10 Things I've Learned As A New Father

It is been just over a week since we welcomed our first son Beau Stewart Bradley into the world.  I planned on teaching him so many things but had no idea the things that I would learn in these first couple of weeks.  Here are 10 that immediately come to my mind.

Photo by Michelle @ www.industry405.com.

1. Changing diapers isn't as nasty as I thought it would be. (yet)  Beau's first diaper was my first diaper to change and it wasn't that bad.  The hardest part is getting his strong legs to cooperate.


2. I haven't been this excited about pee, poop, and burps since middle school.  Bodily functions mean that all systems are go.  I never thought I would have to chart the frequency, color, and consistency of my child's #2 but it just means everything is working properly.


3. There isn't anything much sweeter than having your son sleep on your chest.  Some of my favorite moments.


4. Watching my wife care for our son is extremely attractive.  I fell in love with my wife about 7 years ago while we both worked at Pine Cove Christian Camps.  Watching her positively impact the lives of her campers sealed the deal for me.  Watching her love on and care for our sweet son is sexy on a whole different level.


5. God is concerned with the small details of our lives.  God has answered many prayers in the past 9 months.  However in these past 2 weeks as we have prayed for pee, breastfeeding, amazing nurses, healing, wisdom, and so much more, I am begininning to realize how much God truly listens.

Photo by Michelle @ www.industry405.com.

6. A 4 hour block of sleep is better than 2 - 3 hour blocks of sleep.  There is nothing like a good nights rest to give you energy.  A bunch of naps are good, but you have to find ways to get deep sleep to be truly energized.


7. It is a major blessing to have people bring meals.  A good friend of ours set up a schedule on takethemameal.com for people to bring us dinner while we adjust to our new life.  We have had delicious meals brought to us by friends, co-workers, Sunday School class, and family.  It has been such a blessing that we have had to rearrange our refrigerator for all the food to fit!


8. There are many God given instincts that kick in to help you care for your baby.  Other than some reading I did beforehand, when it comes to babies I have absolutely zero knowledge or experience.  I am so surprised at how much I know and am able to do instinctively.  It's a reassurance that I was created to be a father.


9.  Babies cry for a reason.  I must admit that I have always been fearful of babies crying.  I now know that it is their only way to communicate and that they nearly always cry for a reason.  For someone who likes problem solving, I am already learning how to troubleshoot his crying and am usually able to figure out the cause of it.  Although I can't always make him stop, it sure does make me feel better if I know the reason behind it.


10. I have to rely on God more than ever.  I like to be in control and with a newborn baby there are so many things out of my hands.  I am slowly learning how to open my hands and not grip so tightly.

Katy and I are already enjoying this journey and are excited about all we will learn along the way.

Photo by Michelle @ www.industry405.com.

What have you learned from your newborn?