Baby Melon (Dad’s Rant-aloupe)

by Bryan Friedman in Daddy's Corner

Wow! We’ve reached Week 33, which means that, as we know from our trusty fruit-o-meter to the right, our little one is as big as a…honeydew! What an interesting choice for this week. Coincidence? I think not. In fact, while Alison is carrying our little honeydew, I have my very own personal honey-do list which seems to be growing at about the same rate as the baby. While I’ve already completed some of these fun items, like replacing the sink fixtures in the baby’s bathroom, moving furniture around, cleaning out closets and continuing to sort all of the generous shower gifts we are receiving, there is an endless list of things left to do.

While most of the fun stuff on this list is related to preparing for the baby (getting the walls textured, getting the house painted, getting the baby’s room painted, setting up the baby’s room, decorating the baby’s room, installing new stair railing, etc.), unfortunately it’s actually the rest of the list (work, school, work, work, take care of my wife, work, pay bills, work, take care of the house, work, and work) that is keeping my stress level high. For some reason, I’ve become consumed with the concept of “before the baby comes,” since I realize that while much of this stuff is hard to get done now, I know it will be near impossible once our focus shifts to this little human living in our house.

It’s not just about trying to get stuff done “before the baby comes” either. I’ve been much more aware with everything we do that it could be our last [insert event name here] “before the baby comes.” We’re trying to plan our last “vacation” before the baby comes. We just had our last anniversary before the baby comes and Alison’s last birthday before the baby comes. Even relatively insignificant events like our last Dodger game and our last July 4th before the baby comes are happening soon. Even worse, there are a number of things that happened one last time before the baby comes and we didn’t even know it (our last trip to Disneyland or our last Halloween before the baby comes).

The reason I’ve noticed these “last time before the baby comes” events so much more isn’t just because I’m trying to hold on to what our life is like without a kid, but also because I am just so super excited to start experiencing our “first time with the baby” events.

Alison and I just recently finished the classes offered by the hospital and they really helped me visualize everything. Things are so much more real for me now than they were months ago, and we’re getting so close to finally meeting our daughter that I can actually already start picturing us as a family unit. Because of this, I’ve realized that when I’m out in public, I’m noticing babies and baby stuff so much more than I ever have before. A trip to the mall or a restaurant now includes checking out strollers and baby accessories that moms are using. I feel like there are more babies now than ever before, but I’m sure they’ve always been there…I just know what to look for now. It’s like thinking there are more people driving the model of car you are looking to buy even though they have always been on the road.

For now, though, I’m planning to just enjoy every event that happens “before the baby comes” so that I can appreciate every event that happens “with the baby” that much more. Thinking about it is seriously getting me excited, (…well, excited and scared).

  1. Kate Potts
    6/18/2011 10:09 AM

    This is a pretty fantastic, rarely shared dad-to-be POV. Thanks for being so honest. =)

  2. Cathy
    6/17/2011 6:12 PM

    This is the last Father’s Day you won’t be a DAD!!! There will be so many “last times”. I always tell my soon to be a parent friends, “When you leave for the hospital, pause in the front doorway and look back into your home. Why? This is the LAST time you will see it, as it is, at that moment(Hell, take a before pic)”…Next time you cross the threshold together Bryan you won’t be carrying Alison. Chances are fo sho you will be carrying your daughter or a diaper bag!!!

  3. Mom/ Sharon/Mimi-to-be
    6/17/2011 2:34 PM

    I’m looking forward to hearing about and seeing you both experience many “with the baby” adventures! Great times ahead.
    After 9 months of being compared to fruits and vegetables, I sure hope your daughter enjoys eating them!

  4. George
    6/17/2011 11:30 AM

    I swear, lines from “Into The Woods” apply to EVERYTHING!