“The Doctors Appointment”

While still basking in the glow of newfound fatherhood it occurred to me earlier at the hospital that I overheard my wife schedule a doctor’s appointment for our son.  Good God!  We had just undergone hours of physician oversight with the whole birth ordeal and Jack had been run through a gammit of tests to ensure everything was just so. With the green light given and assurances from everyone including the cafeteria wait staff, I saw no immediate need for traveling to the land of unknown just a mere 48 hours in the future. In fact, just hours before this revelation we had made the inaugural trip home, safely I might add. Although it was a trip laced with trepidation and fear should I also remind you of the careless disregard of my sons safety and posture.  Nonetheless, I was acutely curious as to why we had to venture outdoors ever again. The walls of our home provided perfect protection from any and all harsh realities of the real world. It was my opinion that a grocery service, home schooling and periodic Face-time scheduling would surely be an adequate solution for the next 18 years. I stopped and felt my heart race at the thought of venturing outside the house with a newborn. I thought,” how would we manage to pack everything in the car that we would need out there?” It was then that it really hit me. I would be single-handedly engaged in a state of guerrilla warfare, me and my son vs them, the outside world.  I calmed myself and settled in on the task at hand, “Operation Doctor Visit.” I was still very green in my new role and was just beginning to get my SAHD legs under me and where lack of practical knowledge resided, passion for success in this new role was bubbling over. I began the checklist and after a box of diapers, 12 bottles of formula, half a case of wipes and at least a dozen blankets and toys I began culling for the necessities.  It was then I remembered that the redundancy of multiple diaper bags given as gifts was truly a gift in my current situation. I was grateful that bags rode free on this trip and at that same moment I speculated our child would never travel by air simply because it wasn’t feasible for us to afford an entire section of the aircraft for our family and all its necessities when traveling. I began packing and an hour later I believed I had everything needed for our first outing safely within the confines of our family truckster. I was so excited, I was full of pride and smiling ear to ear as the dry run was a success. In a few short hours the real test would be at hand and with these thoughts I drifted off to sleep eager to see the day and confident that I could meet the challenge. I awoke that next morning and it seemed eerily quiet, nothing stirring including our son. I jumped up and noticed only 1- 1/2 hours till departure. How would I do it? How could I get a newborn, his entire entourage and motorcade 6 miles in less than 2 hours? As it turned out with the help of a rational clear thinking wife we were on time. We took one diaper bag with 2 bottles of formula, 6 diapers, a small package of wipes  and a blanket. Mom intervened and quieted the insanity with smart decisions although for any SAHD it seemed like occupational suicide. It worked and I look back on that event as a badge of honor with great pride. I especially laugh out loud at the thought of what I must have looked like as I packed an SUV for what could have been a 5 week trip.

In a nutshell, be prepared for anything. The creed of a parent of a newborn…