Life of a daddy.

I am a true blue procastinator.

It took me more than 3 mths to pen this down. While i appreciate all my peers' concern over my new phase in life as a daddy, i would like to save some trouble ( by telling the same stories over and over again ) and jot down the significant moments as a parent...

The horror stories that many like to share about the night shifts... is never an exaggeration! I could still remember the last night in hospital when baby Tim refused to settle down after his 2 hourly feed ; in particular the boy cried out so loud ( akin to screaming his lungs out ) that i started to fear for the worst when the boy gets home. Little did i know that it was barely the beginning.

The next few weeks of our new addtion was anything but easy. Our lives revolved around the boy , to the point that i suddenly found myself chasing after sleep whereever possible. It was also during this period that i lost interest in doing my usual hobbies, in a bid to share the burden of looking after the boy with my wife and mum ( doubling up as our dear confinement lady ).

What i found challenging as a father is the consistent need to pay close attention to my dearie's state of physical and emotional health. The funny about having a new born is that ALL THE ATTENTION from relatives seem to only fall upon the child( and no one else ).
I often prayed to God to give me the strength to be a good HUSBAND thereafter a food father.

Initially, the boy cries only for a few reasons :

1. Hungry
2. Soiled diapers
3. Feeling burpy / colic
4. Too cold (needs some warmth from swaddling )

There were times when i really lost my patience over the boy when he simply refuse to stop crying after all we could do ( rock the boy to bed, carry him around, feeding him and changing new diapers for him ). I would his cheeks real hard and even spank his naked butt when he was just 2 mths +++ old. Of course, those acts aggravated the boy's cries.

My wife, on the other hand, never resort to physical means to curb the boy's maniac behaviour( boy cries so loud that he shuts the world around him out ). I must say that my wife has a very loving and tender approach to our boy. Whenever my wife takes over the boy from my arms after i seem out of control, i would feel very guitly and miserable for hitting the boy at such a YOUNG age. My wife will then talk and sing to the boy , engaging him from time to time. These tactics worked most of the time!

I am now a firm believer that no matter how young your child is, your tender voice and loving gaze will create a special bond that will see you through those times when your child displays tantrum at night.

Days and weeks pass... slowly both me and felicia are finding our way back to our usual lifestyle( but it will never be the same again ).I felt that the boy is slowly having this character forged in him. He now laughs and makes those OOOH and AHHH sounds when we talk to him. Is that a good sign that the boy is also getting comfortable with us???

I guess my wife's attitude to parenting has a great impact upon me as a father. Over time, I am beginning to embrace my boy's presence as one that brings us bundles of happiness and joy.

It just seem like yesterday when baby tim was delivered( he was only 2.69kg and is only 33cm long ); Today, we brought our 7.2kg boy for his 2nd dose of immunisation jab. He turns 3 months and one day old as of now.

Looking back at all the no-absolute-sleep nights of tending to the boy, i felt that it was all worth it.