{Father’s Day 2014 is TOMORROW and to honor the men in our lives, we turned over the blogging reins to some pretty special dads this past week. Check out all of our dads as they shared their joys, regrets, and journeys to fatherhood with Austin Dads Blog.}Parenthood came as a surprise to Matt and me, but he sure has taken it in stride. From late night feedings to practically being a single dad while I traveled for work, Matt has been there for our little lady. I love this blog recounting the first moments of fatherhood for him. What a journey. Here’ s my husband, Matt Barry.
When “We Need To Talk” Starts Your Fatherhood Journey
How did I become a dad? It sure wasn’t the way I planned it. Growing up I probably didn’t even think about how I would really become a dad. But, if I did I probably thought it would happen in the a traditional way. And by that I mean… find a girl you like, date her for a while, realize that you can’t live without her, propose to her, be engaged for a while, get married, by a house, enjoy being married for a while, and THEN start having kids. Yeah…. I got the “find the girl you can’t live without” part right… but that was about it.
As chronicled by that girl I can’t live without (Vanessa) previously, things happened a little out of order for us. I remember it like it was yesterday. I got home from work, expecting that we might go out for a couple of drinks. I walked in the door and immediately got hit with “we need to talk.” Nothing good ever comes after those words.
What came after those words changed my life forever. I found out I was going to be a dad. Like I said, this wasn’t how I expected it to happen. This wasn’t part of the blueprint. Instead, I was trying to pick my jaw up off the ground. How did this happen? Are we sure this really happened?
Well, it did happen and there wasn’t any time to worry about how it happened. Life got real, really fast. I was going to be a dad!
Whether we meant for this happen or not, it was meant to happen. And, it was probably the greatest thing I’ve ever done. What we ended up with nine months later was the incredible. Caroline was an absolute blessing.
So how did I face this challenge of unplanned fatherhood and not back down or runaway? It happens all the time. Guy and girl get pregnant before marriage and guy disappears or at best is a poor representation of what dad is supposed to be. Well, those two options weren’t options for me. If I made a kid, then I was going to be a DAD.
I didn’t have far to look to understand how to be a great father. I have one of the best and he prepared me well to be a great father. I hit the ground running. There hasn’t been a day that has gone by since Caroline was born that I haven’t enjoyed being a dad.
Being a dad is what life is all about. There are so many things that I enjoy about being dad. So many experiences that only a dad knows. They are indescribable and unforgettable.
I think back to that night on the couch when Vanessa “had to talk” and I’m so glad that she did and that we embraced the opportunity to become parents.
I’m a true believer that everything happens for a reason. My (now) husband and I wrre dating for only 5 months when we found out I was pregnant. He was in Florida for work, and I couldn’t wait until he came home several days later to tell him, so I broke it to him over the phone. Probably not my best idea. I sat on the floor in the closet of my apartment crying and wondering where this would take our relationship. Little did we know, there were TWO babies in my belly. We decided right then on the phone, this was going to be the best, most important thing we had ever done. I’m so thankful to all of the events that lined up in our lives to make things happen how they did. 🙂 We are a little “backwards” and that’s just fine with me.