We’ve reached our tenth father in the #40Days40Dads campaign and today’s installment is hot off the presses! My friend Marc became a father for the second time just three days ago and managed to fill out the questionnaire with his newborn sleeping in his arms.1 There’s a lot of good stuff in his answers, so let’s get right into them!
Dad #10: Marc
Marc is the father of a 2-year-old daughter and a 3-day-old son.
What was the moment when you first felt like a father?
At my wife’s 20-week checkup when we learned our first child was a girl. An all-encompassing sense of pride and excitement took over and left me with a silly grin on my face the rest of the day.
What’s your favorite part about being a father?
There are so many possible answers to this one. Currently it’s 2:45 a.m. as I’m writing this and I’m sitting in my basement with my soon-to-be 3-day old son sleeping in my arms. As I’m looking down at him peacefully sleeping, it reminds me that one of my favorite parts of being a dad is the calm, quiet moments we get with our kids (and not just because the little one’s been crying off and on all night).
Moments like reading books with my daughter or listening to her talk to the stuffed animals in her crib after she wakes up in the morning are moments I truly love. Another similar favorite is having conversations or singing with my daughter … I sometimes catch myself in the moment thinking how incredible this parenting journey is, even when we’re talking or singing about the goofiest of things.
What’s the hardest part about being a father?
There are plenty, but one of the hardest things about being a parent in general is recognizing how fast time flies and how quickly your kids grow up and change. I know everyone says that kids grow up fast, but until you have one of your own, I don’t think it’s truly able to resonate. It feels like just a few days ago that I was up in the middle of the night holding our oldest when she was just a few days old (notice a trend?), but somehow that was already more than two years ago.
What’s the dumbest/funniest thing that your kid has cried about or fought with you over?
One of the funniest things our daughter cried over when she was younger was misshapen Cheerios. It didn’t matter whether it was broken or not, if a Cheerio wasn’t a perfect circle, she wanted no part of it.
What are you most proud of having taught/shared with your kids or what are you most looking forward to teaching/sharing with them?
I think I get the most pride watching our oldest grow in terms of how she interacts with those around her. From saying hello to people she saw when she was 15 months old to saying bless you after someone sneezes, she oftentimes has a keen sense of the right thing to say or do to others.
When we brought our son home from the hospital for the first time, we were curious to see how our oldest would react. She basically jumped up and down, so excited that her baby brother was home. As soon as we got in the door, she went and found her lovey, brought it over to her baby brother and showed it to him. Later in the day she gave it to him when he was crying. I don’t know how much credit I can actually take for that, but it makes me incredibly proud.
If you could go back in time and give yourself a piece of advice when you first became a father, what would you say?
Make sure to carve out a little time for yourself each day, and be sure some of that time is spent exercising. Specifically, focus on strengthening your core … you’ll appreciate it, I promise.
Any other comments to share on fatherhood?
You may think you could never love your wife more than you already do, but after watching all she has to go through delivering your child, your love and appreciation for her will reach a new level.
If you’re a father or you know a father who would like to share his story, send him to this link to answer the questions. Stay tuned for another dad’s crib notes tomorrow!
