My First Year – Glenn Malkiewicz

My son, Ashton, turned 1 this October. Prior to Ashton being born, I was excited, scared to death, nervous and probably every other feeling possible. I had no idea what to expect. After all, how do you prepare for something you have never experienced? What do you do with that little human being once you bring him home?

I think the best advice I got was ‘don’t drop him’

Bringing a baby into this world is truly a miracle and I can confidently say that the past 12 months have been the best 12 months of my entire life. This blog is my take on being a father, and some lessons I learned. Enjoy.

Nothing can prepare you

I did a ridiculous amount of reading prior to Ashton being born.   Parenting books, books on how to stop your baby crying etc. How much of that information did we actually use? Some. A little. I found it’s best to respond in the moment. I had never experienced being a daddy, so there wasn’t really much I could compare it to so I was ready. So to me, there was no need to worry about it. That would be wasted energy. Just respond to the moment and take things as they come.

Being a daddy is unconditional love

A baby cannot take care of itself, so as parents we need to provide food, shelter and clothing. I have learned to love unconditionally, regardless of whether Ashton is in a happy mood or not. The good and the bad are all part of it so there’s no point complaining. I’m sure babies don’t purposely try to frustrate us (well I don’t think so anyway), so best not to take it personally.

It’s about the family

Now that I have a family, it was important to get the financial side of everything on track, in addition to making adjustments to my schedule and life. Family comes first, and my life is now more exciting and challenging, and I feel more fulfilled with Ashton on board.

We are all childlike inside

I am in my mid-30s and sometimes surprised at how silly I can be with Ashton. And we both love it! Ashton keeps me young and we both get a kick out of being together. Nothing can make me and my partner feel better than when Ashton is smiling and laughing away.

By no means am I the perfect father and most likely will never be. But I believe the lessons I learned over the last 12 months have helped me become a better father, partner, son, friend and human being. And that’s the best gift of all.

Being a father creates a lot of emotions, mostly happiness, and it’s all normal and part of being a dad.