Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images North America
A dear friend, who I don’t get to see that often, will soon be a father for the
first time. With his wife expecting in about five weeks, he and I met for
dinner and, not surprisingly, there was a lot of baby talk.
“Nothing really changes,” I
assured him.
“Yeah, that’s what I hear,” he
responded, every bit as deadpan.
After a little more food and
wine, we talked more seriously. I shared my thoughts on how important it is to
be his most helpful self in the weeks after birth, when his wife is recovering,
sleepless and breastfeeding. I talked about the joy of rolling around with a
baby, acting like the biggest fool in the world. It’s difficult to put a good
spin on how hard the first year can be at times, but I emphasized that it’s
also a year in which a parent transforms.
“You’re going to be amazed at how well you know your child and how capable you
will become at doing the things that parents do, changing a diaper, changing a
mood.”
When my daughter was about
five weeks old, I remember a very desperate conversation with my wife that only
got better when we agreed with the logic that this wasn’t really how it was going to be for the rest of our lives. Our child
wasn’t going to be one month old forever.
Sharing stories like this with my friend, I worried that I was somehow offering
too much. But he seemed to welcome it all—assimilating my thoughts and
experiences with his own ideas and feelings.
In my dreams, this is how I
hope it is with our readers. My team and I know that your journey is ultimately
your own, so we try to offer a little assistance along the way. In this month’s
issue, there’s a lot for new and expectant parents (most notably our cover
story with Jessica Alba), timed to our biggest event of the year—The
New York Baby Show on May 19-20. But there are
treats for all parents, too. From the entertaining and revealing Mom Chronicles
to our picks for the best playgrounds in the city, and our
Birthday Party Mega-Planner—but all I really want to say is…enjoy.
A Happy May To All,
ERIC MESSINGER
EDITOR
emessinger@manhattanmedia.com
