So...we are having a baby boy in about 2 days. We are making all sorts of preparations. Telia has been feathering the nest with the vigorous instinct of hardwired anticipation...as for me, it is more of a cognitive thing. I KNOW we are having him, but I think I’m going have SEE, hold and smell this little guy before the realization sets in. For the moment, I am content to help Telia and try to stretch my mind like taffy around this life altering change in my own way.
We’re trying to close in on a name. I know I’ve said it a lot lately, but the hard part isn’t coming up with a great name... it’s coming up with a great name that we both agree on. We both like the name Peter. He is my favorite figure in the New Testament save Jesus Himself, but I thought that name was sort off limits. It is my opinion that Peter had more faith and joi d’vivre than any other contemporary of the Savior. I mean, come on... I didn’t see any of the other Apostles getting out of the boat to walk on water ... and, just for the record, the names Peter and Benjamin in the same family is in no way an allusion to Beatrix Potter’s Peter rabbit and Benjamin Bunny. I am pretty sure she was one egg shy of a dozen. I know. I saw the movie (Miss Potter) ... well, half of it.
As part of my preparation, I have begun 2 paintings. Neither is finished. One is found in our “painting” section of this site entitled “unfinished” meant that we are never finished becoming fathers. The second one is WAY more ambitious and symbolic (pictured above). In fact it includes a lot of symbolic imagery that is significant to me at 3 levels. For now, I think it will suffice to say only I hope it is esthetically pleasing and that I finish it within the next 6 months.
Preparing for a child is a spiritual process. It is forcing me to examine who I am and contrasting that person to the father I want to be for my son. Although I cannot clearly see the future or know precisely what the next few years will bring, I am teeming with hope. I don’t know if my body has enough room to hold it all...I have hope coming out of my finger tips, eyes and lips.
If anyone has a suggestion for the painting, names or fatherly advice in general, give me a shout out in the comments section por favor.
3 comments:
good luck telia... we love you!
from kasey: patience and a gas mask. make sure you take turns and help each out totally, you'll get stressed and upset with each other. give yourself a time out if this happens!
keep us posted on the little guy!
I didn't know you painted Ben. It's beautiful. Serioulsy. And I heard the little guy finally came- saw a picture on Sierra's blog too and he is so so cute. Congratulations!!
This post is great Ben. It is always amazing when a new baby comes into the family, but it reminded me of how surreal it is when it is the first. The painting is amazing, you are really talented. As for having it sink in when you can finally hold him, smell him, etc., it doesn't quite happen that way. It almost makes it more unbelievable that he is here and yours and healthy and you made him and Heavenly Father trusts him with you and... on and on. It is truly amazing having a baby. By the way, I heard he arrived, congrats!! I'm dying for the updates.
Post a Comment