How Did Daddy Do?

Several people who visited and called after Bayden was born asked me this.  I had never thought to ask our friends or family this when they had babies, but now I will; it's daddy's day too.  Bayden's daddy did great.

He was calm and told me everything was going to be ok after my water broke and I was scared as they were hooking me up to the monitors and an IV.

He rubbed my back through each contraction that morning.  Once I think he said to just let him know if I didn't want him to do something; maybe thinking I might yell, "STOP TOUCHING ME!" like in a movie.    

He held my leg when I was pushing.  He cut the umbilical cord.  He stayed with Bayden when they had to take her to the nicu and took pictures.  He said how great I did to me and to everyone he told the birth story too.

He let our friends and family know she was here and when and how to visit.  He took care of paperwork things, took things home, brought things to the hospital.

That first night when company was all gone and it was the 3 of us in the nicu, he was holding Bayden and told her he loved her and then told me it was the first time he said that, like he wanted to remember that moment forever.  He did the same thing the first time he gave her a kiss.  He told me he went back and read my very first blog post that day and he told Bayden how 17 months ago we decided to go all in because we wanted her so bad.  He had his hand on her little arm and said how he remembered from our childbirth class that any skin to skin contact is what she needs.

Now that I'm home, I can tell he is trying to balance how he reacts to my emotions.  Sometimes telling me I've got to be strong and reminding/lecturing me to take care of myself,  other times just hugging me and letting me cry, and sometimes getting me to laugh about it later because - did I really cry the other night because I couldn't get the drain closed to take a bath?

I always knew he would be a great dad, but to see him now is better than I ever imagined.

P.S.  Gav had looked in the envelope and knew we were having a girl all along.  He never told me and never let on that he knew because he knew that's how I wanted it.  In the end, I'm glad he looked because he'd been working harder than I knew on picking a name for her.