This project is due tomorrow

Tomorrow is our due date. Jennifer is due to give birth to our second born. We know the name and sex but aren’t telling. This has been a (joking) sore spot for almost everyone we tell that to during the entire term.

Having been there when Ferris was born, and dealing with his insanely loud crying and holding him in my arms, I started thinking about tomorrow.

All cheesiness about miracles, etc. aside, it is a pretty amazing event when a baby is born:

1. It’s the first time it takes a breath with its own lungs.
2. It’s the first time it sees unfiltered light with its own eyes.
3. It’s the first time it hears unfiltered sound with its own ears.
4. It’s the first time it touches anything or has anything other than water and internal skin-dealies in contact with itself. It also experiences a complete temperature change.

It’s a pretty incredible event. Imagine those times when you’re fast asleep and someone busts into your room and whips the light on. You know how upset you are about that and how you can’t see for a few minutes? Or when you’re in the shower and someone flushes the toilet changing the temperature instantly?

Multiply that by the fact that the new baby doesn’t have any idea what’s going on as it’s new world is completely different than it has been for the past 9 months.

Maybe part of the amazement of the entire process is heightened by the fact that you yourself are completely out of steam because of what’s just happened, you’re blown away by your awesome wife who gave birth without the aid of medication to dull what can only be incredible pain, or that you hold in your hands such a tiny little new life that you’re responsible for.

I think every honest parent goes through the feeling of, “I can barely take care of myself, what am I supposed to do with this?” Tomorrow, even though I’ve gone through this before, I’ll be thinking that again - once we all have a good nap.