"Jubilant Daddy"

It has been well documented on this blog the hardships that Suzanne has endured during the last few months. I am happy to report that she recently received a "major gift" from her cardiologist; a clean bill of health. She has also received good standing from her OB, so it appears the worst of her spells are over (thoughts and prayers still needed, though).

Now on to the really tough time I had over the weekend. That's right, it was the eagerly awaited Daddy Boot Camp. About ten of us future fathers came together to learn the ins and outs of newborns. We indeed were commanded to change a real live baby's diapers. The catch here was that only one of us in the room was assigned this task; I'll bet you'll never guess who was chosen.

With the real live baby, I had a real live wet diaper. I got to practice cleaning the private area (a boy, thank goodness!). I also learned to hold both legs like wine glasses and lift up so that the baby's bottom came off the ground for a thorough checking and cleaning, if necessary.

My crowning achievement, though, came after the diaper change. The baby immediately began crying, but the real live father was away disposing of the diaper. I was then instructed by our daddy drill sergeant to pick up the baby and comfort it. I wisely followed his instructions and actually stopped the baby from crying! After I returned home, I had Suzanne take my picture with the souveneirs I had received from the workout. The joy on my face is obvious.

We have one more class (CPR) and only 10 weeks left! We head to the Southshore specialist one last time and then we're on to the home stretch. I have butterflies thinking about it; you can imagine why I am already one JUBILANT DADDY!!!