A Post from Wil

BABY!

Holy smokes, what’s going in there? Baby Shep (officially Parker Wilson) is getting bigger and stronger every day.  What started as cute baby kicks are becoming belly rippling, rib thumping kung-fu kicks.  Beth has officially passed into the miserable stage of pregnancy, and I’m trying to help her as much as possible.  Beth claims I’m doing a great job, but I often feel helpless and wish I could do more.  In the past few weeks, she has been unable to sleep well and has begun to use me as a human pillow.  So, I have had plenty of time to think about baby Parker as I often find myself too hot, too cold, or contorted to sleep.  Since I am not going through the ‘birthing process’ and will get the better end of the bargain, I try not to complain, but my hips and back are throbbing.

Momma

If you were to have asked me how Beth would respond to being pregnant before conceiving, I would have told you she would be miserable and complaining the entire nine months.  Much to my surprise, she has done incredibly well—arguably better than I.  All it takes to make her happy is a little love, the occasional massage, ice cream, or some Great Harvest. As we get closer to her due date, I know Beth is beginning to worry more about the delivery process.  Helpless.  I can offer no advice and rely on the testimony of others.  As I am not armed with an epidural needle, the only comfort I can give her is support.

Daddy

DADDY!?!?! Whoa!!! What’s going on here!! Seriously, I mean we’re talking about a little person not a gold fish!  How can I seriously be prepared for this?  Worried and stressed don’t even come close to encompassing what I’m feeling.  I stress, worry, and scrutinize every aspect about everything lately.  My days of having a laid back joe attitude about everything are officially over.  No doubt, I’m very excited about raising a son, but it bothers me that right out of the gate you’ve got no shot at being a perfect parent.  As the youngest of three children, I’ve witnessed little pertaining to raising a child, which makes me wonder about how well I will do.  It may be a little hard on me at first, but I look forward to playing and fishing with Parker in the future.  The only comfort I find is in Beth who—whether she knows it or not—is far more prepared. 

Worries

Okay, so in addition to worrying about the normal things like…will the baby be healthy, will the baby have an unsightly mole, will he have a lisp, red hair, be crazy smart, be not so smart, enjoy the same hobbies as me, keep us up all night for weeks, crazy wal-martians wanting to touch Parker, momma and baby blues, home improvements, crazy day care people, nutrition, education, getting Beth back in HOT momma shape, adding a baby not only adds a new dynamic to our relationship but also a great deal of stress, money, people are flat out crazy, the world is filled with _______ (insert derogatory adj.).  I worry about strange things.  Like…will the lack of riparian zones between us and surrounding crop fields increase the probability of neurological problems or cancer from commonly used agricultural chemicals? 

Oh, and I apologize for the delay of my blogging and continued slander of English language but it’s a blog.