The countdown begins – are we ready?

So are we ready? Fuck no! We have the nursery complete (well apart from the curtains and some more vinyl stickers) with all the furniture the little one needs and all the storage we need to store all the stuff the little one needs. What I have found out, with expecting a child, is that such a small little being needs so much stuff. How does it need all this stuff??? I understand what all of it does, it just annoys me that it will grow out of most of it or not need some of it, only a couple of months down the line.

Anyway, back on topic, are we ready? I laugh at anyone who asks this, yes we have a pram/buggy, a place for baby to sleep, a car seat to bring it home safely, clothes for it wear and turd catchers to well catch the turd, but are we ready? Is anyone really ready to be parents? Without having the experience of having a child (which already makes you a parent so not included in this panic) how can we really know what to expect from our little bundle of joy? We can’t, which means we aren’t ready for this, all we are is prepared for what ever it may throw at us (sometimes literally).

No matter how much you read, or how much information you absorb from books or the internet, or even the advice you get from EVERYONE under the sun, it isn’t till that little bundle of joy is in your arms, in the safety of your own home, it’s home, that you will know if you are ready for parenthood. I can tell you now, even without a baby in my arms, I am not ready for this, no one is ready for parenthood, if they say that are, they lie.

That being said, I still shout BRING IT ON, because though I am not ready for this, I am excited to give it my best shot, because ultimately that is all you can do, that’s all any dad or mother has ever done, given it there best shot. Showered there little one with love, affection, a home and a family, everything it needs, everything you can offer it, that’s all anyone can do when they become a parent. I am looking forward to it all, no I am not ready to be a dad, but I welcome it with open arms and great big smile on my face.

Things to do for your children – Part 1.

So this is the first multiple blog I have written, this is only due to the fact I may come up or find more ideas along the way and will want to share them with you. Likewise, you may give me some cool ideas that I will want to share (giving you credit of course). I saw something on the wonderful world wide web of mystery and lies, which I thought was really cool, a great idea for you to do before you children have grown up.

I have also seen funny ideas which I may share one day but I wanted to share a few ideas I had seen or had that I want to do for my children. These may be things that you start now for them to enjoy when they reach a certain age, or things you wished you had done when you were little or just simple ideas from the inter-web that I like and will no doubt steal and use when raising my own children. But hey, that’s what it’s all about isn’t it? Borrowing other peoples ideas and trying to make them work with your own little bundles of joy.

Giving up the things you love – do you really have to?

Since announcing that I am expecting a bundle of joy I have been inundated with information, tips, advice and knowledge, some useful, some not so useful but the one thing that has stuck, as it’s been mentioned to me a couple of times is, ‘You’re expecting? That’s fantastic news, say goodbye to all the things you love doing.’ This is followed by a chuckle, a smile, a slap on the shoulder or even all three.

Now, I have a lot of loves in this world mostly involving doing something physical or sporty, as well as creative things like writing and designing. I struggle to find time to do everything I love now, so I do expect that when our child blesses us with her presence then my time to do these will quickly diminish even more. But does that mean I have to give up the things that I love?