Wednesday night I was at a Jackson Browne concert in Oakland when it hit me! I'm not sure if I ever told our kids the story of how their Father learned the news that he was going to be a DAD! (You'll see the connection momentarily). First of all, Brent has always loved Jackson Browne! So, when I was a little nervous about announcing that I was PREGNANT for the first time... who better to disclose the information but Jackson Browne. I knew Brent would be excited about impending fatherhood, BUT The timing WAS a little sooner than we'd Expected to be Expecting! I was working at Marriott Corporation in Management Engineering (which had nothing to do with my English major - but it was a cool job). AND I was in the throes of filling out business school applications and Brent was in his second year of law school. While Parenting was definitely in our plans; getting law school behind us seemed like a reasonable idea too (oh well!).
There happens to be a Jackson Browne song titled "Ready or Not" and some of the lyrics were perfect for our situation. So, I put a tape cassette of the song in Brent's car with a note to play it and then call me when he got to school (back in the day before CD's, ipods, and cell phones).
The song tells how Jackson Browne discovered his girlfriend was pregnant and the opening lines are: "Someone's going to have to explain it to me, I'm not really sure what it means. My baby's feeling funny in the morning, She's having trouble getting into her jeans. Her waist-line seems to be expanding, Although she never feels like eating a thing." And so on...
Ready or Not! It's a perfect tag line to describe taking on The Adventures of Parenting! Seriously, is anyone ever ready, really? I certainly read plenty of advice books: before kids, during kids, and I still read them even though my kids technically aren't "kids." Guess I am a classic example that you can read parenting manuals by the dozen but it's all a little trial and error! Or, as Dan Bennett noted: "Training a baby by the book is a good idea, only you need a different book for each baby." Customized Instruction Manuals! - that would be nice.
So, Ready or Not, They Came (3 of them)! Fortunately, children are pretty resilient; which is a good thing since most Moms and Dads are just winging it as we go along. Ready or Not!
