Brilliant Dad Feature week 6
My brilliant dad feature this week is Andy from the UK.
My name is Andy and i’m a 43 year old father of 2 1/2 year old boy/girl twins. To say my Wife and I feel blessed would be an accurate description as for 9 long years , from the moment we made that decision to start a family, we endured a long and painful, (mainly for my wife and the painful treatments/examinations she had to undergo) journey that culminated in 3 failed cycles of IVF (ICSI) before miracles of miracles she fell pregnant with our twins.
1. Have you always wanted to be a dad?
Becoming a parent really brings home what a big scary world it can be out there. The thought of them getting up to some of the things I did as a kid (and an adult for that matter) scares the crap out of me. I never thought I’d be an over protective parent but maybe its because my Wife and I both realise just how precious they are and what we went through to have them, We find ourselves being exactly that. Although to be fair I’d much rather be that way than some of the parents we have come across who don’t seem to give two hoots what their kids are up to.
2. How did you feel when your children were born?
The feeling I had when the were born was to be honest a feeling of awe. I couldnt get my head around that they were finally here, and that we were finally a family. The other feeling was a sense of Oh My Goodness! what the hell do we do now! Neither of us had been anywhere near children for years so it was really in at the deep end. I have to say right from the beginning my Wife was amazing. She constantly beats herself up that she isn’t good enough, but the fact we have two happy (when not in the middle of a terrible two’s tantrum), healthy and clever children.
Each little milestone is a rewarding experience – from smiling to rolling over, crawling, walking,talking.To be fair we have become facebook baby bores – posting so many experiences on facebook. We make no apologies as we believe in some ways its a modern version of a family album.
4. What are some of the funniest moments that have happened to you as a dad?
One of my funniest moments was last year on a visit to see how our house build was getting on. It was a hot day and the builders had no shirts on. i thought nothing of it at the time until the following week they both asked if they could ” go and see the builders with no clothes on” – it was the sort of conversation that if anyone in earshot had heard may have required a little bit of explaining. Another constant source of amusement for my Wife and myself is how at the slightest hint of some music , be it at home, in a shopping centre or more recently in front of the buskers at SouthBank in London, they both love to stop what they are doing and get down to the music.
5. Have there been any situations with your children that you have found difficult to cope with?
I must admit,not proudly i may add, that I’m finding it quite difficult at the moment dealing with the terrible two tantrums. They are by no means bad kids but by goodness when they have meltdowns it is really something to behold . I’m becoming quite skilled at picking up a screaming, wrestling toddler out of a shop and carrying them back to our car to cool down. They also have this amazing ability to not hear a word i say and above all my biggest gripe is the whining. It really does drive me crazy.
6. What are your dreams and hopes for your children?
To be honest my biggest hope for our twins is that they both grow up happy and healthy….. and polite!
I hope you find this an open and honest account of my experience so far as a dad of twins. Its by no means easy, but its by far the best thing I’ve ever achieved and I wouldn’t change a thing
3 Comments
Spike Zelenka
April 3, 2015 at 3:10 pm
As the 44 year old father of 2 year old twins, I can really relate. From the heartbreak of failed attempts to finally being blessed with my twins, it seems our paths are very similar including being a bit protective of them because of the journey we faced to have them. Awesome read, and all too familiar.
Ryan Costello
April 6, 2015 at 1:05 pm
Excellent reading!
Emily M Morgan
April 18, 2015 at 5:39 am
Yup – whining is a big bugbear for me too. Twins must be wonderful though, you know they'll always be there for each other when they have challenging things like starting school and so on.