When Heather put out the news that she was looking for a few guest bloggers for the first few weeks after her newest little one arrives, I started thinking about those first few weeks of my son’s life.
One of my favorite things about becoming a parent was watching my husband transform into a father. From the moment we found out I was pregnant, he became so protective of me. He really went all out to make sure the baby and I were safe, comfortable, and happy. And when our son William was born, he became even more protecting. I’ve never seen him so selfless and attentive as he was then.
During that time, we were still taking turn with night duty. Neither of us loved the lack of sleep, but my husband loved being able to spend that time with our son. The two of them spent many nights together as I slept, rocking together into the night. My husband would doze on the couch for a few hours while Will slept, then watch baseball on TV as he fed him, rocked him, and tried to put him back to sleep.
A few times when he didn’t realize I was watching, I listened to him talking to Will. He would point out the players to baby and explain the rules and what was going on in the game. He would tell him which teams to cheer for and which teams to boo. When his favorite team scored, he would show Will how to clap. When the opposing team scored, he would tell Will to hiss.
And watching him with our son, and seeing him as such a proud father, I became more complete as well. As a wife, I loved him more for it. As a mother, I was thrilled that my son had such a loving, devoted and involved father.
Because of that time spent together in the first few weeks of Will’s life, they have a great relationship now. When Will gets hurt or needs comfort, my husband is often the one Will runs to. When I’m not available, they’re both comfortable spending time together. I’m so happy they had that opportunity to spend time bonding like that. I know my husband wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Those first weeks were definitely difficult as we learned to adjust our schedules and our lives to fit in this little boy and become a family. The memories we’ve made together though are priceless, and I’ll always hold them in a special place in my heart.
