Reflections on Fatherhood
I have to admit I really didn’t have a clue when it came to parenting.
Luckily Christine did, and as a result Jonas is a healthy and happy 12 day old.
When it comes to being a father, it’s true that nothing can really prepare you. I read the obligatory books on how to hold a baby, how to change a diaper, how to burp, and so on, but I still found myself ill-prepared to change a diaper at 3 a.m. with your little one screaming at the top of his lungs. Experience has taught me to cover up his privates when changing his diaper, lest I get peed on with my wife (and dog) standing there laughing. It also taught me to sleep when your baby sleeps, although I still prefer the computer to napping.
Right now, it seems like everyday bleeds into another. It’s most difficult to tell when the day ends and begins. Parenting is a 24-hour a day job. You sleep when you can and hope you’re alert enough when making that left turn in a busy intersection. My little boy waits for no one, if he wants his viddles at four in the morning, he gets them. We’ve nicknamed him the King because of this.
Christine is doing the majority of the work - I truly have the easy part. She is on-call at all times and can’t be too far from Jonas because she is his life-line. The mother-child relationship is one I am marveling at. Christine has kept Jonas alive singlehandedly throughout the past 12 days. In that time I have seen her morph into the great protector of an innocent life. I too have bonded with Jonas, but not in the same way.
What strikes me about Jonas is the immense potential he has, even at 12 days of age. Of course, you never want to put pressure on a child, but I know he is capable of great things in life. We want to give him every opportunity to accomplish his dreams.
Finally, what is going through my mind these days is the fact that I am one step closer to immortality. By that I mean Jonas will live on after I’m gone, and I will live on inside of him. I will have been a part of his creation, as my parents and grandparents were part of mine.
Luckily Christine did, and as a result Jonas is a healthy and happy 12 day old.
When it comes to being a father, it’s true that nothing can really prepare you. I read the obligatory books on how to hold a baby, how to change a diaper, how to burp, and so on, but I still found myself ill-prepared to change a diaper at 3 a.m. with your little one screaming at the top of his lungs. Experience has taught me to cover up his privates when changing his diaper, lest I get peed on with my wife (and dog) standing there laughing. It also taught me to sleep when your baby sleeps, although I still prefer the computer to napping.
Right now, it seems like everyday bleeds into another. It’s most difficult to tell when the day ends and begins. Parenting is a 24-hour a day job. You sleep when you can and hope you’re alert enough when making that left turn in a busy intersection. My little boy waits for no one, if he wants his viddles at four in the morning, he gets them. We’ve nicknamed him the King because of this.
Christine is doing the majority of the work - I truly have the easy part. She is on-call at all times and can’t be too far from Jonas because she is his life-line. The mother-child relationship is one I am marveling at. Christine has kept Jonas alive singlehandedly throughout the past 12 days. In that time I have seen her morph into the great protector of an innocent life. I too have bonded with Jonas, but not in the same way.
What strikes me about Jonas is the immense potential he has, even at 12 days of age. Of course, you never want to put pressure on a child, but I know he is capable of great things in life. We want to give him every opportunity to accomplish his dreams.
Finally, what is going through my mind these days is the fact that I am one step closer to immortality. By that I mean Jonas will live on after I’m gone, and I will live on inside of him. I will have been a part of his creation, as my parents and grandparents were part of mine.
posted by Northern Voices at
1:30 PM
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