Tonight is the first night I’ve ever had before the birth of one of my children. Well, obviously there were nights before the births of Madeline and Annabel… the thing is, I didn’t know they were the nights before. On the day of Madeline’s birth I only found out she was to be born via emergency c-section about an hour before it happened, and on Annabel’s birth day we’d only gone to the hospital to get Heather checked out because she was feeling tenderness in her stomach – not because we thought we’d be having a baby! So having a night to reflect and prepare is a new thing.

On a not-so-deep level, the great thing about this is that I will be able to get myself properly groomed for such a monumental occasion. On Maddie’s birth day I had to sprint to the hospital having not showered, and on both girls’ birth days I’d failed to shave. Things will be different tomorrow. I will shave, shower, and look almost civilized.

On a deeper level, though, the thing I appreciate the most is that I can prepare myself for what I will be experiencing. Both of the girls’ births were stressful and hurried, so my memories of them are not nearly as clear as I wish they were. Tomorrow I plan to take a lot of deep breaths, relax, and take it all in. I want to remember as much of the day as possible, especially since it will be the last time I ever see one of my children enter the world.

It hasn’t happened yet, but I’ve got a feeling tomorrow will be one of the best days of my life… right up there with these two:

November 11, 2007 – Madeline Alice

Proud Pappa

looking tough

January 22, 2010 – Annabel Violet

DSC00079

I can’t wait to add a third photo for May 30th, 2013.