haven't had my first yet... perhaps she'll have to help me too) etc...

What I do know is that I have done all or most of these firsts myself, and I can help our children through them one at a time.  I can teach them to manage all the firsts and even some day their own first child (I'll be like 110 but oh well). My "baby step" to fatherhood is realizing that I am returning to an era of firsts as a coach for my children.