Liam's Daddy

It’s hard to know where to start when putting into words how lucky I am to have Bryan for my husband and how lucky Liam is to have him for his father. I knew in choosing Bryan to be my partner in life that he would make an incredible dad, which is part of the reason I married him. To see him transforming into a dad through this pregnancy, though, has surpassed my expectations.

Bryan has taken such sweet care of me as I have gone through the ups and downs of being pregnant. He has read books and articles and email updates from various pregnancy websites, and has been excited each Saturday to see what size vegetable Liam is that week and how his little body is developing. He has been enthusiastic about attending classes- from Preparing for Labor and Delivery to Breastfeeding for Couples to Dogs and Babies and more. During our Labor and Delivery class, we got an hour to break for lunch and as we got into the car, I noticed he was giving me a funny, smitten look. I asked what that was about and he told me how he was in awe of what my body was doing to grow Liam and how proud he was of me for doing a great job carrying our baby. He learned all of the various massage techniques to help me through potential back labor and breathing exercises we can do together so he can coach me and support me. He showed up 110% and as I looked around the room, he was noticeably more engaged than a lot of the other dads there (not to brag, but… I have to brag.) He lies beside me in bed and counts kicks, and sits on the floor beside me while I rock in nursery and reads Liam books. He holds onesies up to his shoulder and practices burping him with a precious grin on his face. He already adores Liam and I can see in his eyes that he is adoring me too as I grow this little guy.

I got some great advice from a college friend, Whitney at The Curtis Casa, about pouring into your spouse during pregnancy. She told me how she had learned that amidst the myriad of people and resources who will offer advice and the many choices you have to seek support during pregnancy, it’s so important to fully trust your husband to be what you need! Doctors and doulas and parents are all important, but at the end of the day, Bryan is my guy. It will be up to the two of us to parent Liam and to love one another well throughout this crazy parenting adventure. I have really tried to take this to heart and allow Bryan to step up to the plate rather than seeking too much of what I need from outside people, and he has truly blown me away. It’s already been an experience which has brought us together in a new way, and it makes me SO excited to actually see him hold our boy and watch him learn to be a daddy.

There have certainly been days when I have been flat out cranky and hormonal or when I have felt overwhelmed by one aspect of pregnancy or another. He has been so patient and has constantly told me I am beautiful (which feels especially good as I have reached the third trimester and the comments asking if I am having twins or if I am due TOMORROW because gosh I am just so big have begun!) I really don’t know what I would do without him. Even tonight, he made a yummy dinner, put on some nice music, sat and ate with me, did the dishes, and has promised to read the instructions then talk me through how the heck to use the breast pump that came in the mail today. (Wild night here at the Hill House.) I’m just really thankful for the man that he is and the way that he has shown up throughout this pregnancy. I cannot imagine doing this with anyone else.

Thank you, Bryan, for loving me so well and for being the incredible dad that you already are.

Labor Playlist

As we prepare ourselves for the day that we will bring Liam into the world, Bryan and I both feel strongly about being very intentional with the environment we want to create as I labor. We’re trying to educate ourselves through classes about different positions for laboring, breathing exercises, ways he can massage me to offer support and comfort, etc. Of course we don’t know what our actual delivery will look like. There are certain factors which are out of our control, so we will have to roll with the punches when the time comes. That said, we do feel confident that we are arming ourselves with the tools which will help us go into that day feeling as prepared as we can. We want to create an environment that will feel familiar and comforting and will help us connect as partners so that I know I can lean on him for support, and that he knows that he is the irreplaceable person I need by my side to coach and love me. We’ll be toting our big birthing ball to the hospital with us, a microwaveable heating pad, a number of back massagers, some essential oils, and last but not least- a speaker.

Growing up in my home, there was always music. There was music during dinner, music during chores, music during yard work, and music in the car. Maybe it’s the fact that I have a drummer for a dad, but I don’t remember any time when there was just quiet. To this day, if we’re all hanging out, someone will say “Can we get some music going?” or “Where’s the music?” In order for me to truly wind down, or to connect with a certain mood or memory, I’ve got to have the right soundtrack going.

So naturally, heading into this experience, I had to create a labor playlist! Some songs have special meaning for Bryan and me, some songs take me back to riding in the back seat of my parents car when I was little, and some are recent favorites that I’ve reflected more on as we prepare to become parents. But all of them make me feel thankful or peaceful or calm in some way, and I hope that having this music softly playing in the background will help us to create a space where we both feel comforted and confident.

Side Note: Bryan keeps trying to get me to add “Push It” by Salt-N-Peppa, but I continue to hold out on that one.

Liam’s Playlist:

1. Do You Remember, Jack Johnson
2. Something Beautiful, Needtobreathe
3. Danny’s Song, Loggins & Messina
4. This Is Heaven To Me, Madeleine Peyroux
5. Washed By The Water, Needtobreathe
6. Everything, Michael Buble
7. Feels Like Home, Chantal Kreviazuk
8. Garden, Needtobreathe
9. Blackbird, The Beatles
10. Home, Phillip Phillips
11. La Vie En Rose, Louis Armstrong
12. Michicant, Bon Iver
13. Moon River, Audrey Hepburn
14. New Slang, The Shins
15. Re: Stacks, Bon Iver
16. ‘S Wonderful, Joao Gilberto
17. Sunrise, Norah Jones
18. This Years Love, David Gray
19. Warm Love, Van Morrison
20. What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
21. Corcovado, Joao Gilberto
22. You and Me, Dave Matthews Band
23. Fields of Gold, Sting
24. God of Wonders, Caedmon’s Call
25. Crazy Love, Van Morrison
26. Harvest Moon, Neil Young
27. For Those Below, Mumford & Sons
28. I Know, Meaghan Smith
29. Mandolin Rain, Bruce Hornsby & The Range
30. So em teus bracos, Joao Gilberto
31. Sweet Baby James, James Taylor
32. Better Together, Jack Johnson
33. Gypsy, Fleetwood Mac
34. Something, The Beatles
35. Paradise, Coldplay
36. Fields of Gray, Bruce Hornsby
37. The Luckiest, Ben Folds
38. Here Comes the Sun, The Beatles
39. I and Love and You, The Avett Brothers
40. Little Martha, The Allman Brothers Band
41. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy), John Lennon