NEW blog: Diary of a first time father-to-be

In my 48 years on this planet, I have been, amongst other things, a speedway rider, a band member, a journalist and now, I am about to be a Dad. For the first time.

I’ve left it a bit late, I suppose, but there just seemed so many other things to do and kids, I reasoned, would get in the way.

I was the one who tutted loudly when gooey (and baggy) eyed parents had the audacity to bring their newborns onto the plane I was boarding through fear it would ruin the start of my holiday.

I also have to admit to being indifferent to the steady procession of babies paraded through the workplace by beaming new Mums who insisted that I ‘say hello’ to him (or her).

And, here is a confession… up until a couple of months ago, I had never held a baby. Not once.

I had an irrational fear that, for some reason, I would drop it onto its head. I am clumsy like that.

But now I am looking at babies, and children, in a whole new light.

That is probably a good thing as my partner and her 14-year-old daughter moved in with me earlier this year. More on that in future columns.

When a baby cries now, rather than think ‘will you just shut up’? I wonder what is wrong. Is it hungry? Tired? Poorly? Too hot? Too cold? And then I begin to worry about how I will react when my child tries out its tonsils during the first few weeks.

Up until recently, the only person I had to think about was me. That’s all changed now. Forever.

Now before I go any further, I accept my plight pales into insignificance when compared to what my partner is experiencing, but it’s still a life-changing experience.

Not only that, it’s a life-changing experience I am going through at the same time as I am starting two new businesses.

My friends think I am mad, my Mother thinks I might be growing up, at last, and I just think I am blessed.

Blessed because I have created a life with a woman who I adore; blessed because the child will have the most wonderful network of amazing people to take care of it and blessed to have bestowed upon me a gift so special, so relatively late in life.

I am on a rollercoaster journey and at times I feel ever so slightly out of control but I wouldn’t swap it for anything in the world.

It’s a wonderful life!