A Week of Firsts
July 24, 2011 Leave a comment
At 42 years old, I didn’t think so many “first” new experiences could possibly be packed into a single week. That was before the remarkable experience of childbirth. Renee and I welcomed our son Jack Robert Taylor into the world last Saturday, July 16.
Look at that hair!
Now that we are a week post-delivery, I thought I would share a few firsts in my life as experienced during the week. I’m sure there are many more to come!
- First time experiencing the miracle of childbirth. And it is a miracle. I was doing great helping Renee through the birthing process, really holding it together until I saw Jack’s head, then the rest of his body enter our world. Then I lost it. Remarkably emotional and never to be forgotten experience. And made even more special by having my Mom and Aunt join us for the birth.
- First time driving 20mph in a 30mph zone. Seriously, I’ve got a bit of a lead foot and can’t remember the last time I drove the speed limit. The drive from the hospital to our house was terrifying. It was old lady driving at its best.
- First time experiencing true sleep deprivation. Now I’m a guy that needs his beauty sleep and while I’m losing some sleep, I’m actually sleeping like a King compared to Renee who is up constantly feeding. We’ve worked out a system that in short has made our days highly efficient. The next step? Finding some time for each other.
- First time there’s someone utterly dependent on me for survival. I’ve become instantly unselfish. There is no other way now. It’s cool.
- First time I felt relieved to the point of giddy by someone else taking a poop. To be clear, the first few days are tense when the baby is losing weight and is not pooping and so when it finally came it was the best laugh Renee and I had since the birth. Now we just laugh every time he poops because it sounds like a volcanic eruption and it scares him. I’m laughing right now thinking about it.
- First time I put my wife’s appointments on MY calendar. Everything must be planned and synched between us. If she can’t take our ESP machine (Eating, Sleeping, Pooping), then I need to care for him.
And finally,
- First time I realized my life is really different now. Friday night our neighbors were having a huge, blowout bash and there was a moment when Renee and I were on the couch, she was holding Jack and I was trying to figure out if the explosion I heard was Jack soiling his diaper. Sticking my nose in his leg opening didn’t do it, so I stuck my finger in his diaper and got a creamy chocolate surprise. So there I am, baby poo on my finger, looking at Renee and listening to the trance music and revelling next door. I said, “Well, our lives sure changed overnight, heh?”. It was good for another gut-busting laugh.
All you parents, what other “firsts” did I miss?
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