A New Father's Pride

This probably isn't what you expect. I'm sure most, if not all, first-time fathers have a sense of pride in their babies, particularly if their first-born is a boy. Of course, I feel that sense of pride with Max, but there is another source for the pride I feel these days as a new father. It comes from my wife, Max's mother, Jennifer.

I've told her this before, but at the moment that Max was born, I felt an incredible mix of emotions from joy, to love, to pride. I was (and still am) proud of her. Through nearly 9 months of pregnancy she did everything she possibly could to be healthy and take care of herself and our growing baby boy. She ate right, took her vitamins, drank lots of water and did everything they tell you to do when you are pregnant. And after watching her work through the pain and discomfort of the delivery, seeing the relief and exhaustion on her face when Max made his entrance into the world, I could not help but feel proud as I leaned over to her and told her “You did it.” It wasn't just that she did a fantastic job pushing. There was much more to it than that. I was proud to have her as my wife, and I was proud that Max has her for his mother. You're a lucky kid, Max. And I am a lucky man to have such a wonderful woman in my life. She's the reason Max is here and healthy and happy (most of the time—his fussiness isn't because of her. I like to blame Pippi). She is a terrific mother and she deserves all the happiness in the world. And did I mention how proud I am of her?