This Changes Everything

May 22, 2009 in Family with 3 Comments

“My wife and I are having a kid.”  That sounds so cool to say.  It’s easy to say.  “My wife and I are having a little girl.”  That’s even easy to say.

Then, I thought about it.

I thought about a lot of things.  Here are some things I’ve come to realize.

I have to set the example on how a Man treats a woman.  How I treat my wife, is what my daughter is going to expect on her dates, and from any male ever trying to win her over. (Seriously cannot type that without a tear in my eye. Forget “9th inning bases loaded down by three ,full count” THIS is pressure)

My mouth isn’t the cleanest in all the land.  In about 5 months, I’m gonna have a sponge.  I don’t know how young they start listening and remembering and all that stuff babies do, but I know already when I let out the F word, Andrea looks at me and simply says, “I’m having your baby.”  Ouch.  I need to stop… or at least try.

I can’t tell my wife no.  How am I going to tell a ‘mini-her’ no?  (I’m taking suggestions)

Every action I take. Every word I say, and every breath I breathe isn’t just going to be seen or heard, It’s going to be looked up to, remembered, loved, mimicked.  It’s going to shape a little child in to a woman.  (Breathe…. Breathe….. Breathe…)

I read that dads really shape their children’s view of THE Father.  Holy-wow-dang-shoot-fire-spit.  That’s a lot of pressure.  I don’t even think I can go in to that, but Whoa.

I know this is all stuff most parents out there know.  I know I’m not saying anything new.  It’s just all starting to hit me.  And frankly it’s a lot of pressure.

Do you remember when it all sunk in for you?

  • http://30secondrule.wordpress.com Tony York

    HEY!

    That made all the difference in the world!!

    So, again, congrats on the news of having a daughter.

    When did it sink in for me? Wow. That has been so long ago but I do remember feeling the weight fall on me when I recognized that my life was not my own anymore. I…. uh, we were going to have a child that would be totally dependent on us. It wouldn’t be able to talk for a while and it didn’t come with a great book full of information on the best way to handle it.

    Yeah.. totally sunk in then.. and it continues to sink in. My daughters a re a long way from being babies now but they have different needs that take different types of energies.

    I still can’t believe I am a father some days…. and I am always wishing that I had more time to spend with them in cool ways.. not just the day-to-day monotony of fulfilling the duties but the in-your-face-we-are-family kind of ways.

    Be careful of what you commit to outside of the home… it will rob you of the time that could be spent with your new one. Time goes by soooo fast.

  • http://www.crucialencounter.com Andy McMahon

    Tony.

    Thank you so much for this comment. I love when someone is real and raw. That seems to be your thing.

    Spelling it out like that impacts my mind, my motives and my priorities. Thank you.

  • http://life-in-prose-and-cons.info Jill

    Just remember that telling your little girl “no” will be for her own good. She may pout and she may say she hates you, but just remember she doesn’t mean it and that you are doing what is best for her. When she gets to be our age, she’ll remember it (as I’m remembering it now) and be glad for the times you said no to her.

    Spoiled children don’t respect their parents. Just as God has to tell us “no” at times, we have to tell our children the same. Always remind her that you love her and she will grow up to respect your authority as well as God’s.