52 Weeks of Fatherhood: Week 3

Before Liberty was born I would always joke about being the stay at home dad. Babies sleep for most of the day so all that’s left to do is stick a load of washing on then hit the Playstation for the rest of the day…ignorance is bliss isn’t it?

I had no idea that the poopy nappies, feeding, burping, changing, washing, ironing, cooking and cleaning would feel so relentless. Even though I’m back at work this week the never ending treadmill trundles on, it sometimes slows but never stops. My wife now has the unenviable task of tackling this alone for 8 hours a day, I have to give her the utmost respect. The only saving grace is that she’ll get to enjoy some of Liberty’s developmental moments first hand. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little jealous.

Although Liberty’s interactions have been pretty limited up to now, they are definitely building week on week. Whereas before my efforts to tickle her would be met with a blank stare, she now raises a smile. At least I assume it’s from the tickling and not just because she’s made another little present for me in her nappy. It’s exciting to I see these little changes in her but I can’t help jumping forward months and years, looking forward to those big milestones. However I’ll put that to the back of my mind and live in the moment, just enjoying her blowing bubbles and that fixated look she gets when I put on a silly voice.

Another exciting thing we did this week was a newborn photoshoot. You know the ones, cute naked shots, leaning on their hands with their bum in the air. As angelic as those shots look I have now peeked behind the curtain… They say never work with children or animals, well my daughter is both. She managed to pee on me, the photographer and the floor as well as poop on two brand new blankets. Classy. Even after all that we managed to get some beautiful pictures so my wife and I are delighted. Although saying that, I can only hope that this is my daughter’s first and last ever photoshoot with her clothes off.