Lilypie 3rd Birthday Ticker Lilypie 1st Birthday Ticker (Mrs.) Carn-Dog's comments: Are you ready?

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Are you ready?

There are two questions I find particularly annoying these days. One is, “how is your wife?” Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I’m not interested in her well being or in you being concerned about her well being, but it’s just that, it is only one of two questions people ask me. And to tell you the truth, most of the time I don’t really know how she is doing. Today I can report that she is bored. She is bored because she is on Spring Break and spends all day at home watching T.V. and resting. Her ankles aren’t swollen, and she looks fantastic for a 39+ weeker. So I report that she is doing well, but she is bored.

And for the other question…”are you ready?” Am I ready? Is Josh Carney ready to be a dad? Well, the best answer I have for people is that I’m as ready as I was when I got married. What would constitute being ready?

In sports if a team loses a game, the coach will say something like, “we just weren’t mentally prepared, we weren’t ready for our game tonight.” Apparently the team made too many mistakes or didn’t do enough right consistently to win the game. We would say that they weren’t prepared.

How do you get ready to be a dad? It strikes me that a lot of the same will be true. I will make mistakes, I will often feel that I did not do enough right consistently. I envision in about two weeks, feeling deprived of sleep and telling myself I’m not ready. I see down the road when Roy is 12 and starts asking questions about sex…I won’t be ready for that either. And someday he will leave for college or maybe just leave…and I won’t be ready. But I will do all those things. And I will do them as best as I can. I’m not going to worry about those moments, just do my best to be Josh Carney when they happen.

So yes I’m ready. To get ready, I decided with my wife nine months ago that we wanted to try and have a child and to get ready I’ve committed loving Roy as best as I know how. That is how I’ve gotten ready. So, yes I’m ready.

8 comments:

Craig said...

After you left I found more stuff I wanted to read to you, but you practically wrote what Lamott did. Check this paragraph out...

"A sober friend told me that while fear and confusion often swirl around us, faith is straight ahead: I trusted that even though I didn't know a thing about taking care of infants, toddlers, kids, or teenagers, I would be shown the next right step on a need-to-know basis. I trusted that other parents would help me every step of the way, and that if I did not keep secrets when motherhood was going particularly badly, there would be healing and enough understanding and stamina to get by. And this has proven to be true."

Carnay and Lamott, on the same wavelength.

Craig said...

*Carney

Robyn said...

Just wing it, Josh, and enjoy the adventure. It is such a wild and exciting ride. I love being a parent, and you will, too. Oh, but the sex questions start LONG before 12, so get "ready!"

Erik said...

There is no way Linds can be bored today. In roughly an hour, the greatest day of every year begins. Yes, I am speaking of March Madness Tip-Off. For just over 12 hours it is wall to wall college hoops. And this year, as an added bonus, Bucky has a legit shot at winning a national title. I don't know if I'm ready for much, but I am ready to spend countless hours watching college hoops with my boy, and hopefully he'll learn a thing or two.

greenISgood said...

How's your wife now?

Janalee said...

It doesn't really take a lot to make me cry, but this certainly sent me over the top. I know I'm ready to meet Roy. With parents like you two, he is bound to be AMAZING!

Anonymous said...

let me speak on behalf of peeps with kid(s) there aint no way in hell you can be ready for this exciting frustrating amazing journey that people call adult hood. yes being a dad is freakin awesome 90% of the time...but lets be honest about the only thing we are ever ready for is bedtime and i can promise that you will be well prepared for this shortly - matt addington

my sign in thing didnt work

Anonymous said...

Carney, congrats on the kid! I haven't talked to you in a coon's age but I hope all else is well for you.
grace and peace
Michael Borg