A Transformation

Over the past few weeks, I have been witnessing the beginnings of a magical transformation. I have been watching the Fabulous Dude transform into the Fabulous Daddy-to-Be. This has been a very special time for me. I have never met a man who loves babies and children so genuinely. I have waited for the day that I would get to see him become the father of my children because I know that this love will only be intensified when it's directed towards his own baby.

The most obvious way I have witnessed this transformation is in how he has been acting towards me as I've been battling the not so fun parts of pregnancy. To give a little background information, my husband is not the most compassionate and sympathetic human being when it comes to caring for a sick wife. Under normal circumstances, when I am sick, he is kind but not overly nurturing. He will get me soup and toast, a hot water bottle, some medicine, or run me a bath - if I ask him to do it. But, he's generally not one to jump up and pamper me and try to make me feel better. That's just not the way he is. He says it's because I am sucky when I'm sick, I say it's because he has no heart. Either way, that's the way it is, and I'm used to that.

Since we discovered that I am pregnant, however, it's an entirely different ball game. The level of his compassion, sympathy and nurturing has sky rocketed! Almost every morning, I am up at the crack of dawn, sprawled out on the bathroom floor, clinging to the toilet bowl for dear life. And, most of these mornings, he is sitting there beside me, on the edge of the tub, rubbing my back, handing me a cool cloth, putting tooth paste on my tooth brush and offering a glass of water. And then, he follows me back to bed and curls up beside me, rubbing my back until I fall back asleep. Granted, there are mornings that he just doesn't hear me and realize that I am up already, but on the mornings he does, he's there with me.

Another thing I have noticed is his increased concern for my eating habits. After these early morning episodes, he often gets up ahead of me, and prepares some breakfast so that I am able to nibble on something before I get out of bed. And, at the end of many days, he comes home and asks me what I was able to eat/not eat that day and if I got enough. He offers to put more snacks, meals, and smoothies together for me than ever before.

And lastly, he has started to call me more often during the day just to check in. He used to call semi-often but usually only if there was a reason ... a question to ask me, or a message to give me, or something like that. Now, he calls most days just to see how I have been feeling. He also has come to appointments with me and asked questions and listened to the details about appointments he hasn't been able to be at.

I appreciate these things so much because they show how happy he is to be a part of this journey. While I have already seen my baby on the ultrasound screen and can feel my body changing, the only evidence he really has of this new life is a positive sign on a plastic stick and the sight of his wife with her head over the toilet. I'm already learning that the journey to parenthood is so different for the father and the mother. But he is doing everything he can right now to be a part of it. And I love that.

So, while I show my excitement about our impeding arrival by looking at baby stuff online, and telling everyone I see and talk to that I'm expecting, he shows his excitement in a different way - by caring for and about me, and by showing genuine interest in the pregnancy.

I'm am seriously so pumped that he is the daddy to my baby and I cannot, cannot, cannot wait to see more of this transformation!