Resuming The Thread

It's been a long while since I lasted posted here. That's what fatherhood does, I suppose, grab your time and make you prioritise. Between working, fathering and trying to get some sleep there is less time and certainly less inclination to do other things which may be less important.

Is this a symptom of being an older date? Do younger dads, with more energy and a sunnier outlook on life, have more time or prioritise better? That's a good question.

Let's review things. I am now 51 and my little boy Scott is less than a month short of his first birthday. He has experienced his first Christmas, he has 4 razor sharp teeth which he likes to keep in good shape by biting my nose, he can crawl at a fearful pace, he stands up at every opportunity, he laughs, claps to order, High Fives', and flirts with women appallingly.

The dogs get on fine with him, with the bitch, Cari, dotes on him. We have had zero problems of jealousy or lack of hygiene (that's been a running battle) but there is contention for time as the dogs love their walks and interaction.

We have bought thousands of pounds worth of stuff from clothes to sterilisation units to food to bottles to toys, babybjorns, two prams, two car seats, playpens, walkers, I could go on and on. The generosity of others leaves me short of words when it comes to well wishes and gifts.

And Scott has gone digital. He has his own Twitter account at scottedunn and his collection of bedtime stories are on http://babyscottstories.wordpress.com where I have tried to remember the stories I make up for him. Who knows, maybe that will get published some day.

What has it been like, this last 10 or so months? Hard work. I can't remember ever being this tired and we have had but two nights which I can even tell you the dates of when he has slept right through without waking up for a top-up of milk and a cuddle. But it has been a joy. I guess it must be harder for a 50 year old and I worry more about keeping working and the money coming in but, between us, my wife and I have done well. He's a thriving, healthy, happy little boy who is wickedly funny and into all things dubious. He has been a life changing ball of fun.

And here's the rub. My wife is around 14 weeks pregnant with our second child. How about that for a showstopper? Like London buses, we have waited so long for one baby to arrive, there appears a second almost immediately. Of all the lovely mummies we have met at our NCT classes who are considerably younger than my wife, she is the only one who is pregnant again.

The plus side - we have some experience and plenty of kit ready. The downside - our house will never accommodate two toddlers and two dogs. Money will be an issue when we need a new home. On the really big plus side - it's a dream come true.

I'm going to try and keep this blog going over the next few months and catch up a bit on the past and tell you what it has really been like for a 50+ year old dad.


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