Last night, I was talking babies with my wife. I asked her something and she responded, “You will have a lot to learn.”

“Well, won’t you have a lot to learn too?” I asked back.

“No, not really. But I will have a lot to teach you,” she countered.

Then, not too long after that, she spoke again.

“And I can’t wait.”

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No joke, that is how the conversation went verbatim. But don’t think that Sidney was giving herself too much credit. It is true, she is a baby pro. She has taken care of babies and kids since she was a teenager. Parents swear by her. She has been called a “baby whisperer.” She worked in a popular Myrtle Beach baby store. She has dreamed about having a baby to call her own since she was little.

So, when our daughter is born, it surely won’t be the blind leading the blind. It will be someone who knows her stuff teaching someone who has never even changed a diaper before.

The first step to preparing yourself to learn is by admitting your ignorance. CAN YOU HEAR ME!? That is me jumping up and down saying that I know very little about baby care. Well, perhaps I can cut myself some slack. I have definitely done my due diligence the past eight months reading books, asking questions, and picking the brains of other dads. So perhaps I do have some knowledge when it comes to babies but I have very little practical experience. The learning curve will be steep.

But that is why I am so lucky to have Sidney, a woman who not only is excited to teach me but who is a teacher by profession. Motivation and skill on Sidney’s part will go a long way to helping mold me into a good dad.

Perhaps that is why I am not scared (yet) for the baby to come, just a little nervous. There is no reason to be afraid when I know I will be taught the tricks of the trade by the best person possible. The nerves come from the fact that I know I will still screw up plenty of times and probably look stupid in front of my in-laws. But I can handle that!

Pretty soon I will be receiving on the job training from a seasoned professional. Hopefully Sidney will still be excited to teach me a few months in. Don’t Blink.