Your favorite thing about being a father. "In the morning when Gabriel wakes up, he has the biggest and brightest smiles I’ve ever seen. He looks so cute in his crib when his eyes are still a little sleepy and he looks up at me like I’m the only person in the world. We also love spending time with him before bedtime after a long day. Sometimes when he’s really tired, he gets a little delirious with “the giggles.” It doesn’t matter what my wife and I do, he will crack up with a huge belly laugh like it’s the funniest thing he’s ever seen. Words cannot describe the joy this curious little person has brought me…"

How did you find out about the pregnancy?  "We actually found out together. We lost a baby in late 2006, and had been pretty upset for a while, so our first “pregnancy test night” a few months after our loss was a very exciting and nervous time for both of us. We kept telling ourselves we wouldn’t get our hopes up, but it was hard not to. Fortunately, we saw those two magical pink lines and shared lots of tears, along with some oh-so-cliché jumping up and down for dramatic effect!"

Any struggles or fears? "My fear was probably the fear of most guys out there – MONEY!! I was worried we wouldn’t have enough for all the things that we’d need: car seats, strollers, diapers, formula, toys, clothes…the list goes on and on! Growing up, I always told my parents that I could spend my life selling pencils on the side of the road and as long as I was happy, I’d be fine. In that moment when your brain registers those two pink little lines, you suddenly realize that it’s not about you anymore. In that moment, no amount of money seems like it will be good enough for that tiny little person. Fortunately, Katie and I are strong in our faith and knew that even though we were sure to have some rough times, we would be taken care of."

Did your wife have any moments that you will never forget? "My wife was actually very even-tempered during her pregnancy. She didn’t have a single mood swing. She did, however, crave Eggo waffles morning, noon and night. I’m not kidding; she would eat them every meal of the day and not even think twice about it. Fortunately we stocked-up on them, so I never had to make any 3-in-the-morning waffle runs!"

Any helpful resources? "Everyone seems to swear by the book What to Expect When You’re Expecting. We had this book, but much preferred the book 'Your Pregnancy Week By Week. It had interesting developmental information and pictures for every week that little Gabriel was growing. I’m sure What to Expect When You’re Expecting was a great book, but we got hooked on Your Pregnancy Week By Week early on and didn’t really give the former a solid chance. Every Wednesday night, Katie and I would snuggle up in bed and read the next chapter of our book. It was a great opportunity for us to talk about what each of us was feeling, and share our concerns. There are also tons of baby websites you can subscribe to that will answer just about any question you have. You can register on the website (this is free) and give your baby’s due date, and they will e-mail you weekly updates on the development of your baby. This was a nice supplement to our book."

Who was your healthcare provider? "Saint Joseph East was a wonderful hospital and we had a very positive experience there. The suites are very large and quite comfortable. I kept waiting for them to take us to a delivery room, but the suite is the delivery room, which is really nice."

First thought the moment you saw your son. "Any words I could say here would pale in comparison to the feeling I had the first time I saw my son. First-time Dads-to-be out there – if you’re emotional at all, be prepared to cry your eyes out! It is so much more than breathtaking to meet that tiny person that’s been kicking and punching at your partner’s belly for months. Feelings for your wife after delivery? My wife was induced because they were worried that Gabriel was getting too big (he was 8 lbs 5 oz at birth). All in all, her labor and delivery was pretty simple (easy for me to say, eh?), although she pushed for 2 hours straight (WOW!!) Through the labor and delivery, I think I gained a lot of respect for my wife. Granted, I had loads of respect for her before, but she was always a bit of a self-admitted “weenie” when it came to pain. She was an absolute champ giving birth, though!"

Any advice for first time dads? "First, Educate yourself. Read books. Get on the Internet. Take pregnancy classes with your partner. The more you know, the better you’ll both feel. My wife is a natural worrier, so I spent hours researching pregnancy, birthing, the growth of the baby, etc. That way when a pain she was feeling concerned her during her pregnancy I could reassure her that it was a normal pain. It really gave her peace of mind. Second, keep in mind that your partner already has a lot going on hormone-wise and is probably very nervous about pregnancy, birth, raising the baby, and a million other things. YOU HAVE TO BE HER ROCK – even if you’re terrified! She needs to know that you are there for her no matter what happens. Remember, it was just the two of you before this baby came along. She needs to know that the relationship you have had together, no matter what type of relationship it is, will remain a constant through this whole experience. Next, make sure you and your partner make time for one another after baby gets here – just the two of you. I’m not suggesting that you rush out when your baby is 2 weeks old, but you get the idea. Take a day every couple of weeks or so and let the Grandparents watch the baby. Go to dinner and a movie. Go to the park for a picnic. Heck, go to a Monster Truck show…just do something together that you both enjoy. It will give you an opportunity to talk about how you’re both feeling about everything, which is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! It is never a good situation if a Mother feels overwhelmed but has nobody to talk to about it; or a Father for that matter. Nurture your relationship through communication, communication and more communication. It’s like Miracle-Gro for relationships. Like I said, it was just the two of you before the baby came along, and someday it will go back to being just the two of you. Keep that flame burning between you and your partner and you will find that you will have a much easier time raising your baby together. Children respond to happy, healthy relationships and grow up to have happy, healthy relationships of their own. Finally, try to relax! You’d be surprised how many things will come naturally to you even if you haven’t spent a lot of time around kids. You will step into that 'Father' role without any thought. I’m not saying it won’t be a lot of work, but don’t stress out about it. You’re going to do just fine."

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