‘To this day, I still get butterflies’
DISCOVERING that they have a bun in the oven can be quite an emotional experience for women, but until they have broken the news to the dads-to-be, their work is not quite done. And these days, the Internet has shown us that there is no limit on the depth of creativity that a woman may go to make the grand announcement.
Whether it’s a man’s first or sixth child, these videos posted online have taught us that there is no way of knowing for certain what end of the emotional roller coaster a man might find himself on. Some men may respond with genuine enthusiasm, some may be completely consumed by bliss and happiness, while others may seem indifferent or even anxious and fearful.
How did you react? We asked some dads to give us a sneak peek into the moment they learned that they were going to be dads.
Orando, 30, father of one:
It felt like a dream, almost, and I never wanted to wake up from it. We had a difficult time getting pregnant and at the time we weren’t even trying, but I guess that the seventh year is the charm. I asked her so many times if she was sure, made her do three additional tests, and sat watching her like a romantic scene from a movie while she took them. To this day, I still get butterflies. One main thing that I will admit also happened is that I was instantly financially terrified, but at that moment I made a vow to always make sure that they (my girlfriend and child) would never be in need of anything so long as I am alive.
Ismael, 25, father of two:
For me, it’s always a joy to know that I am a process that resulted in the creation of a life. With both my children, a boy and a girl, I was overjoyed. In fact, especially with my first child, I cried man — tears of joy. There are no better gifts for me than my children and I am happy I had them at this age because they motivate me constantly.
Kemron, 40, father of one:
My daughter is eight and it still is fresh in my mind how my knees buckled when my wife, then girlfriend, told me we were going to have a baby. There are no words to really explain the joy at that moment, but I remember that my chest tightened and my heart fisted the walls of my chest. It is a feeling I don’t want to ever forget. In fact, I do hope I can feel it once more before I hit half a century.
Jovis, 28, father of one:
I was overwhelmed with happiness because I have always wanted a child. When I found out it was a girl, I couldn’t sleep for days; I was just up talking to myself and practising how I was going to spoil her and tell her how much I love her until she gets annoyed with it.
Pete, 37, father of three:
I always wanted a family and the children came and filled my life with love and joy. I remember especially with the first child, I held my wife so tightly I thought she would have a miscarriage. That news is easily the second-best moment to the moment they actually enter the world. My third child, unfortunately, was not conceived in the best circumstances, so I was fearful about what that meant for my relationship with my wife. I was not able to really celebrate the child but I was able to experience the joy of getting that child after she was born.
Nevada, 29, father of one:
The moment was actually not a surprise for me because I knew that she would be pregnant from the moment of conception. Confirming it was easily, even today, the best day of my life. My daughter is the best thing that has happened to me, well us, and I am extremely happy to father the best human being that I know.
