19 September 2008

Parenthood -- A Scary Prospect?

The pregnancy is going well. The most recent trip to the doctor showed that everything was going in the direction that it is supposed to. The Kid is looking healthy and is a little bit bigger than he should be, apparently, by a couple of hundred grams or so.

The trip to the doctor have moved from a once a month event to once every two weeks. The closer it gets the more exciting it becomes. The thought of being responsible for a little life is at time daunting. I do not know if it is a normal part of the process or not, but I often find myself wondering what kind of an old man I am going to make. I also find myself spotting more parents with kids and notice how they discipline them in public.

You also notice how many Indonesians have hired help to make it "easier". I am in for a no assistance schedule on the child rearing front as I have been instructed there will be no nannies or anything else involved. So, I will be the prematurely old looking fella pushing the stroller around, if you happen to notice.

Back to the doctor trips. These trips have become like a big day out, a real event in and of themselves. They usually culminate in shopping. As the due date comes ever-closer, these shopping trips tend to end in having spent way too much money of things for the Kid, all necessary of course. Last week saw us become the proud owners of a crib with all the trimmings. The weekend before saw that the Kid kitted out in all the latest fashions. This included some hand-sewn cross-stitch additions.

The thought of parenthood is both a scary one and an exciting one. Maybe it is different for kid number 2. The first kid though just has so many unanswered questions.

The beauty of life!

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

All my fingers and toes are crossed for you and Mrs. Baiton.

Good luck!

Rob Baiton said...

Thanks...

Except there is no Mrs. Baiton! My wife opted to keep her name as it was before we were married.

If I recall you wrote something on this :D

Anonymous said...

Ooh yeah now I remember. But anyway, I was just pointing out at the fact that she was your wife and since I didn't know her name, it was easier to address her as Mrs. Baiton :D

Send my regards to her!

Katadia said...

I was going to write a piece on disciplining a 2 y.o. We didn't do it before (I grew up the true Indonesian way and I turned out OK most of the time LOL), but it turned out to be necessary after his little sister arrived. Haven't gotten around to write/post it, too busy managing 'terrrible 2' tantrums. :) Best of luck....

Anonymous said...

I am not married so i don't know how it feels to be a parent but surely it will be a dazzling experience to give birth a life.

Elyani said...

Disciplining little kid, I think, is the most difficult thing to do compared with the office assignments and all its related problems. Every family does what they think is right, but each child has different temperament and developmental stage. Well, I don't have a kid of my own..but sometimes I think my 3 y/o nephew have this Jekyll and Hyde personality, LOL! Now that he attends playgroup class..he is not so much of Mr. Hyde anymore.

Anonymous said...

What I've learned (from having a little kid and from friends who have kids) is to cherish as much as possible their time when they are still little kid you can hold, and toddler, because soon they will be a teenager and start having their own agendas.

Yes it is scary and exciting in the same time, but you will enjoy each milestone the baby has.

Anonymous said...

People say that a woman becomes a mother when she's pregnant, a man becomes a father when he sees the baby. Clearly this is not your case, you've been preparing the whole thing since day 1. Good luck!

Amitz Sekali said...

Yes, it is a scary prospect. I can only imagine.. Probably it feels like taking a full time job for life!

tere616.blogspot.com said...

The feelings is still the same, 1st or second (well, I only have two kids).

The good part of having the 2nd is you don't have to buy all the crib since you still have the old one.

And as silverlines said, just cherish every moment of your kids because when they reach their teenage age, they have their own agenda.

Take care yourself. Pls send my regards to your wife. Hope everything's going fine for both of you :-)

Rob Baiton said...

Writer One...

Thanks and done.

KD...

Thanks and you should when you get the time. I t might be helpful to have some insights from some one with first hand experience.

Harmon...

I am hoping it is a dazzling experience and then some :D

Elyani...

Aren't we all a little Jekyll and Hyde sometimes...

Silverlines...

Thanks! The birth will be a bit of a milestone for the wife and I as well.

FW...

Nice thought and thank you!

Amitz...

A Job For Life! Sounds like fun :D

Tere...

Get through the first one and then we will have to see how we go on the second.

Unknown said...

sounds like a lot of fun. keep the options open for nannies otherwise you're gonna have to cut down on the nights out :D

Rob Baiton said...

I am thinking that no nights out would be a good thing for a while. I am looking forward to spending quality time with the kid and with the wife too! :D

Unknown said...

growing up!

i can totally see that tho. I would, too. To have a reason to stay home :D

Rob Baiton said...

Some might argue that at 38 it is about time I grew up!

Anonymous said...

You're expecting what to expect, I think most fathers-to-be are like you, while mothers-to-be are mostly too busy with those changing hormones and bodies.

Just wanna share some experience. I have two kids, and still have plenty of time for myself. I scheduled their sleep-wake up-eat hours since the day they were born. After around 6 weeks, both my kids have regular schedules until today (eldest almost 5, no. 2 18 mos). The downside, your life will evolve around your kid's schedule. The good side: up to 6 hours a day for yourself. Aha!

http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-Happy-Child/dp/0449004023
I found this book useful.

Good luck .. I can feel your excitement!

Rob Baiton said...

Santi...

Thanks for the link. I will be sure to check it out. I guess knowledge is power on this one.

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