Ayla On the Thumb

Babies are an interesting breed. All you have to do is meet their basic needs and they are as happy as a clam. Feed them, burp them, change them, put them to bed. This covers about 95% of their crying. The solutions are usually extremely simple. Their is no need to set up a three-ring circus for a baby because chances are they just want to be bounced or something. Take the picture of my daughter below. She is sucking on, what in her opinion, is a delectable thumb, and is as happy as a clam.

But at the same time, deciphering which of those simple needs is necessary at that moment is the difficult part. Does she need to be changed? Is there still some gas in there? Does she just want something to suck on or is she really hungry? And the worst part is that when you are in the heat of the moment and your baby is screaming, you tend to forget some of the simplest solutions such as swaddling your baby or holding her a different way.

And when you figure out exactly what it is that she wants, you move from absolute stress to a sense of accomplishment and pride previously unparalleled in your life. Because you know that you have met the needs of your child and, consequently, fulfilled the exact duty given to you through parenthood. I love that feeling.

Ayla on the Thumb, Franklin, TN
70mm, f/4.5, 1/30 sec

Being Pregnant

Being a man, I do not profess to know everything about being pregnant. I have never and will never have a child growing in my womb. And, most likely, will never know the pain and effort it takes to push that little child out of my body. That being said, I do know what it is like to have a wife who is pregnant. So, to this I will try to offer my humble opinion.

Having a pregnant wife is an incredible experience because I see someone I love so much, grow and nurture a child I have never met, but already love and care for. It is hard to watch my wife be in pain or uncomfortable or nauseous or any number of things that happen to her during pregnancy. I almost feel guilty because I don't ache the way she does and therefore can't fully identify and understand what is happening to her body. It is exciting to feel our daughter kicking and punching and moving around inside my wife because one day she will be in my arms kicking and punching and moving around. It is like standing on the edge of the unknown; not knowing what it is like to have a child of my own to care for and nurture. One who needs me and my wife to survive. How else is the baby going to bathe and eat and find shelter and relationships. It will be utterly helpless and depending on us. But finally it is one of the most amazing things to ever happen to me. Because when it comes down to it, all those emotions and feelings are what make it unique, memorable, exciting, and even a little scary.

The following picture was taken on a swinging bench on a dock in Charleston as my wife and I were talking about our daughter and what to name her.

Pregnant on the Dock, Charleston, SC