My first 100 days as a parent
Books could be written about this subject, but they wouldn't adequately capture what it's like to become a parent. My short blog post certainly won't either, but that's all I have to offer.
Starting at the beginning
Looking back, I can see that my wife's pregnancy marked the beginning of the slow birth of my daughter and her parents. Back then, the three of us were already transitioning into our new life together. As the pregnancy progressed and our circles got smaller and smaller, we were preparing physically, mentally, and emotionally for what was to come.
At some point, my wife and daughter mysteriously reached the mutual understanding that the time was ripe and the slow birth was coming to an end. Our baby girl arrived, and I was hit by a bomb of love and gratitude for this little being and her mother who brought her safely to this world. At the same time, I was overwhelmed by the question of how I could ever protect and take care of this beautiful being? At the same time, I knew that I was prepared to do anything to that end.
A word of advice
Being new parents, we have experienced that advice is abundant but of little use. Circumstances, parents, and babies are different. Though everyone had good intentions, the advice had the unfortunate effect of creating doubt and placing wisdom out there instead of in here. Somehow, parents, and especially the mother, have a special bond with their babies; they know what they need. All we need to do is listen for this intuition and follow it. Our midwife and doulas helped make space for this and nourished our faith in our own abilities.
Everything changes all the time
Having been a father for (only) 100 days now, I can attest that time flies and everything changes all the time. The little person who woke up in the morning is different from the one you said goodnight to yesterday. There's the expanded awareness, eye contact, smiling, chattering, mastering of your hands, reaching your toes, and the list goes on. It's a magical time and I wish I could slow it down. The other day, someone shared that every time has its own magic and its own challenges. I take comfort in that and look forward to whatever the future may bring for our little family.