I didn't tell many people at the time but when my first child was born, it was a bit of a shock to the system. Bonding didn't really happen for some time. Hence why I needed to write about it as I found out that many people had a similar experience. I never really felt ready to be a parent. I just stopped caring about losing my single life. It was a similar experience for my second. The point came where both of us wanted to try again, but we were more ambivalent to staying as a family of three, rather than desperately wanting a second. Does that make sense? This time round however, I couldn't believe how much more connected I felt. I'm even proud to say it brought me to tears. For this, I have my son to thank for paving the way. As I watched my wife giving birth, it reminded me of how amazing the human body is. So is the brain for that matter. The process by which similar experiences feel very different is incredible.
People have already asked what it's like to have a second. To be honest, it's going to be very different for each person. However, we expected and found that our relationship with our son would be the tricky part. The lack of sleep can be challenging, but because you've been through it before, it does seem more manageable this time. Our son was a bit confused at first, but he has now developed into a fine big brother. He wants to look after her, he gets himself dressed more often and just seems to be relishing being treated more like a grown up. There are a few moments for example when he tries to put his sister in a cardboard box. On the whole, things are going good so far. I
So here's WAD (What About Dad) signing off as a very proud, but yet again, sleep deprived dad.
