the thirteenth day has arrived and for a new daddy, this seems to be an experience of a lifetime... i remembered what my mom said to me when she was still around, the moment you have your own child, then you will know what life is all about... i am beginning to appreciate life as my little elf grows day by day... getting home after work is a joy now, anxiously waiting to see my lil' elfs' smile and hearing her gurgles while my wife and mom-in-law relate the days' event on how naughty or rascal she was, is so warm....

learning lots and lots of new things in bringing up your own child is another chapter in life... a couple of days ago, she was brought to the clinic to check for suspected jaundice, while at the clinic, the doctors ran some test and confirm she has jaundice... jaundice...? how...? why...? these are some of the questions that was running thru my mind... i never expected my own child to be diagnosed with such condition until many friends and relatives assured me that most babies nowadays, almost 9 out of 10, has jaundice.... so she was referred to the hospital for futher observation... the moment we arrived at the hospital, the nurses took blood samples from my baby, and we were not suppose to see what they were doing... hearing her cries thru the curtains really breaks my heart....

one hour passed and the results were out, she was immediately admitted to the jaundice ward for phototherapy... she was placed in a crib with the flourescent lights beaming almost for 18 hours... while my wife was at her side all the time, both her and me was worried... the next morning when the doctors took her blood samples and confirmed that the bilirubin level has dropped, my wife called me from the hospital informing me about the news while she was crying in joy... hearing my wife cry led me to one conclusion.... the mother and daughter bond has been created... and a deep one too...

it's tiring taking care of a baby who only knows one language... cry... but the joy of hearing her cry is tremendous... while people tell me too much crying means she might be sick, little or no crying also may spell trouble... but her cries are mainly for FOOD... and after feeding seeing her smile in contention is such a happy sight...

i never actually thought that i will be changing diapers... but it seems to be so much fun doing it... getting her cleaned up is like a mission... she will struggle and kick while the diapers are being changed... so it takes practice to master the art of changing diapers... so it looks like daddy's doing mommy's job huh....? it's not the case, daddy's just doing daddy's role... nowadays, daddies play a more active role in upbringing... i would really want to experience the joy and fun in experiencing these events as the moment when they grow up, these little "chores" will be slowly diminished... as the baby learns to live more independently... but i would like to relate to my kids when they grow old and also me, how rascal or naughty they were when they were young....

and also not forgetting my dearest mom-in-law who is sacrificing her time and sleep to take care of both her daughter and grand daughter is so much more than words can express... seeing her tirelessly attending to the needs of both is also a show of bonding and love between mother, daughter and grand daughter... these are the kinds of things in life in which one will never experience... if not for the arrival of a newborn...

daddy's precious is what both my wife and mom-in-law says... when daddy comes home and "go moi" his daughter and the way the baby smiles, squirms while daddy kisses her endlessly is a sight that my wife says "i will become a good father..."