The deed is done, the longest, and yet shortest, 9 months of your life are over with and the painstaking delivery is through. The doctor cleans up your little one, as you sit and watch in absolute astonishment. The nurse walks over to you and congratulates you on becoming a dad as they place the newest member of your family in your arms. You thank them, without even realizing what’s happening, you look down at your bundle of joy, they look up at you with adoring eyes and that’s when it hits you. You’re on, its your turn to say something, this is it, these are the first words you will ever say to your child. So what will it be? Hi? Oh my god? Hey baby girl? Holy crap?
I’m told this moment is nothing more than an emotionally filled recollection of images. It comes back to you in bits and pieces and the first words you speak are so emotionally driven that anything you wanted to say gets thrown out the window. Having not experienced that moment yet I’m planning to have something eloquent and sweet prepared to say to my little bumblebee. But what?
I asked about 20 parents what they said to their newborn child the first time they held them in their arms, and the consensus was… “I’m not sure actually, probably hello?” So is all this worrying about what I’m going to say even worth it? It’s not like she’s going to remember it and bring it up one day…
That’s not going happen, but yet I still think about what Ill say. Not so one day she can look back on it and remember it, but so I can. So when she’s taking her first step or muttering her first words, I can look back and remember the exact phrase I first spoke to my little girl. The girl that will grow up too fast, teach ME about life and the girl I will live for, for the rest of my life.
So how about you? What were your first words to your newborn? What will your first words be? What do you wish you said? Or didn’t say? Let us know!
Tomm Bauer runs the blog “The Brew Daddy” which covers becoming a dad, a first time home owner along with being a beer drinker and sports fan. You can follow him on twitter at: @TommBauer