Your father instinct is superb because you really care about your loved ones. Seldom we can see fathers like you who find time to check the welfare and more on the safety before anything else.

Use that rare commodity, (un)COMMON SENSE!
I was apprehensive about the arrival of our first 'baby', I didn't want to know the gender, nor did I care whether it would be a boy or a girl. My Wife wanted to know, right up until the moment she walked into the ultrasound room, then she changed her mind, and joined my ranks of 'there are very few true suprizes in life...'

Brie came 5 weeks early, The water broke on the day of our first scheduled Pre-Natal class, so we went into it completely blind! (isn't that a scary thing!) We didn't even have any diapers or basic baby items yet, so While We waited, I was sent to purchase all the things we would need. I didn't have a clue, but when looking at the shelves in Wall....t, I used common sense, and made out very well. The Midwife was pleasantly surprised that I got everything we needed!

That's when I knew that everything would be OK! All apprehensions were gone (except for the back of the mind fear that there would be a complication with the pregnancy, thank god there wasn't.

You are very fortunate that you will have the chance to live TWO lives! Pre-child, which you know all about (I hope), and a Brend New Live that begins with the arrival of your Son. I much prefer my new life, with Brie over ANY of the highlights of my pre-child life. She'll be Three this Easter, and already has had stitches on her chin, (a pre-school mishap), has learned how to swim, (since 6 months), and is veru polite.

Her politeness comes from being 1, a Canadian (everyone thinks that Canadians are so polite), and 2, Mommy and Daddy won't put up with ANY requests or demands, without the use of the 'magic word', and it's follow up, Thank you. She tries, from time to time, but is met with either no reaction, or we say 'Pardon', until she says please. She started with Baby Sign Language, and now both speaks and signs PLEASE.

Set some basic rules like these, and have Planet Wifey on board, and you will never have problems while shoping, or out in public, or in the car, or anywhere. I would suggest you read "The Happiest Baby On The Block", by Dr.Karp, a quick read, but excelent.

A couple last things, SWADDLE, TIGHTLY!, it mimics the womb, and thus puts the baby at ease as in comfortable surroundings, and the crying stops almost instantly. make sure you get a good quality stretchy fabric swaddling blanket for this.

And finally, SLEEP WHEN BABY SLEEPS! All the rest of your time with a few exceptions will be tending to the needs of your Son. It is too easy to try to do everything when the baby is asleep, but then you are exhausted, and the baby will then NOT want to go to sleep for a few hours. Even if you set a 20-30 minute timer, to take a cat-nap, then tackle those dishes, or laundry, you will keep your sanity and health, and be able to enjoy being a Father or Da-D!

Fear not. Most of these big decisions make themselves. The only scary part is not having time to compose a post like that above, or merely the thoughts that support it.

Scared? Maybe too strong a word, but sometimes it can be down right scary. Maybe because our pregnancies were rough, and the births had some surprises in store for us. Life is a fragile yet resilient. I worry about every sniffle or cough the boys have now. Hearing "daddy it hurts" and only being able to comfort them with love and med's sometimes is hard. You wish you can take away the pain, but you can't. Your boy or girl needs to fight every battle. At first it may be the sniffle and then it gets complicated. His/her interaction with others, their first heartbreak, or their first skinned knee. The scary thing is that you can't do it all for them. They are after all individuals who will eventual take flight, and spread their own wings. For now enjoy the little stuff, and help as much as you can. Knowing that someday your son or daughter will flourish should be inspiration and comfort during those scary times we call parenthood.

Clarence, there is much truth to the saying, "ignorance is bliss..." Enjoy the journey into the unknown with your first child, as this time everything is a new experience and there is nothing to fear. It is the next kid that will be scary because you'll know firsthand what is coming. ;-) Congrats, and ENJOY. There is no greater challenge, accomplishment and reward than being a father.

I can take you to the spot where I stood when my wife told me we were having our first child.

I can remember the sights, smells, sounds and emotions as the nurse handed me that little baby girl we named Katy.

I can show you the photos and tell the stories of her wedding last December.

Have II been afraid at times? Yes, terribly, but now I am only filled with peace, joy and wonderful memories. Being a father is the greatest accomplishment I have ever attained. Our children have and continue to fill our lives with riches.

You sound like a pretty together, organized guy. What you need to be afraid of is that everything you can do so easily on your own, or so easily with another adult like Planet Wifey, suddenly becomes overwhelmingly difficult when a child arrives.

Should you be afraid of losing your edge, your brain, your mellow weekend mornings and your easy interaction with Planet Wifey? Yes!

I'll leave it for others to talk about the awesomeness of a child in your life, because yes it is great and yes I have two kids and yes I love 'em to death, but I did not realize how hard it would be to do the simplest things with a baby around. Shower. Laundry. Work out. Date with husband. I did not realize how totally my routines would be upended, and that I would have to WORK to make new ones that function in support of a child.

What you need to be aware of, not afraid of, is that things that used to be so easy now take planning akin to the freakin' Normandy Invasion (and that's just to get everyone out of the house and into the car. Wait till the kid throws up 4 blocks from the house. Awesome.)

It took me a long time to accept that I just can't cram as much into my life as I used to, because dang it, there's this other person there now. I'm still horrible at slowing down and living in the moment, and they really do grow up fast.

So, be aware, not afraid, that things that used to be easy, aren't any more, and it's not because your brain has turned to mush....well, it IS, sort of. :) Don't fight it all the time, like I did and still do.

And when "date night" means going to the grocery store, just the two of you, with no one yanking on the produce and screaming in the cart, that date will be bliss, because it'll be so easy and you'll remember why Planet Wifey is so terrific. Work to keep your relationship strong, because it's the foundation and it's alarmingly easy to neglect it when everything else suddenly gets so hard, and that's a mistake.

Congratulations to you (and yes, we all feel weird the first few months when people call us "Dad" and "Mom" and you're looking around thinking, who are they talking to?) :)

There is nothing to be afraid of. In fact I would go as far as to say the only thing to be afraid of is over preparation. Sometimes prepping everything in advance gives you a sense of calm, but it also gives you a sense of stability. So when the baby is born and everything gets rocked to the core, that makes your over preparation seem unstable.

Do the necessities. Get the carseat and set up the crib and paint the nursery. But let everything else happen naturally. I have 3 kids (ages 7, 4, and 2) and they are the best part of who I am. Good luck!

The afraid thing comes from the fact that suddenly YOU are responsible for another human in a way that you've never been before. Sure, you step up and protect your siblings, family and wife, but they can also make decisions and take care of themselves as well. When your son arrives YOU are the person that needs to do everything for him and that IS freaky.

But, it is also all worth it. Every moment (even the sucky hard ones) is worth it in the long run because the rewards of looking into your son's eyes and thinking "hey this little man is mine and I'm going to teach him to be a man" is a feeling that no one that isn't a father can fully appreciate.

It is scary. You should be scared. But, you should be more excited then any other emotion.

You are absolutely correct, there is nothing to fear and everything to embrace. I'd also argue your life begins again with the birth of your child. As much fun as I had in my life before I became a father, I've had even more fun watching my son grow and learn. I guess it is all in how you look at it and I think you've got a great view of it. Change is inevitable, it is all in how you embrace it.

We are expecting our second child in a few months and I'm not scared or fearful. Sure there is some nervousness in how I'm going to handle an infant and a precocious toddler, but like anything in life it is a challenge that must be embraced.