Earlier this week, I posted some tips to my brother who was expecing his first kid. Well, baby Samantha is on the scene and as I watched him and his wife in the hospital room, it reminded me of all the little things that have been pushed deep down into the memory bank.
Without further adieu, here are some memories that I am sure other dads out there will remember:
- With your first kid you are so nervous to hold him/her. you think that he's going to break. Then you remember how coach told you how to carry a football. Bingo, fear of dropping the kid is null and void.
- You constantly clock people holding the baby. You're thinking, "Hey man, I just got her so dont damage her. Watch her neck and head please. Thanks."
- You'll experiece the "What now?" feeling. While you are at the hospital, you'll have vistors and nurses all holding the baby, feeding the baby, changing the baby, etc. When you get home, there will be a moment where you and your wife stare at eachother and say, "Well, now what do we do?" Sorry kids, the baby doesn't come with instructions. You have to roll with it.
- You'll quickly forget what it was like to have a clutter-free house. Yes, your wife will do an immaculate job of keeping the home decorations intact and keeping thins organized, but around every corner, there will be a swing, a bottle, a burp cloth, diapers, wipes, baby toys, etc., etc. Your home will be infiltrated by "stuff" and will never recoup. You can never plan for the amount of crap you'll have in your house as a result of kids.
- I never could recall how the heck I became a coffee drinker. Then I remembered how coffee was the only thing that kept me from passing out on the couch at 5am on a Sunday when I was up at 2am feeding the baby. Coffee and the first, early runs of SportsCenter FTW!
- When did the heck did I become an expert on Dora the Explorer, Little Einsteins and Bear in the Big Blue House? - I'm supposed to change that diaper? Seriously? Now, changing a diaper is as easy as swapping out four tires on a race car.
- One of the biggest, but silly, memories I forgot was the first time I got puked on. Check out this video that I posted a few weeks ago about my oldest going to kindergarten. Check 38 seconds in and see my face when she pukes on my hand. For a second there, I am mortified. As times rolls on, you forget about the puke fests and brush them off (though you can never get rid of the smell and there's nothing better than going to work smelling like fresh baby puke).
- Which leads me to my last point: I love that new baby smell. It's like a new car only the mechandise appreciates, not depreciates, over time. Babies are so fragile. Their skin is unblemished. Their hands and feet are not worn and tough. They are perfect. As times rolls on, however, you realize that the your kids are still perfect, just refined.
What memories do you have as a first time parent?