J’s Baby Steps towards Fatherhood

J has said some hilarious and memorable things that continue to make me laugh on our road to parenthood. Here are a few that I don’t want to forget:

“You smell pregnant.” After telling him that I was experiencing cramps, even though my period was very late and didn’t suspect that I could be pregnant.

“Sorry, I never had a pregnant girlfriend before,” after attempting to give me a loving hug and squeezing my belly just a little too tight- “Ouch!” and by the way we have been married for almost 6 years, I love that we still call each other boyfriend and girlfriend.

“Four.” J’s response to how many diapers he thinks an infant will go through in a day. (Correct response: 8-10, now double it for twins!)

Returning from a professional trip, J unpacks his bag and excitedly announces: “I bought something for the girls!” A poster of Lucky Luke, (comic book character he enjoyed as a young boy) picked up at the Comic Museum in Brussels, Belgium:

What a practical dad to be!

“I just ordered some new vinyls for the girls,” the week after I told him that the girls could detect sounds and our voices in utero.

There's still more on the way...

“Do they really need a hat?” after showing him the two sun hats I purchased for the babies to wear when they come home this summer from the hospital.

At our babies’ shower, J’s child development knowledge was put to the test. When asked “At what age do children stop taking naps?”, J’s response was “Ours, never, they are half-Spaniards!” He’s right! We both love our afternoon siestas.

The other day on BBC news, there was story about how in India, there was still a preference for having a son over a daughter. The camera zoomed in on one expectant father and when he learned that his wife gave birth to their second daughter, his expression grew sullen and deeply sorrowful. The grandmother said “We just need to try again.” This report focused on the many reasons having a daughter is frowned upon. One particular hardship was dealing with the huge expense of providing dowries for a daughter’s marriage, whereas having a son would bring in money for the family.

J and I looked at each other and couldn’t believe the amount of sadness that came upon the family at the birth of the second daughter. I am thankful that neither one of us is tied to such cultural boundaries. We both feel so blessed to be giving birth to two daughters at the same time. Although, I have a strong relationship with my two brothers, I have long envied the bond of sisterhood that I have seen between many of my girlfriends and their sisters, and amongst my father’s 4 sisters. With my two daughters on the way, I am looking forward to watching them develop not only a sisterhood but also a twinship.

One last quote from J…

“Daughters love their fathers. I am going to be king of the house! They’ll feed me, get my slippers and take good care of me!” His response to some of our friends who started teasing him about becoming the only man in the house. I have a feeling that it will be the other way around. Once those two little girls are cradled in his arms, I know it will be J doing most of the spoiling.